Can CP become a "civil" place again?

[GranteedEV]

What gets to me is calling out players who compete hard and end up on the short side of the stick. It happened a lot last year. Yes, sometimes it was more than just luck - missed details or poor fit within systems. Sometimes it was a bad bounce and the boards would be up in arms after the guy who lost an edge or had the puck hit a rut. Sometimes it would be a whistle on a play that happened five times in a row at the other end without a whistle. It was a craptastic season on many levels and I'm sure the players felt it.

The only time players should be called out is for not competing hard.

Maybe I'm guilty of bashing the coach's decisions sometimes, but I've never wished personal ill upon him.

All that said, "Fire _____ to the moon/sun" is fair game. No one means it literally, people.

[TheSutterDynasty]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

I think a lot of what ails CP would be cured if the team was good

It doesn't matter how good the Flames are, it will only quell the negativity briefly.

There was a thread about the Hawks and their poor play this year despite having so much success in the last decade. Dozens of fans hating some of the best, most winning players in the league the second they were out of a playoff spot.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

I agree with the OP, and I have been noticing this trend for the last year or so. People are increasingly pissed off at everything, especially the team. I often wonder why they continue to cheer for a team that they seem to despise so fervently.

Here's a tip, and I think some have actually already done this from what I've noticed: If you're actually angry about watching professional sports, it's time to take a break. Go do anything else to find some joy in life again. Come back when you've had enough time to get some perspective. Maybe you'll find some joy in watching the game again.

This isn't advice for those who are critical when warranted, or sad/bummed out about the state of their favorite team. I think that's a normal fan response. However, the flat out hatred and anger is a step too far down a darker path, so if you find yourself at that point, maybe just keep it to yourself and don't post. It's rarely constructive to post in anger, and it just spills over to other posters and ruins the board.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Toonage

I just thought everyone hated me.

[The Boy Wonder]

This thread is already teetering on the edge of turning into a battle of he said she said... 20 posts in lol

[DeluxeMoustache]

See for me it is more when people suggest considering if a guy like Hamilton could be moved, and people jump out saying the suggestion or person suggesting are asinine.

16 teams made the playoffs without the guy and the Flames have massive holes including 1 st line winger.

Actually, for me the word asinine, outside of this post would be 2 min in the penalty box

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by TheSutterDynasty

Will you be leading the way?

There are a handful of cardinal offenders that drag every thread down and make them unreadable.

Though to be fair, with the exception of the last month or two, there are some great, well thought posts that come around in threads of negativity and they are still getting the majority of thanks. That suggests to me that a smaller percentage of the board is posting the majority of the negative comments. If we can get rid of the needless minority who don't put thought into their position then at least we'll have civility.

I'm just a poster here like anyone else so I don't feel I'm in any position to judge who's a needless poster. Being a member of other large sports forums I am conditioned for this so it doesn't bother me nearly as much as some because I've been through this same thing a few months back on Raiders forums after that team had an equally disappointing season, is moving to a new city, and it's still pretty negative there as a bunch of people hate the Gruden hire. I've said it before but I'll say it again but if you are expecting solely uplifting banter, rational opinions, and civil debates, sports forums are not for you. I'm not excusing poor behavior but being invested in a sports team brings a roller coaster of highs and lows. We are currently at a low.

[CliffFletcher]

Some forums give posters the option to tag a new thread [+] or [positive only] to make it clear acrimony and criticism are not welcome. Seems to work.

But turning this forum into a place where fans don't express anger or disappointment about particular players? Can't see it happening. This is professional sports.

[Ryan Coke]

Overall I agree. Maybe I missed something, but I didn’t find the Hamilton stuff that bad. I thought it was mostly questions about why he was a no show for media availability.

I didn’t think it was offensive or unrelated to his role as a pro hockey player.

Maybe him not being there was nothing, maybe it was something, but discussing that doesn’t seem out there.

[stone hands]

I agree completely with you OP. I'm not sure where all of the vitriol has come from either to be honest. Your comment about how everyone here are _fans_ really struck a chord with me. I find it hard to discuss the flames here because there is an incessant need to constantly crap on everything this team has done. Any compliment on my favorite sports team on a fan site for said sports team needs to be a bulletproof argument or you will have a gang of people jump on you to tell you why you're wrong and the flames suck. I know people dont like to hear it, but this is sports. Some years you just dont have it, and this is one of those years. You deal with it and move on, better luck next year.

I dont subscribe to the notion that this place is so hostile because they sucked this year, as has been mentioned in previous topics discussing the temperature of CP this year. If that was the case, this would have been an un-readable troll board for 4 of the last 6 years. Personally, I've been visiting less and less and posting less and less as the mood around here is extremely toxic.

I know I myself can often lay on way too much snark and I'm going to make a conscious effort to not do it.

One thing I will say is that there have been a couple of extremely polarizing, non-on-ice topics that are not conducive to civil discourse, that being the various arena and olympic discussion threads. I dont know where you would put them, or if there's a place they belong other than here, but I really think those two topics really set the tone for FOI the last little while. Whatever you think is the right way for either topic, you probably feel very strongly about it. Some people tend to let the hostility present in those discussions spill out to other, non-related ones.

I dont know, its a real shame. I felt better when we all scapegoated butler for being awful, but it was almost in a 'he's OUR plug' type of scapegoat instead of the continual bashing of everyone and everything flames related, including(and sometimes especially) fellow flames fans

[Split98]

There are certainly a few posts that step over the line, and occasionally we see thread-long obsessions that derail things - but this year has been terrible.

Picture a bar of Flames fans. It's not a happy bar this year. This is a place where people come to talk about a team, and that team has been more torment than celebration this year, so I don't blame anyone for being cranky.

Hell, for about 3/4 of the year I was sick of hearing about how GG needs to be launched to the Sun. I'm at the point now where I might not watch much next year if he's back.

It's been a ####ty year. I think this place turns around when the subject were all here for becomes less of a disaster.

[puffnstuff]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

What gets to me is calling out players who compete hard and end up on the short side of the stick. It happened a lot last year. Yes, sometimes it was more than just luck - missed details or poor fit within systems. Sometimes it was a bad bounce and the boards would be up in arms after the guy who lost an edge or had the puck hit a rut. Sometimes it would be a whistle on a play that happened five times in a row at the other end without a whistle. It was a craptastic season on many levels and I'm sure the players felt it.

The only time players should be called out is for not competing hard.

Maybe I'm guilty of bashing the coach's decisions sometimes, but I've never wished personal ill upon him.

All that said, "Fire _____ to the moon/sun" is fair game. No one means it literally, people.

Wait, we dont?
Ive been building a huge trebouchet in the backyard all winter. What am I supposed to do with it now?

[spuzzum]

A forum board is a forum board. I want all different sorts of opinions - from teenagers to tree huggers. Personal attacks over the net is pathetic and cowardly but trolls exist everywhere. Have to learn to filter the noise just like having kids at home. I encourage everyone to have kids. It'll build up your patience levels guaranteed!

[Looch City]

It's the Russians.

[Johnhitbox]

I can tell you for sure that when it comes to writing im terrible. you and i could sit across from one another and i'm witty as all hell.

You make a good point in your last paragraph. most people online say things they would never say in person. i think they should question things they post here and say to themselves would i say that to another person's face?

[SportsJunky]

I've said this before, the ignore function is a game changer around here. I used it for the first time (2nd, 3rd, etc) this season and it makes things so much better.

[PugnaciousIntern]

This bothers me too, however I'm sure that I am not innocent myself. Sorry for any part that I've played in this. Moving forward, I pledge to be civil and remember that we're all just hockey fans.

*Except in the E=NG thread. I might still let loose there from time to time. But I think that's expected / encouraged.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

I've said this before, the ignore function is a game changer around here. I used it for the first time (2nd, 3rd, etc) this season and it makes things so much better.

It doesn't work well enough because you still see those hidden posts quoted in everyone else's posts. I still see long discussions where half the posts are hidden from my view. I chuckle to myself sensibly, and then go on my way......but then I have to try and find the first relevant post that happens after that fruitless debate. It can take awhile sometimes.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

My only thoughts on this is that maybe instead of calling out the bad posters, maybe we need to applaud the good posters.

Bingo and Jiri, you've both somehow maintained civil discussion for the last several months despite people constantly baiting you, calling you schills, attacking your logical positions with insults, misrepresenting your opinions to rile up other people who are angry and want a scapegoat.

I've enjoyed quite a bit reading some analysis from people who have a genuine interest in discussing hockey without just insulting those that disagree with them and relying on bullying tactics and mob mentality to "win" an argument, hurl insults at the coaches/players/owners, make sarcastic drive by comments etc.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

This thread is already teetering on the edge of turning into a battle of he said she said... 20 posts in lol

I don't see that at all. Some differing opinions, and that's to be expected.

I'm not looking for uniformity or agreement. I'm looking for CIVILITY. Be nice folks. There's too much "nasty" in the world, and frankly, we don't need it here, too.

Be excited, disappointed, passionate, opinionated AND respect that others have different ideas they have an equal desire to express. Not a right - just a desire to be heard. You have the freedom of choice: read 'em or ignore 'em. But you don't have to trash them. (not specifically "you" Boy Wonder)

(To be fair: suggesting trading JG for a bag of pucks might incite some...heavier response. )