Negativity? Sox Fans #1

[Texsox]

Are Sox fans more likely to see the glass as half empty? Reading fan sites for teams behind us and seeing how some feel better about the Sox than Sox fans, has me wondering. Let's use this to talk about fans, not the team.

 

[SnB]

i think alot of it has to do with expectations this year.

 

You can't deny that we are one of the best teams in the league, if not the best team, in terms of raw talent.

 

It's the underachieving, at least that's my two cents.

[Jake]

I think we are in general more negative than we should be. We let losses linger and often tend to overlook our strengths and wins. Of course I don't usually feel this way, but in general we as Sox fans have a negative mentality.

[Texsox]

I was thinking that, for this generation of Sox fans, we grew up with a s***ty UHF signal, and in the Cub's shadow. We probably started off with a chip on our shoulder.

[Guest JimH]

Here it comes.

[quade36]

Actually, I have not been negative that much, and most Sox fans that I know aren't. It seems as the few that are, well they are the loudest so it appears that way.

 

You want to see a negative fan base, the Red Sox fans win that easily.

[Greg Hibbard]

this is probably the most miserable sox fans have ever been with a team 20 games over .500

 

by a country f***ing mile

[premo]

i think alot of it has to do with expectations this year.

 

You can't deny that we are one of the best teams in the league, if not the best team, in terms of raw talent.

 

It's the underachieving, at least that's my two cents.

This is exactly how I feel. I said the same thing in the game thread last night. Losing when we have a bad or average team bothers me, but not to the extent of this. We should be killing everyone right now. Blame Ozzie, blame the pitching, blame the lack of clutch hitting. We just aren't playing like we should. Period.

[BigSqwert]

I was thinking that, for this generation of Sox fans, we grew up with a s***ty UHF signal, and in the Cub's shadow. We probably started off with a chip on our shoulder.

It just sucks that we have an opportunity to really become something special and the team seems to be slowly deteriorating before our eyes. After a magical season like last year one would hope that we'd have a nice run of similar types of seasons. Sure we have a pretty good record this year but the team isn't very fun to watch. The pitching is bad, defense is inconsistent, team speed is nowhere to be found, and we seemed to become a HR or nothing type offense. When comparing it to last year it just seems less exciting to watch. There's still time left to turn things around and secure a playoff spot but if that fails I really hope Kenny tweaks the team in the offseason to have more focus on defense, pitching and team speed.

[MSHAWKS]

Are Sox fans more likely to see the glass as half empty? Reading fan sites for teams behind us and seeing how some feel better about the Sox than Sox fans, has me wondering. Let's use this to talk about fans, not the team.

 

 

 

I think that Sox fans are conditioned to expect the White Sox to play poorly from August on. Not even taking 2005 into consideration, the 2004 and 2003 teams were neck-and-neck with Minnesota around August 1, only to play lethargically for the remaining two months. The pennant races during those two years still remain etched in my mind when I talk about this years team.

[J-MAN]

It just sucks that we have an opportunity to really become something special and the team seems to be slowly deteriorating before our eyes. After a magical season like last year one would hope that we'd have a nice run of similar types of seasons. Sure we have a pretty good record this year but the team isn't very fun to watch. The pitching is bad, defense is inconsistent, team speed is nowhere to be found, and we seemed to become a HR or nothing type offense. When comparing it to last year it just seems less exciting to watch. There's still time left to turn things around and secure a playoff spot but if that fails I really hope Kenny tweaks the team in the offseason to have more focus on defense, pitching and team speed.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "magical" season last year!

 

Last year it seemed every ball we hit fell in - every call seemed to go our way - we got all the bounces.

 

I know our starting pitching sucks right now but how many times have you seen a Sox hitter lace a ball and someone makes a great catch - how many long balls just went foul - how many calls seemed to go the wrong way.

 

One thing last year taught me is not to bail when things get tight. If repeating were easy how come no one has done it in a long time?

 

The Sox are still 20 games over 500 and in the playoff hunt - I would be happier if we were pitching better but still optimistic about the playoffs.

 

Nothing can stop me from getting a chill when they come out on the field and announce the 2005 World Champions.

 

[LVSoxFan]

I think part of being a fan is being negative when things are down, without being defeatist. Let's rephrase: being realistic.

 

I think this season is hard because we all had such great expectations. I knew we would never duplicate 2005--that much was obvious in the first month--but I don't think anybody ever thought we'd look this lackluster all season. Yes, we're 20 games over .500, but it's not been pretty. And that's part of it too: 20 games over yet we're a distant second behind Detroit, who is--unbelievably--40 GAMES over. That is sick. Nobody even expected them to be in it this year (although doesn't that sound familiar).

 

Me personally I can handle a loss but it just seems that this team has no fight. There's no spark, there's no never-say-die attitude, a lot of frowns. Remember in 2004 when Tori Hunter's runover of our catcher sort of symbolically marked the end of our season? Because, as Ozzie said then, THAT was the kind of play we were lacking--that fire.

 

In 2005 it was there all right, and look what happened.

 

This year it just seems AWOL. Here's the best way I can put it:

 

Ozzie: the genius of last year seems to be a lot more fallible/questionable this year

 

Pods: the base-stealing maniac of last year just seems lost, behind the plate, on the basepath, in LF

 

Gooch: my favorite all-around player, he seems listless at the plate these days

 

Thome: no complaints

 

Konerko: no complaints

 

Dye: no complaints

 

Crede: his hitting is a bit shaky but really no complaints

 

A.J.: you wonder if his pitch calling is that great this year, although he's the last I'd blame

 

Uribe: the defensive genius of last year seems lazy

 

Bench: Pablo showed early brilliance but seems to have cooled. Cintron and Mack sure aren't blowing my socks off. Gload was the hero, once, but... same deal.

 

Then comes pitching:

 

Buehrle: My GOD, what has happened to you?

Freddy: are you hurt, lazy? Both? Same with you.

Jose: was killin' 1st half, but now has lost what, four in a row (although I don't blame him with little run support)?

Garland: no complaints

Javy: do I even need to say it?

 

Bullpen:

Politte flamed out. Hermy's probably never coming back. Cotts has been spotty. Riske I still can't decide. Jenks: no complaints. Thornton: no complaints. BMac: on and off, but generally I'm satisfied.

 

So while last year was a smooth cruise, as you can see above there are question marks all over the freakin' place, and I guess that's what's made this season tough. I don't expect us to win the WS again--that's hard to do--but I did think we were the team to beat in the central.

 

A third place potential finish just seems too much to take.

 

But it IS still not over, so no white flags from me yet.

[LosMediasBlancas]

I believe every Sox fan is optimistic AT HEART.

I think the negativity partly has to do with being the smaller fan base in the city. Sox fans are afraid to jump in with both feet because of the abuse they'll get (mostly from Cub fans) if the team falls short. It's the old "yeah, I knew all along the team would blow it" defense mechanism.

[Hangar18]

SOX fans have ALWAYS been a bit more on the negative side of things. You can even ask different generations, as my dad was, and older cousins. The SOX have always been in the coulda/shoulda side of things, and SOX fans have always been realistic about how things play out. SOX fans are exactly like the citizens of the City itself, hardworking, midwest, down-to-earth, salt-of-the earth types. Im told that back in the old old days, one could look into the stands, and see the blue-collar ethic in the faces and clothing of the people. Much different from the other side of town, college kids, transients, there for entertainment types with little vested interest in the team as much as the park/area. One fanbase says the glass is half empty, the other half full. Thats the way it always was, who am I/we to say otherwise?

[Milkman delivers]

I know our starting pitching sucks right now but how many times have you seen a Sox hitter lace a ball and someone makes a great catch - how many long balls just went foul - how many calls seemed to go the wrong way.

 

Anderson has hit more line drives right at people than I can ever remember seeing before.

[Hangar18]

this is probably the most miserable sox fans have ever been with a team 20 games over .500

 

by a country f***ing mile

 

 

Thats because this is the American League, where the stakes/bar are/is higher. Thats what I like about being a SOX fan. We demand greatness, not mediocrity. The sheep up north, if they were 20 games over .500, would be peeing in the streets, spraying beer over each other, and printing WS06 Tshirts as fast as people would buy them. Imbeciles.

[MHizzle85]

In my opinion, it boils down to the fact that we won it all last year. We wanna see the same type of dominance out of our team, but who knows if that'll happen. We've got a really good Detroit team in front of us, who seems to be the 2005 White Sox all over again. From the great pitching all the way to the lucky breaks. It's also why fans are dissecting a team that's 20 games over .500 because by watching them play it is hard to believe sometimes. Something inside just tells me that we haven't even started to play our best ball yet, call me a homer but i think it's gonna happen. We may not take the Central, but I do believe we'll get the WC. I think it's just that something inside that wont let me believe that this team is gonna lay down.

[Guest JimH]

The sheep up north, if they were 20 games over .500, would be peeing in the streets, spraying beer over each other, and printing WS06 Tshirts as fast as people would buy them. Imbeciles.

 

The thread was about Sox fans, what a surprise, you bring the Cub fans into it again.

 

Personally I think being obsessed with the Cubs and their fans and needing to comment on it all the time is one of the worst forms of negativity. Insecurity is one of the worst forms of negativity.

[Hangar18]

The thread was about Sox fans, what a surprise, you bring the Cub fans into it again.

 

Personally I think being obsessed with the Cubs and their fans and needing to comment on it all the time is one of the worst forms of negativity. Insecurity is one of the worst forms of negativity.

 

 

I personally think your being obsessed with my posts and needing to comment on them is a form of insecurity also.

[Guest JimH]

I personally think your being obsessed with my posts and needing to comment on them is a form of insecurity also.

[/quote

I personally suggest you go look in the other threads. When you post a lot of other stuff I don't comment.

 

When you get on your Cubbie/media paranoia rap, which is often, I will comment.

I'm not insecure in the slightest. Certainly not about you, nor the Cubs, nor the Cub fans, nor the media, nor WSI ... all of which seem to be a dark shadowy figure to you.

 

Pretty simple huh?

[whitesoxfan101]

i think alot of it has to do with expectations this year.

 

You can't deny that we are one of the best teams in the league, if not the best team, in terms of raw talent.

 

It's the underachieving, at least that's my two cents.

 

That would be correct. It's one thing to not be good enough, it's another when the pitching and managing are losing you games you should win, which in the long run will probably cost you a shot in the playoffs.

[Hangar18]

Insecurity is one of the worst forms of negativity.

 

 

I Never knew insecurity was one of the forms ......

[CWSGuy406]

FWIW, when talking about fans of other teams...

 

-The Red Sox fans are going through as rough a time as we've been going through. I mean, think about it. They were in first place all year, but they could never stretch their lead, even while the Yanks were sending out Andy Phillips and Miguel Cairo and Melky Cabrera and Bubba Crosby and Sidney Ponson. Trade deadline comes, the Yanks basically steal one of the best OBP guys in the league, as well as Craig Wilson who is solid in his own right. They just lost two out of three to Tampa Bay, and have lost six out of their last ten, while the Yanks have won eight out of their last ten.

 

-Well... you can't even come CLOSE to comparing the misery that Sox fans (red or white) are going through to the misery that Twin fans are going through. You talk about a fanbase that is 'down'... They just got their ass beat, again, by the Tigers, and their future in Liriano said the two words you NEVER want to hear from a pitcher; "elbow pain".

 

At this point in time, you have three teams playing bad bad baseball (or, in the Twins case, a team that has to be pretty crushed emotionally and banged up physically). And, unless Toronto or somebody else plays outstanding baseball down the stretch, the truth of it is, one of the above three will make the playoffs.

With Liriano down, I think our chances of winning the WC are as good as the Red Sox's.

[Dick Allen]

Negativity? White Sox fans? All you have to do is watch the broadcast of White Sox games to know the real reason the Sox are losing, and have a team ERA over 5.50 since the All Star break. Its the umpires.

[Balta1701]

I'm not nearly as angry/disgusted with this team as I was with last year's team on the day Garland gave up that 3 run home run to Garret Anderson. They lost a few more games before the Rally Crede game, but I think turning that one off and saying that Garland's Cy chances were totally gone on 1 pitch was about the low point for me.