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Was Sal a Sucker?

Rotblatt May 05 2006 05:05 PM

Where is Sal, anyway? I hope he's just on vacation or something and not gone for good. Anyway, I saw [url=http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=A0SO57fJu1tEZ0kBABcRvLYF?slug=jp-auction050506&prov=yhoo&type=lgns]this article[/url] about a KC fan putting his loyalty up for sale on e-Bay after being frustrated by KC management in recent years, and thought, "Hey, maybe Sal should try this too!" ]To Carroll, [the trades of Damon, Dye & Beltran] encapsulated the decline of a proud franchise into a punch line. So the next morning, Carroll logged onto his computer ready to fire an email off to nine military buddies denouncing his fandom. Instead, Carroll thought he'd be funny. He started an eBay auction: "My loyalty to the Kansas City Royals (jersey included)." He emailed his friends the link offering a trove of Royals memorabilia, a "Certificate of Authenticity" and the chance to pick the new team for Carroll to cheer. . . . On May 2, the day of loss 11, the auction ended at 10:03 a.m. The bid I placed using a sniping program had been exceeded. So, too, had the bid by the Kansas City T-Bones, an independent-league team that, on occasion, outdraws its major-league counterparts. The price of one man's loyalty was $278.47. To the rescue had come Carroll's military buddies who received the original email. With less than 5 seconds left in the auction, one of the friends, Dan Young, frantically clicked to usurp the T-Bones' bid by $5. It worked. And so until July 21, Carroll is a lame-duck fan. On that night, he and his friends will gather for their yearly get-together in Cleveland. They'll watch the Indians play Minnesota, then drive about an hour to Cleveland's outskirts. There, they'll gather around a table and start dealing cards. A few hours later, the champion of their annual Hold 'em tournament will win not only a bracelet but the right to choose Carroll's new team. . . . "If I win," Carroll said, "your readers can pick my team."

ABG May 05 2006 05:10 PM

My own near-reaction to this--and subsequent self-control--is testament to the effectiveness of the new RLF policy. Huzzah!

Bret Sabermetric May 05 2006 06:18 PM

ABG wrote: My own near-reaction to this--and subsequent self-control--is testament to the effectiveness of the new RLF policy. Huzzah! Fuck you, Anus Breath, you syphillitic abg of rancid pus. I can post here any time I like, and give Edgy or his henchmen a full-time job, hustling to put threads or parts of threads into the RLF (Hop to it, boys!), until they feel like they're working several thankless jobs and wrecking any thread I opt to insert my foul-mouthed, pernicious presence into, and believe me I've very carefully considered doing just that. But an odd thing happened last week. A CPFer, who will remain nameless, popped by my office and had a long and disturbing talk with me. Long story short, he argued two points, neither of which I wholly buy: 1) that such shenanigans might end in grievous physical harm to someone (I'm sure he wasn't threatening me personally, but just warning of physical danger resulting from internet-based hijinx spiralled out of control), and he cited a RL example designed to make me reconsider my scorched earth policy, and 2) that such shenanagins might (he said "probably would," which is the part I don't quite buy) result in the implosion of the CPF eventually, but sooner rather than later. I don't think either is reallly very likely, and I might have been being played, as this kind fellow tried appealing to my good nature, which as you know well, doesn't really exist. But the strongest case he made was that by fucking up thread after thread to make my point, I was detracting from the pleasure of several fine fellows who never did me any harm, nor wished me any, such as Centerfield, J. Dickshot, Rotblatt, Yancy, Vic, Soupy, Elster, MFS62, Old Mole and the half-dozen other tolerant CPFers who were not enjoying the consequences of Edgy's pitching a hissy-fit of humiliation over the whole Piazza-thing that started this. So I decided that, despite my pleasure in creating thankless work for Edgy, so as to demonstrate that rudeness and immaturity have consequences (as my rudeness and immaturity were designed to show), I'd simply back off my CPF-in-flames strategy for a while, maybe a good long while. (I was tempted to get on during the last week only to thank CF for acknowledging that maybe there was some rational thought behind my Piazza's-star-may-have-already-set theme, as opposed to Edgy's argument that it was purely fueled by hatred, spite, obstinate stupidity, anger, and a lack of literacy and common sense). Coming from Edgy in 2004, such an acknowledgment, however grudging, would have gone a long way. Even coming from CF in 2006, that statement made me feel like a member of a community.) So this is me, backing off. If you would prefer to see a demonstration of how your new, peaceful CPF is due to my beneficence, rather than to an intelligent new RLF policy, just make a request that I show you how creating a new RLF (I prefer to call it the new "Bret Lite" Forum) could easily lead to the ruination of every semblence of coherence on every thread in the Main Baseball Forum. But even you aren't quite foolish enough to request that. Are you? Sorry, Rotblatt, that I'm virtually consigning your thread to the RLF, but that's where I seem to live these days. And I hope I haven't besmitched the reputations of any of those I've mentioned by name here as being tolerant of another point of view. I've overstated the degree of small-minded, unfriendly bigotry around here, certainly, but there's quite enough to have made me reconsider the wisdom of posting regularly. So I'll try posting irregularly, and see if that helps, not that helping Edgy is an especial goal of mine, but I need to accept the bad consequences along with the good ones.

Nymr83 May 05 2006 06:37 PM

ABG wrote: My own near-reaction to this--and subsequent self-control--is testament to the effectiveness of the new RLF policy. Huzzah! that got me in a thread yesterday too, i guess the policy is working in cleaning up people's behavior (to some extent)? well.. clearly not Sal's behavior.... Sal, i saw NO POINT in calling ABG names after his last post. you could have left out that first paragraph of your post and you would have gotten your point across just fine without attacking ABG

KC May 05 2006 06:37 PM

BS: >>>believe me I've very carefully considered doing just that.<<< Uh, please don't do that. Messy, messy. I never meant any harm to come to my internet friends either, but I'm left off the list so I thought I'd chime in. As requested by a number of people on that list, I've solicited a meeting of sorts with Bret but we haven't come to an agreement yet on anything. This latest post surprised the crap out of me, maybe I'm barking up the wrong olive branch. Maybe I should have thrown out the olive branch I used to try and get Bret and Edge to reconcile this two fucking years ago.

Nymr83 May 05 2006 06:48 PM

]This latest post surprised the crap out of me, maybe I'm barking up the wrong olive branch damn. when i saw this i thought i had an opportunity to post one of my favorite cartoons, sadly i can't find it. i saw it several years ago, it was a picture of Yasser Arafat holding out (to an israeli leader, i dont remember who) an olive branch with a grenade hanging from it, the caption said "Whats that?" "It's a Palestinian olive"

KC May 05 2006 06:50 PM

That's not funny ny, I have no desire to blow up Sal. Don't feed this.

Nymr83 May 05 2006 06:51 PM

i'm not trying to suggest that you want to blow up Sal, it was just funny is all, and maybe someone with better internet searching skills can find the damn thing for me.

Nymr83 May 05 2006 06:53 PM

and look at that, another thread that originally had to do with baseball finds its way to the RLF.

KC May 05 2006 06:58 PM

It makes it sound like my olive branch is/was insincere ... no biggie. Big series coming up in fifteen minutes, I ain't gonna be distracted by all this nonsense -- again. Peace -- anyone remember peace?

Nymr83 May 05 2006 07:03 PM

you want peace? well you're in luck, THAT we've got a picture for!

Bret Sabermetric May 05 2006 07:20 PM

KC wrote: I'm left off the list . Anyone is welcome to consider himself on the list: "and the half-dozen other tolerant CPFers who were not enjoying the consequences of Edgy's pitching a hissy-fit of humiliation over the whole Piazza-thing that started this." Might even be a dozen. Hell, maybe it's a whole Forum-ful of Sal-lovin', Met-hatin' traitors to the blue and orange, Piazza-pj wearin', throat -disintegratin' way of life. Well, maybe not a WHOLE Forum-ful but you get the picture. Enjoy your ballgame. Now that I'm safely in the Bret-lite Forum again, we can concentrate on baseball, until ABG's next gloating appearance, which I'll greet by stirring up a little more discord.

Nymr83 May 05 2006 07:30 PM

]Enjoy your ballgame. Now that I'm safely in the Bret-lite Forum again, we can concentrate on baseball, until ABG's next gloating appearance, which I'll greet by stirring up a little more discord. Forgive me for not keeping up on this season's plot, what did ABG do?

Bret Sabermetric May 05 2006 07:30 PM

Nymr83 wrote: Sal, i saw NO POINT in calling ABG names after his last post. you could have left out that first paragraph of your post and you would have gotten your point across just fine without attacking ABG You saw NO POINT? Here's my point--by interjecting meaningless obscenities into random threads I can send them, or parts of them, into the RLF, and I can make less obscenity-laden posts of mine become judgment calls (Edgy emailing KC: "Shd this one go into the RLF? He made some good baseball points and he didn't really call someone a name, just called him an equine posterior--is that bad language?" KC e-mailing to Edgy: "Well, it sounds bad. Maybe it's Chinese? Let's consult Willets Point...") and make the whole process at worst self-defeating, and at best time-consuming and annoying to read and to edit. That's the point. It's a foolish policy, and one that taken to an extreme could probably make this into a less fun-filled site to visit and to spend time on. I've decided that doing such a thing, as pleasant as it would be to show Edgy that there's no profit in being a rude, cowardly, self-righteous, prideful, unmasculine little priss, would also spite some people whom I like. That's my point.

KC May 05 2006 07:38 PM

I've never emailed anyone about what threads to move anywhere, nor have I gotten any discussing the said movement of threads.

Bret Sabermetric May 05 2006 07:45 PM

That's what I'd say, too, under threat of torture.

KC May 05 2006 08:24 PM

I also don't recall being threatened with torture.

ABG May 05 2006 08:46 PM

Bret Sabermetric wrote: ="Nymr83"]Sal, i saw NO POINT in calling ABG names after his last post. you could have left out that first paragraph of your post and you would have gotten your point across just fine without attacking ABG You saw NO POINT? Here's my point--by interjecting meaningless obscenities into random threads I can send them, or parts of them, into the RLF, and I can make less obscenity-laden posts of mine become judgment calls (Edgy emailing KC: "Shd this one go into the RLF? He made some good baseball points and he didn't really call someone a name, just called him an equine posterior--is that bad language?" KC e-mailing to Edgy: "Well, it sounds bad. Maybe it's Chinese? Let's consult Willets Point...") and make the whole process at worst self-defeating, and at best time-consuming and annoying to read and to edit. That's the point. It's a foolish policy, and one that taken to an extreme could probably make this into a less fun-filled site to visit and to spend time on. I've decided that doing such a thing, as pleasant as it would be to show Edgy that there's no profit in being a rude, cowardly, self-righteous, prideful, unmasculine little priss, would also spite some people whom I like. That's my point. I still think you should be banned.

Bret Sabermetric May 06 2006 03:33 AM

That's okay, I still think you should be tortured.

Rotblatt May 06 2006 09:34 AM

Bret Sabermetric wrote: Sorry, Rotblatt, that I'm virtually consigning your thread to the RLF, but that's where I seem to live these days. No worries, although I was a bit surprised--I thought I had to type your name THREE times before you'd materialize from the ether. Anyway, I'm glad you're not gone for good and look forward to seeing your posts in the Baseball Forum! And maybe on a "for sale" page on eBay?

Willets Point May 08 2006 09:50 PM

Nymr83 wrote: and look at that, another thread that originally had to do with baseball finds its way to the RLF. Actually the thread title alone was a provocation toward a specific CPF'er and that alone is grounds for red-lighting in my book.

Nymr83 May 08 2006 10:12 PM

well i think the title was ok in light of the content, a baseball fan (like sal) switching his allegiances. the original post was not an attack on sal imo.

Rotblatt May 09 2006 05:07 PM

Nymr83 wrote: well i think the title was ok in light of the content, a baseball fan (like sal) switching his allegiances. the original post was not an attack on sal imo. Yeah, I was trying to be funny by suggesting that if Sal was going to renounce his Mets fandom anyway, he should've gotten smart like this former KC fan and made a quick buck or two in the process. Kinda didn't work out so well, though, huh?

Bret Sabermetric May 09 2006 09:54 PM

It was fine by me.