It's okay to complain, you are not a troll. |
BoJack "Vince" Horseman made this comment in yesterday's game thread.
"So how do we talk about this team without sounding like negative trolls ? I'm trying really hard here"
Internet troll
By definition.
According to a definition by Princeton, Internet trolls are individuals who purposely post inflammatory, off topic or extraneous posts on websites in an effort to stir up drama or harass other members.
He's correct. How do you discuss the 1-7 start by the Toronto Blue Jays and not be labeled as a negative troll?
Baseball, in fairness any sport, is an emotional animal. We cheer for the home team. We ride the waves of winning and losing because we care. To watch your team dominate, you dominate and win with them. You experience the joy and ecstasy of being part of a winner through your support. You can understand how deep the emotion runs, when a simple flip of a bat causes international debate about how a child's game should be played. The highs of these emotions, over the result of a game, cause some adults to weep and some to celebrate with riots in the streets.
It used to be easy. The team would go on a losing streak. You'd vent with your friends.Release all that anger, sadness, angst and emotion. Point out all the issues that led to the team losing then realize there's another game tomorrow, get prepared to cheer the team on and convince anyone who's listening that the winning streak was about to begin.
But in today's world, any person who enters into critical debate is seen as negative pisshole. That any pessimism at the current state of affairs, is seen as defeatist rather than commentary about what is actually happening.
There are those people who will use a losing streak, to declare that the season is lost. They conclude every player and executive is terrible. They celebrate the misery, more than the wins. For those people, I truly feel sorry. They lack an understanding of what it is to be a fan. They fail to comprehend, that the baseball season is a 6 or 7 month journey of wins and losses. That the losses make the wins that much more sweeter.
It was about here, in this post, that I was going to insert a
So are you a negative internet troll if you lament the current 1-7 Jays record? Not in my eyes. I agree. The Jays are losing games. The offence sucks and I'm not happy. Feel free and unabashed, to be pissed off at the current state of affairs. You are not a troll. You're a fan with emotion and passion for the team you follow fervently.
If you claim that the season is over, based on an 8 game stretch of games, with 154 left to play, you are not only a troll , you are a fool.
So use this post to discuss how shitty the Jays are, at this point in time. Just realize, the next point in time is just a moment away, and it may very well be glorious. I don't know if it will be this week, next week or whenever but I do know, I'll be there. Celebrating the wins, as the losses of the past week fade from my memory.
Enjoy the game and Go Jays.