News Colin Carter and Geelong's "ugly" fans

[allrighty]

Carter was asked about fan discontent and instead of addressing the question he deflected to condemn a bunch of idiots who send in abuse. I have no idea why so much time is being spent discussing how the abuse is wrong. Of course it is. But that isn't the issue that is just how Carter is reframing the question.

Thankyou

 

[you pick one]

In a way yes, however I know for a fact almost every club gets those kind of emails/messages after poor results.
100% the pies would be recieving similar, unfortunately it's part of modern social media society.
The point of difference is how you deal with it, either ignore it or deal with it personally (so reply to said letters) or go public with it and alienate those who sent the letters/messages and perhaps also put offside a percentage of the supporter group along with them.
I dare say Eddie won't be making similar comments tomorrow morning on the radio, but he'd absolutely have read similar messages over the last 18 hours.
Like most bad/negative situations, it's how you react and control the situation that makes a difference, and in this case I, and many others, think Colin chose poorly, and unfortunately it comes with history of potting the supporter base.

I agree it's an extraordinary response if it's just the correspondence,I hope and pray there hasn't been a mental affect not reported on one of our players that drew the comments.

 

[Catman]

In this day and age, with so many electronic forms of communication, it's too easy to make a spur of the moment decision that a person could later regret. It's easy to send an email, a Tweet, Facebook post, Instagram post etc, often under an alias and influenced by such factors as emotion or booze. In the past these outlets weren't as freely available and you'd have to actually compose a letter and send it via the post. It makes it convenient to vent your frustrations, and there will always be people who take it too far, and that is completely unacceptable. It's a major downside to social media, IMO.

As for the club, when it comes to criticism it seems to exude an arrogance that fans would have the temerity to dare question them. And it's this attitude that frankly stinks. We pay our hard earned in support and love of our club, yet there's rarely a thanks from the club, just an expectation we'll keep on doing it and in larger amounts for often the same or less in return. Without us there isn't a club, yet we're expected to just sit and accept without fail what goes on out on the field?

I said last year there is a big disconnect between the fans and the club, and on current evidence that gap appears wider than ever before. Yes, we don't know what goes on within the walls, we can only witness it from the outside, but when we invest emotionally and financially in this club and its on field product and when we don't like what we see, we're entitled to ask valid questions.

We are nothing but a cash source to them.

 

[AM]

Carter's proposed club motto: "Shut Up, Pay Me".

Or, standing up for the coach. Depends on your perspective I guess.

 

[Sticksman]

Are you kidding? They have signed on to manage a social media account, and the buse isn’t directed towards them anyway. It’d be different if they were answering the phone of course, but reading your boss’ hate mail might be quite amusing.

I do agree with you though, there is no need to be nasty or abusive, and it doesn’t get you anywhere anyway.

No I wasn't kidding but whatever

 

[thegerman]

All fair enough. Everyone is disappointed because the general consensus is the winner of our Prelim wins the flag. Ran out of legs but shouldn't have gotten to that because of mistakes in match tactics and selections.


This annoys me though. Everything is relative. 3rd is a good year after 8th last year. 3rd after finishing top where the first half of the season looks like we have resolved tactical issues and selected teams on merit, only for that to change in the second half of the season is poor.
Says we remain in contention, but theres never been a year where we are favourites to win the flag. Come Prelim final weekends, 2016 it was GWS or Sydney, 2017 it was Adelaide or Richmond, 2018 we weren't there, this year it was Richmond and Collingwood. We aren't contending. We are clear also rans.


But ignores his record in finals? And says we are in contention? Those two things don't connect. And wonders why fans aren't buying what they are selling.


No one doubts that Scott is a good bloke. But last year it was clear he has his favourites that he plays, and that the younger players felt excluded. And all preseason we heard that he has changed his approach with them to be more open and approachable.


Because he has been caught saying some really dumb s**t in the media, like on 360 and in pre and post match press conferences that makes everyone question him. Its not the fringe. His comments after Cameron kicked 5 for Brisbane is a good example. Either he takes us for idiots, or he has no idea. Better to have said nothing at all.


So doesn't care that they repeatedly make really dumb decisions, ones that are not only called out on by fans but also the media, just that they all came to those dumb decisions together?

Staggering.

I don't post abuse. I love this club and will follow it until the end of time. I want this team to succeed, and I want Scott and Sel and Gaz to get another flag to really shove it up everyone else. But its overwhelmingly clear that a common Geelong issue is poor team selections and poor match day coaching. For all the articles that talk up how other coaches hate going against Scott, and yet our last two finals losses have the same talking points. Why were the wrong selection decisions made despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary (dropping Stanley, who has been one of our better players and is our best player in the ruck by far/Henderson coming in despite failures as a forward) and why are/aren't tactical decisions made during the match (we all laughed when Reid was left on Hawkins in 2011, yet now EVERYONE is laughing at us for not putting Blicavs on Lynch and leaving him to be MOTM).

Theres backing your players in, and being overwhelmingly arrogant. And I believe this finals series it was the latter. The constant need to include overly defensive players in the team in the second half of the year was an obvious reason as to why our scoring ability and our accuracy went down. It seems they take all forms of criticism as "abuse" and put their fingers in their ears and go la la la.

Meanwhile, we just let slip the best Premiership chance we have had since 2013. Ironically, this finals series nearly played out the exact same way.

As the Fonz used to say exactamundo.

I'd hate for real and valid criticism be swept up in the vulgar stuff. What annoys me is when there's real heat on someone or an organisation for their actions, they quickly hide behind something like the vulgarity of these emails just to shirk their ownership of the actual issues.

From Carter's interview I'm starting to hear that.

Would this happen under Costa? Probably not. In 06 the club was under a lot of pressure. He called in the big guns and worked through every issue. Looking beyond the IGO framework (individual, group and organisation) is vital in these instances.

At this stage it's more cloak and dagger and the club appears to just want to sweep it under the carpet. Where's the leadership outside of the club? Who wants to take ownership of the obviously poor selection or matchup errors?

Everyone knows that there were terrible decisions made. For 2e to come out in the media (3AW) and say that virtually anyone criticising those decisions 'it's criminal' is beyond laughable, it's irrational.

If this is the thoughts behind the leaders at the club that we are right and everyone else is wrong; God help us.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[steady2]

In a radio interview it is not his job to interpret what some issues are that some supporters may be dissatisfied with. He answered the questions asked. If the question related specifically what you and some others are concerned about I'm sure he would be expected to answer it.

From google; What does tanking mean in sports?
To varying degrees, the NHL and Major League Baseball — and to a lesser extent the NFL — also are dealing with controversies involving the practice known as tanking, loosely defined as the systematic writing-off of entire seasons by franchises hoping to rebuild for future success through the draft.

By all means you meant another definition I take it.

 

[Ratcat]

Is that official?

 

[thegerman]

Absolutely, and I'll add Colin didn't actually say what the abuse was. But he could have turned it into a positive, relaxed a few of the more vocal and critical supporters instead of alienating them.
It was poor PR, turn a negative into a positive and move forward.

Extremely poor PR.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Spearman]

As Art said just a minute before your post

"Think of the poor girl/guy first year out of Uni that probably has to handle a club social media account. The s**t they'd cop from crazed malcontents. "

I'd bet that kid is more mature than the 'supporters' sending in those messages. Probably laughed at the childish raging.
The range of behavior and intelligence of the human race is wide. I bet there were dickheads in ancient Ur screaming crap at guys in whatever local competitions were going on. If you have ever worked in a service industry you know a large proportion of the population are (choose whatever pejorative you like). They are the Ballantyne's of the race. And because we are 'civilized', there is f- all we can do about it without being severely punished ourselves.
IMO everyone needs a daily dose of some kind of tranq, be it pot, alcohol, sex, meditation, pets etc... to just not take things directly connected to you personally seriously. In this case, its a freaking football game.
signed
Too jaded and world-weary to GAF (and with tongue only half in cheek)

 

[hoopla]

For disgruntled fans, if you don’t like what the cats do year in year out, then don’t pay for a membership, don’t attend games and perhaps support another team. The tigers will be good for another couple of years, and then jump to the hawks, who will be back on the upward trajectory after tanking (again) to get high draft picks.

 

[year of the cat]

In this day and age, with so many electronic forms of communication, it's too easy to make a spur of the moment decision that a person could later regret. It's easy to send an email, a Tweet, Facebook post, Instagram post etc, often under an alias and influenced by such factors as emotion or booze. In the past these outlets weren't as freely available and you'd have to actually compose a letter and send it via the post. It makes it convenient to vent your frustrations, and there will always be people who take it too far, and that is completely unacceptable. It's a major downside to social media, IMO.

As for the club, when it comes to criticism it seems to exude an arrogance that fans would have the temerity to dare question them. And it's this attitude that frankly stinks. We pay our hard earned in support and love of our club, yet there's rarely a thanks from the club, just an expectation we'll keep on doing it and in larger amounts for often the same or less in return. Without us there isn't a club, yet we're expected to just sit and accept without fail what goes on out on the field?

I said last year there is a big disconnect between the fans and the club, and on current evidence that gap appears wider than ever before. Yes, we don't know what goes on within the walls, we can only witness it from the outside, but when we invest emotionally and financially in this club and its on field product and when we don't like what we see, we're entitled to ask valid questions.

We are nothing but a cash source to them.

I reckon that goes back a while to be honest. Recall at the 2007 Premiership celebration at KP on the Sunday the fans were left waiting for hours only for the players to come out for not much more than 30-45 minutes. Piss poor.

 

[Micksy]

Or, standing up for the coach. Depends on your perspective I guess.

By criticising supporters?

He's feeding the trolls.

If anything sent to him was as bad as he portrays it report it to the police.

 

[Micksy]

I reckon that goes back a while to be honest. Recall at the 2007 Premiership celebration at KP on the Sunday the fans were left waiting for hours only for the players to come out for not much more than 30-45 minutes. Piss poor.

Wasn't there for that, but after the NAB cup in 06 they did the same.

Only Bomber, Harley, and from memory Milburn stayed longer than 30minutes.

I think we bumped into Ottens in the carpark on the way out.

Never been to a club event since that day.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Back before Facebook fans used to dump a truck load of horse crap in front of clubs if they didn't like the coach.
Social media is making society lazy and unimaginative in a lot of ways.

 

[Reppie]

Carter says so...but how do we know he isn't spinning us a line just to take the heat off.

 

[romeohwho]

I reckon that goes back a while to be honest. Recall at the 2007 Premiership celebration at KP on the Sunday the fans were left waiting for hours only for the players to come out for not much more than 30-45 minutes. Piss poor.

Wow. I have only good memories of that day. Standing in the middle of Kardinia Park with other family members. Cheering the team. Loved every minute-just drifted on a cloud of joy.

 

[fpm84]

Wow. I have only good memories of that day. Standing in the middle of Kardinia Park with other family members. Cheering the team. Loved every minute-just drifted on a cloud of joy.

Me too. If we had won the flag next week I’d gladly pitch a tent on the cricket oval at KP overnight just to celebrate the next day.

 

[Benny78]

Time to cart him off to the old folks home

 

[maryjames]

Come on guys. Let’s all get behind Chris Scott.


When the Richmond full forward was kicking goals he made the moves to stop it.. didn’t you notice?

Houoli basherelbows was running free.. didn’t you see Scott get someone on him? ...

 

[Reppie]

Wow. I have only good memories of that day. Standing in the middle of Kardinia Park with other family members. Cheering the team. Loved every minute-just drifted on a cloud of joy.

Was standing next to Mad Dog Robbie Muir who was there looking on.
Crowd was massive.

 

[catters_28]

I reckon that goes back a while to be honest. Recall at the 2007 Premiership celebration at KP on the Sunday the fans were left waiting for hours only for the players to come out for not much more than 30-45 minutes. Piss poor.

I recall them
Being late in 09 as well. Didn’t even bother going in 11

 

[year of the cat]

Wow. I have only good memories of that day. Standing in the middle of Kardinia Park with other family members. Cheering the team. Loved every minute-just drifted on a cloud of joy.

I was there with my very impatient 2 year old daughter at the time!! Probably why the time waiting was excruciating!!

 

[romeohwho]

I was there with my very impatient 2 year old daughter at the time!! Probably why the time waiting was excruciating!!

Oh yep -now I get it.
There were about 10 of us but the youngest was 12-so all easy.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

As for the club, when it comes to criticism it seems to exude an arrogance that fans would have the temerity to dare question them. And it's this attitude that frankly stinks. We pay our hard earned in support and love of our club, yet there's rarely a thanks from the club, just an expectation we'll keep on doing it and in larger amounts for often the same or less in return. Without us there isn't a club, yet we're expected to just sit and accept without fail what goes on out on the field?

I said last year there is a big disconnect between the fans and the club, and on current evidence that gap appears wider than ever before. Yes, we don't know what goes on within the walls, we can only witness it from the outside, but when we invest emotionally and financially in this club and its on field product and when we don't like what we see, we're entitled to ask valid questions.

We are nothing but a cash source to them.

Yes, frankly and to be blunt they have a right to give that attitude.

If you’re disenchanted with the path they’ve got this club on, if you want to ask valid questions then you know what you need to do. Go to the AGM with an intention of winning a spot on the board.

We all have 1 voting right, we all have a right to nominate ourselves for the board, and we all have a right to push for the current board to be ousted. When no one nominates and they re-elect the board unopposed it’s confirmation that we place our trust in them. That means we don’t get the right to ask valid questions and expect an answer.

Don’t like them, then do something about it.