How's that? I've not rooted for the Dolphins to lose. I just realize there's potentially a HUGE benefit to them losing. The two are not the same. I think if we've learned anything in the free agency era, it's that $$$$ talks. As I said, get the right organization in place, players, including Andrew Luck, will play here. You do that, you start to win, you get the fans back. Even Sparano recognized that, he's just not able to do it.
I am aware. Are you aware that you have a better chance of getting Luck by rooting for the team and not giving them extra motivation to screw the Suck for Luck campaign over? Are you also aware that if we're a losing team, we're a losing team regardless, however a losing team that respects and plays for its fan base is completely different than one that doesn't give a **** about it? You see, there's 2 scenarios. Scenario A: you support your team & get Luck, and the team and Luck play their butts off for you because you stood behind them when things were tough. Secnario B: you don't support your team and may or may not get Luck, and the team may or may not play their butts off for you b/c the player-fan relationship in Miami has been impaired. What I'm advocating is Scenario A. Suck for Luck is Scenario B. There's absolutely NO WAY Scenario B presents a better chance of garnering Luck OR motivating players for the long term.
See, I'd be in Scenario C (which is why I think it's silly to be paranoid about what fans think, because not all fans think like that), or that's what I'll categorize myself as, if we're going to label scenarios. Will I be wearing a jersey while watching the game tomorrow? You bet, just haven't decided if it's going to be my Jake Long one or my Marino throwback. Do I support the team's front office and coaching choices/decisions? No, not at all. Most of them made this year I've voiced my displeasure over on the boards here. Does the losing bother me? Yeah, it does. No one likes to lose. But, I don't carry over that feeling into work on Monday. Heck, it doesn't even stick with me past the 4pm games if the Dolphins play at 1pm. But I feel like the best way to solve all these problems is for Miami to continue to lose, clean house in the front office and coaching staff during the latter part of the year or immediately after the season, and put themselves in a position to get Andrew Luck. If you can accomplish that and make a pitch to the right free agents (say, a LG like Ben Grubbs and/or a S like Michael Griffin, among others, while cutting deadweight from the roster - Reggie Bush, Jason Taylor, any TE not named Fasano, and OL not named Long or Pouncey, etc.) that's a start. I just don't see another more viable way of getting the Miami Dolphins ship pointed in the right direction where as Sparano & Co. seemed to have had the ship pointed in A direction prior to the season; they just didn't know where they were going, and they forgot to bring the map. If that makes sense.
$$$ talks to players who care more about money. Those aren't the guys who win championships. I completely agree, however IMO Suck for Luck fans are going about it the wrong way. It's not just about winning the fans back; it's also about, "Can the fans win the players back after a full season of Suck for Luck?". After all, the fans aren't playing the game; the players are. There's nothing wrong with voicing displeasure in how a team plays. However, showing disappointment in your team has a different impact than "Sucking for Luck". There are quality players on this team who will take SfL personally b/c they bust their *** and will hate hearing fans getting excited about losses. However, those same players won't take it personally if you instead voice displeasure in the team's performance, and they won't take it personally b/c players of substance typically view themselves as part of the team no matter how bad the team might be doing. These players know when a team's playing poorly, and as such they know when fans' beliefs or feeling are justified or not. However, there's virtually nothing in a player's eyes that justifies intentionally losing games, so they can't relate to fans who want this.
That's backwards. The team needs to do something to win the fans back. Even Sparano said as much. Getting Andrew Luck in the offseason is a start. Winning games, well, if they'd done it this year, the players wouldn't hear any of this. If they do it next year, with or without Andrew Luck, they'll get fans back. Having a franchise QB for the first time since 1999 will help a lot though too.
Scenario B you might not get Luck b/c the team might use Suck for Luck as a common goal & motivation to win. Scenario B also leaves a team with less of an external motivation to play for. So you'd be wrong; there's actually multiple goals here. Unfortunately you don't see the big picture and are only looking at one of them. Maintaining unity between the fans and team is another one so that if we "do" get Luck, they'll have an even greater motivation to win with him. Not deterring FAs would be another goal.
I doubt most of these guys(on the team) will be here next year if they have a horrendous season this year.
Now this type of thinking isn't entirely terrible, and I very much understand and relate to it. I feel the exact same way come 4:30 pm after a loss. IMO there's nothing wrong with discussing a team's future, especially when said future is so uncertain. However, the connotation attached to fans actively "sucking for Luck" is entirely different; a crappy organization with Luck is still a crappy organization so the talks of Luck don't actually address our direct concerns. We're not losing b/c of bad QB play; we're losing b/c we're playing terrible on both sides of the ball and are poorly coached, so if there's any type of campaign, it should be one more related to the most significant cause of our losses. At least players and the media could relate to that more or better respect it.
You're right. The players do have win back the fans....... however if the fans lose the players b/c of SfL, then the fans will have to win the players back, too.
There will be enough of them who WILL be on this team next year and we'll want ALL of them to have every reason to play with complete fire & passion. It only takes a couple disgruntled players to ruin a season if those players are impact players or should be your leaders.
