Boswell's accurate appraisal

[SC Skins Fan]

I was wondering about JLC's blog too.

As for the Boswell article, he nailed it. Cogent analysis and a good reminder for both the Kool Aid sippers and the those who take such pleasure in ripping everyone associated with the team. I do, however, think Boswell is slightly off when he writes, "In the second half, the Redskins face five mediocre teams, quite similar to themselves -- three at home (Philadelphia, Buffalo and Chicago) and two on the road (Tampa Bay and Minnesota)." Honestly, of those games, the problem is that four are conference opponents. Really the game that would hurt them the least would be the Buffalo game. Philly is a division game and both Tampa and Adrian Peterson could possibly muster enough wins to challenge for a Wildcard. Head-to-Head matchups and conference records are the first two tiebreakers. We're already down two conference games, I'm not sure we want to drop many more. Other problem is that 7 of the final 8 games are conference opponents. Every one will be important, and I don't see how he figures that being 8-7 heading into the Dallas game gives them a realistic shot at the playoffs, unless Detroit or New York really hit a tailspin. They need to be 9-6 at least heading into the final week, hopefully 10-5. It's a tough road.

[firstdown]

Maybe its not that people overrate the skins it just that some like to think more positive than others. I have seen several people here that have nothing positive to say even when we win big like in the Lions game. Why cheer for a team when all you have is negative things to say. I'm just wonder how some people here can even root for a team when they are just so negative. You can say that I'm blind to what the team is doing but it is a whole lot more fun to think positive than to sit around a pi$$ and moan about the team some claim to love.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by firstdown

Maybe its not that people overrate the skins it just that some like to think more positive than others. I have seen several people here that have nothing positive to say even when we win big like in the Lions game. Why cheer for a team when all you have is negative things to say. I'm just wonder how some people here can even root for a team when they are just so negative. You can say that I'm blind to what the team is doing but it is a whole lot more fun to think positive than to sit around a pi$$ and moan about the team some claim to love.

Thinking positive is great, it basically stems from an emotion... hope. We all hope the 'Skins make the playoffs, there is no doubt about that.

But thinking positive, or feeling hopeful, is completely different from what you actually think about the team. In order for opinions to be valid, everyone here needs to strip the emotion away, and evaluate the team as if you didn't care about them. Once you do that, it becomes clear we're average. If you don't do that, then right or wrong, your opinions tend to get dismissed as homerism.

Then once you realize we're average, you bring the emotion back come gameday, and you root for Joe Gibbs to accomplish something great - taking a team with solid talent and ravaged by injuries deep into the playoffs.

Thinking positive is great, but if you see the team for what it really is, you just might be able to enjoy the accomplishment Joe Gibbs is about to make. I see us for what we are, a middle-of-the-road football team. But I also see us for what we can be, a really good football team, and my excitement, hope, and vision exists explicitly because of our Hall of Fame coach. I think it's best to see us for what we are, but be hopeful for what we can be.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Thinking positive is great, it basically stems from an emotion... hope. We all hope the 'Skins make the playoffs, there is no doubt about that.

But thinking positive, or feeling hopeful, is completely different from what you actually think about the team. In order for opinions to be valid, everyone here needs to strip the emotion away, and evaluate the team as if you didn't care about them. Once you do that, it becomes clear we're average. If you don't do that, then right or wrong, your opinions tend to get dismissed as homerism.

Then once you realize we're average, you bring the emotion back come gameday, and you root for Joe Gibbs to accomplish something great - taking a team with solid talent and ravaged by injuries deep into the playoffs.

Thinking positive is great, but if you see the team for what it really is, you just might be able to enjoy the accomplishment Joe Gibbs is about to make. I see us for what we are, a middle-of-the-road football team. But I also see us for what we can be, a really good football team, and my excitement, hope, and vision exists explicitly because of our Hall of Fame coach. I think it's best to see us for what we are, but be hopeful for what we can be.

I was speaking more of the everything is a negative poster I see posting day in and day out. I know what the Skins are as a team but that does not mean I have to sit around and moan and groan as some do. It does not do one bit of good. I'm fine with pointing out the negatives but its not all negative so I don't JUST dwell on the negative.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by firstdown

I was speaking more of the everything is a negative poster I see posting day in and day out. I know what the Skins are as a team but that does not mean I have to sit around and moan and groan as some do. It does not do one bit of good. I'm fine with pointing out the negatives but its not all negative so I don't JUST dwell on the negative.

That's true. The sense of 100% doom and gloom are the emotions that result from unrealistic expectations. When you love your team like crazy, and you want nothing more than to see them win a Super Bowl, and the team doesn't deliver, the natural emotional response is going to follow the person's predilection for glass half empty or glass half full.

The glass half fulls are going to tend to overlook every problem and insist blindly that the team will win it all. The glass half empties will overlook all positives, and insist that the organization needs a major overhaul of coaching staff and front offices. Neither are correct, as both are emotional overreactions.

To understand the team, you have to leave your emotions out of it. That helps set appropriate expectations. Once you've got the expectations in place, then hope like crazy for them to beat those expectations.

[SmootSmack]

JLC's blog is still there. It's under Columns/Blogs. I don't know why it's not on Redskins page anymore though

[SC Skins Fan]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

JLC's blog is still there. It's under Columns/Blogs. I don't know why it's not on Redskins page anymore though

Thanks. His blog on JC is worth reading too, glad you pointed out that the Redskins Insider hadn't gone away.

JC Through 15 Games - Redskins Insider

[MTK]

His blog is still there on the main Redskins page, just look at the menu they have there now and click on Insider.

[JWsleep]

The registration thing for JLCs blog was just if you want to post a comment--there's lots of nuts who jump on that thing.

[BleedBurgundy]

Man it seems like we keep going down the same roads--- overrated vs underrated, gameplan vs execution, offiss vs everybody. We need a big win over the eagles to give us something to talk about...