Year of the Dogs Flashbacks.

[Bulldog4life]

Bloody grantysghost. We should run him out of town.

Not even close.

[mjp]

Bingo. The gaslighting is getting out of hand.

What's gaslighting? Sorry that I don't understand what you mean.

We make fun of other supporter groups (especially the Bombers) and the self promoting 'my player is better than your player' stuff...but from where I sit we are simply never happy. I know I'm seen as a Gardner "SUPPORTER" (I suppose I am, in the sense I repeatedly say "He's a 200cm key defender who came off the rookie list and has played bugger all games so hows about we give him a go before we blame him for everything and make him walk the plank")...anyway, he played a GOOD GAME on Sunday. Comments about his performance include:

"He will only ever be a bit player"
"Coming from a long way back, still get the deer in the headlights feel from him, same with Roarke Smith" - I guess in reference to the guy who kicked a crucial, pressure goal in the last q.
"They only had 27 inside 50s, they couldn't get it in there."

There was also a question regarding his place on the list vs an untried kid who missed out on a draft camp invite. Yes, I acknowledge there was some positive stuff there as well but why anyone would say negative stuff at all after his performance I really have no idea. I am trying hard to celebrate each of his successes (he has done it the hard way and deserves it) and once upon a time "WE" (as a supporter group) would have been proud of finding a potential diamond in the rough...then later laugh about it when what we thought was going to be a diamond was really just another hunk of coal that just for a moment caught the rays of the sun at the right angle.

I get the "If we lose to Hawthorn (or Freo) I'll spew up" comments (they are funny in the context of the thread title - a title that was my fault) but the reality is we don't allow ourselves to celebrate for even a second before we are being critical of x-y-z and looking ahead to the next game with dread.

I think I look at things with a relatively 'even' viewpoint and have 100% called things out when I think they were poorly planned and executed but how any supporter can be critical of the effort the players put forth (and the coaches put in - the plan kept WC to 27 i50's after all) I'll never know. Maybe this one meant more to me because it was against WC and I spent all day listening to the excuses from the WC supporters as to why we lost...then to my amazement those same excuses were echoed on here as the reasons we won. I had one WC supporter tell me on Monday they had 10x players 'better' than Bontempelli for goodness sake...

It wasn't a scrappy win. It was a GREAT win. In difficult circumstances. Against a good team.

[jeemak]

Gaslighting:

manipulate (someone) by psychological means into doubting their own sanity.


A pretty emotive response to having behaviour on a forum called out.

[Bulldog4life]

Gaslighting:

manipulate (someone) by psychological means into doubting their own sanity.

Sometimes people who claim they are being gaslighted are really paranoid about being called out for their actual behaviour.

Sounds like a guy in the US.

[mjp]

Gaslighting:

manipulate (someone) by psychological means into doubting their own sanity.


A pretty emotive response to having behaviour on a forum called out.

I still don't get it.

Am I gaslighting by saying it was a good win not a scrappy win and it would be great if "we" could celebrate it a bit more? If so - based on that definition - I must have psychological super powers! I'm going to go with that.

[jeemak]

I still don't get it.

Am I gaslighting by saying it was a good win not a scrappy win and it would be great if "we" could celebrate it a bit more? If so - based on that definition - I must have psychological super powers! I'm going to go with that.

No I think some people think others are jumping at shadows when claiming this place has become hyper negative at times, and that claiming that's the case is essentially gaslighting those who are being hyper negative...…...or something.

Don't think it's referring to you.

[comrade]

Gaslighting:

manipulate (someone) by psychological means into doubting their own sanity.


A pretty emotive response to having behaviour on a forum called out.

Lol behaviour being called out? You’re unreal.

Nice edit by the way.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I mean, if a forum can’t be a place to freely express opinion then what’s the point?

[Grantysghost]

Bloody grantysghost. We should run him out of town.

I'm happy to take the blame ! #gowersforpm

That Seinfeld reference had me chuckling kudos BT&T. Ned Isakov. You named names....You got me black listed from Hop Sings !??

[Grantysghost]

I like all the opinions, I just hate the pile on and hanging onto said opinion because it somehow may hurt your ego to admit, as we all are at times (me once but I was mistaken), we got it wrong.
Gardner is a prime example. The guy has played a handful of games and after a shaky start I've seen a little bit more each week to get excited about, I can't see a reason to continue any criticism.

[EasternWest]

#gowersforpm

All reports are that Billy is a nice guy. I'll second the motion.

[The bulldog tragician]

It’s strange. Before we won the flag, as supporters many of us were constantly accused of “celebrating mediocrity” if we were happy with a valiant effort, or realistic about the impact of injury or things beyond our control. Now it feels many can never see good even in wins. I’ve seen posts advising others not to watch the game again (I did...and saw even more to be happy about than when I was fretting and agonising). Suggestions that Roarke Smith is getting a game because he skateboards with the coach. And positive glee at times if selections don’t come off - many I’ve been dubious about myself, but I always hope I’m wrong!

I had to take a week off this forum because instead of the lively debate and black humour I was accustomed to, the mood felt bitter and nasty.

We have had ups and downs, but the team and coaching staff have worked really hard to craft something and get our season back on track in very difficult circumstances. I’d rather see us lose because of skill errors and poor finishing than a lack of heart. You only need to look at the Essendon/Melbourne train wrecks to see how easy it would have been to turn our toes up and say our season was gone at various points. We should have won by more, but we did win, and who’s to say that even if Darling had goaled from that shocker of a free, we wouldn’t have lifted yet again, pushed forward, and found a way..

[comrade]

You won’t find a single person on this forum that didn’t find something good in the win on the weekend or enjoy the fact that we won the game and kept our season alive. To suggest otherwise is just incorrect.

On the flip side, pointing out areas/aspects that weren’t good doesn’t equal ‘hyper-negativity’ to quote our friend.

But let’s keep posting about how negative the place is, it’s certainly helping things.

[jeemak]

Lol behaviour being called out? You’re unreal.

Nice edit by the way.

I posted it and edited it straight away because it seemed over the top (though not before Bulldog4life got his mitts on it!).

But that's what's happening right? Some posters are behaving/ posting in a way that others deem overly negative. You saying that being called out for that is the same as someone being gaslighted is an emotive equivalence to draw, right?

[bulldogsthru&thru]

I posted it and edited it straight away because it seemed over the top (though not before Bulldog4life got his mitts on it!).

But that's what's happening right? Some posters are behaving/ posting in a way that others deem overly negative. You saying that being called out for that is the same as someone being gaslighted is an emotive equivalence to draw, right?

I get what you’re saying, but Comrade is eluding to the attempt, deliberate or not, to control what is posted on an Internet forum. That is the difference.

If people wanna see "unbearable", go jump on bigfooty for a few days and see what you think. I stopped going there because of how bad it became. On WOOF I just don’t see it. I agree that incessant, unreasoned negativity and blame doesn’t add anything to a discussion. But for the overwhelming majority of posts on here I just don’t see that. I appreciate all reasoned opinions on here as it leads to healthy and passionate discussion. If you find something incessant, simply ignore it.

Edit: sorry jeemak I’m not intending this specifically at you