What happened to the site

[Old Style]

That's why I went to Opening Day weekend. I knew after that everything would only go downhill.

 

The only time I watched a game from start to finish on tv this year was the 8th inning comeback Boston game. My interest in the Cubs is the lowest I've had since I started following the team.

 

Bunch of people are waiting to come back and care again. I'm putting all my hope into this off-season. I miss caring about baseball.

 

This is how I feel. My GF and a few of her friends went to the game yesterday, and despite sitting at home all night, when she came in the door I had to ask her who won. Not because I was too lazy to turn on the game or check the score, but because I didnt even think to. I just simply don't care. And I kind of wish I did. But I don't. As someone who previously placed a huge emphasis on sticking with teams through thick and thin, as I have done with past bad Cubs teams, and hating on fair weathered fans, it really boggles my mind why I don't care, and why so many others like me feel the same.

+1

[SouthSideRyan]

The franchise is located in one of the top 3 media markets in the country' date=' and nobody cares about our competition in the market. The franchise is in serious trouble only if they keep making stupid mistakes.[/quote']

 

 

And yet the franchise isn't in serious trouble.

 

 

 

Even if they were, that doesn't inherently comprise "serious trouble" anyway.

 

But he said they would only be in serious trouble if they keep making stupid mistakes. They have been making stupid mistakes and do continue to make them, there is no sign that the mistakes will end in the short term. There really is no assumption to make other than the same mistakes will continue until the front office is overhauled.

 

You think if we continue to sputter along and lose 90 games this year there won't be changes?

[SouthSideRyan]

Pretty easily. They were full of young pitching studs with a more respectable farm system. They were poised to lead the division for a decade, which of course they failed to capitalize on. The early 2000's were a very exciting time for the fans, loaded with promise. Not the case right now.

 

You're arguing that the team was in better shape. The franchise was not.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

You guys are just growing up. The older you get, the harder it is to care about baseball in the same way you did in your teens and early 20s.

[UMFan83]

You guys are just growing up. The older you get, the harder it is to care about baseball in the same way you did in your teens and early 20s.

 

Lot a Cubs fans growing up apparently.

 

Maybe the 2003 Cubs grabbed so many fans of a certain age (17-23) and 8 years later those fans are now (25-31) and are hitting that period you are referring to. Since most were still in that range in 2006, it would explain why this sentiment didn't exist nearly as much back then.

[C.C.]

You guys are just growing up. The older you get, the harder it is to care about baseball in the same way you did in your teens and early 20s.

 

 

Age has nothing to do with it.

[davell]

I'm to the point where I watch Castro hit and that's it. Maybe I'll do the same with LeMahieu and I'll certainly watch Cashner pitch when he gets back. If Brett Jackson or McNutt make it up this year, I'll follow them very closely as well.

 

On the other hand, I follow the minors a ton. Watch or listen to as many games as I can. I'm not to the point where I feel we've got no where to go, but if the Cubs don't spend big in the draft this year, after saying this is the direction the team's going to take, I'll probably start to think Ricketts is no better than the Trib. All I want is to see that we're committed to one direction or another, not floundering like we are currently.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

You guys are just growing up. The older you get, the harder it is to care about baseball in the same way you did in your teens and early 20s.

 

 

Age has nothing to do with it.

 

Of course not. It's just a big coincidence that a very sizable majority of the people in this thread were between 13 and 25 the last time they really felt the Cubs' fire for multiple seasons.

[apete6]

You guys are just growing up. The older you get, the harder it is to care about baseball in the same way you did in your teens and early 20s.

 

 

Age has nothing to do with it.

 

No, but life stage does. I was in college during 03 and 04 and then unmarried through most of 07 and 08. So, I had nothing better to do than to watch sports, drink with buddies, and follow sports, while starting my first job. I'm almost 30 now and have a lot more going on (house, more important role at work, dogs, etc..) and a lot of my friends are the same way.

 

It's not worth spending as much time on a crappy team when you have such a limited amount of free time. Doesn't mean I won't spend time on the board or going to games, but not as much as in the past. I"m sure it'll be even worse if I have kids someday.

[Banedon]

You guys are just growing up. The older you get, the harder it is to care about baseball in the same way you did in your teens and early 20s.

 

 

Age has nothing to do with it.

 

Of course not. It's just a big coincidence that a very sizable majority of the people in this thread were between 13 and 25 the last time they really felt the Cubs' fire for multiple seasons.

 

I'm 34 years old. I was older than your age range when the board was created. You're really making things up here.

 

Maybe getting older has to do with people spending less time on the board, but not for caring about baseball.

[Connor McConnor]

I"m sure it'll be even worse if I have kids someday.

 

 

That is another interesting point. I wonder where baseball will be in 20 years. I have two teenage boys. They grew up with me being a pretty rabid Cub fan. They could care less about baseball. The both play ice hockey...so they like sports. But baseball does nothing for them.

 

Baseball is really a hard sell to kids. They have so many diversions and cool things to do. Sitting still and watching a baseball game is not on the list.

 

I know that there are some kids that are into it....I'm not saying its in a death spiral. But alot of the fans these days are older people who grew up with it in a different time.

 

I hear/read that baseball has never been stronger and all that. I just don't see who is going to replace the fans of today over the next 20-30 years. I guess we shall see.

[Tracer Bullet]

You guys are just growing up. The older you get, the harder it is to care about baseball in the same way you did in your teens and early 20s.

 

well, to some extent. obviously, there are often more competing interests if you're married with kids in your 30s. But I watched the Cubs as much as possible even a couple years ago when my son was younger. Now, I watch the Tigers almost every night. Sometimes my wife says "are the Cubs on?" and I respond "huh...I don't know" and flip to wgn to see. If so, I'll flip to the game when the Tigers are on commercial. And it's not because Rod Allen is a baseball genius, either. I'm no die-hard Tigers fan, but they're on every night here, I love watching baseball, and they don't infuriate me like the Cubs do. If the Tigers lose, big deal. But I'm tired of getting wrecked by the [expletive] Pirates and Astros.

[C.C.]

You guys are just growing up. The older you get, the harder it is to care about baseball in the same way you did in your teens and early 20s.

 

 

Age has nothing to do with it.

 

Of course not. It's just a big coincidence that a very sizable majority of the people in this thread were between 13 and 25 the last time they really felt the Cubs' fire for multiple seasons.

 

I'm 34 years old. I was older than your age range when the board was created. You're really making things up here.

 

Maybe getting older has to do with people spending less time on the board, but not for caring about baseball.

 

1984 was just as painful as 2003 for me. Hell, 2003 might of been worse.

[C.C.]

I"m sure it'll be even worse if I have kids someday.

 

 

That is another interesting point. I wonder where baseball will be in 20 years. I have two teenage boys. They grew up with me being a pretty rabid Cub fan. They could care less about baseball. The both play ice hockey...so they like sports. But baseball does nothing for them.

 

Baseball is really a hard sell to kids. They have so many diversions and cool things to do. Sitting still and watching a baseball game is not on the list.

 

I know that there are some kids that are into it....I'm not saying its in a death spiral. But alot of the fans these days are older people who grew up with it in a different time.

 

I hear/read that baseball has never been stronger and all that. I just don't see who is going to replace the fans of today over the next 20-30 years. I guess we shall see.

 

I don't think it's a hard sell at all and baseball will always have their fans. All sports go through lulls. You can't base your information on your own kids. Small sample.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm 34 years old. I was older than your age range when the board was created. You're really making things up here.

 

Well, there's a counterexample. I guess my theory is busted.

[Banedon]

I'm 34 years old. I was older than your age range when the board was created. You're really making things up here.

 

Well, there's a counterexample. I guess my theory is busted.

 

And it was such a strong one to begin with...you know with no evidence and being impossible to prove or disprove.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I'm 34 years old. I was older than your age range when the board was created. You're really making things up here.

 

Well, there's a counterexample. I guess my theory is busted.

 

And it was such a strong one to begin with...you know with no evidence and being impossible to prove or disprove.

 

Everyone submit to deeply probing psychological examination so we can settle this once and for all.

[Exile on Waveland]

The franchise is located in one of the top 3 media markets in the country' date=' and nobody cares about our competition in the market. The franchise is in serious trouble only if they keep making stupid mistakes.[/quote']

 

 

And yet the franchise isn't in serious trouble.

 

 

 

Even if they were, that doesn't inherently comprise "serious trouble" anyway.

 

But he said they would only be in serious trouble if they keep making stupid mistakes. They have been making stupid mistakes and do continue to make them, there is no sign that the mistakes will end in the short term. There really is no assumption to make other than the same mistakes will continue until the front office is overhauled.

 

I agree that there is no reason to assume the stupid mistakes will end. If management isn't overhauled, the stupid mistakes will likely continue. I'm just not sure I agree that the stupid mistakes spell "serious trouble" for the franchise. To echo SSR, at some point management will be overhauled if the team continues to struggle (maybe not as soon as you or I would prefer, but it will happen). The exact second that happens, and/or the exact second the team improves, fan interest will once again be through the roof. As a franchise the Cubs have so many inherent advantages that a few bad seasons will never comprise "serious trouble" without some deeper issue, something to the point of drastic Met-like problems.

[TruffleShuffle]

You guys are just growing up. The older you get, the harder it is to care about baseball in the same way you did in your teens and early 20s.

 

 

Age has nothing to do with it.

 

Of course not. It's just a big coincidence that a very sizable majority of the people in this thread were between 13 and 25 the last time they really felt the Cubs' fire for multiple seasons.

 

I'm 34 years old. I was older than your age range when the board was created. You're really making things up here.

 

Maybe getting older has to do with people spending less time on the board, but not for caring about baseball.

 

as kyle has aged he has also learned to bandwagon onto good teams in various sports, thereby getting his sports satisfaction from other sources and not caring too much about the cubs' success or failure.

[Notorious]

I guess the take aways are that I, like most others, have just become apathetic to the Cubs over the course of the 2000's. That and the Social forum is the one to check out.

 

That explains the message boards, but what gives with the home page having an article from November being one of the top stories? Does the board creator no longer update the page or does he suffer from the same apathy or grow tired of articles of our players going on the DL?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

as kyle has aged he has also learned to bandwagon onto good teams in various sports, thereby getting his sports satisfaction from other sources and not caring too much about the cubs' success or failure.

 

Says the guy who frontran to another continent when this one started to go bad.

[Tarver]

If they lowered ticket prices to a level commensurate with the quality of the product they might do more walk up business. I don't think I'm speaking just for myself when I say I'm sick of hearing this FO's excuses/watching their incompetence. A complete overhaul is in order, and hopefully next year will bring renewed interest.

[SouthSideRyan]

If they lowered ticket prices to a level commensurate with the quality of the product they might do more walk up business. I don't think I'm speaking just for myself when I say I'm sick of hearing this FO's excuses/watching their incompetence. A complete overhaul is in order, and hopefully next year will bring renewed interest.

 

They'd also make a hell of a lot less on their advance sales, which is where the majority of tickets are being bought.

[inari]

Last night's game really epitomized my apathy about the Cubs these days. I went with my boyfriend and two of my best friends. The Cubs offense looked anemic all day before having a really cool comeback and then blowing it in absolutely epic fashion. The thing is, I didn't really care. It was a beautiful day to lounge outside and drink some beer. The comeback was fun, but I got over one of the worst 9th inning choke jobs I've ever seen in all of about 5 seconds. It was one of the most fun nights I've had in ages.

 

5 years ago, I'm in a bad mood the next morning from that game. And honestly, I don't know if that has to do with the quality of the product on the field or me just growing out of it. Kyle's age theory got blasted to pieces, but I'm not sure I don't buy it in some cases. Just my two cents.

Edited June 1, 2011 by inari

[XZero771679666304]

You guys are just growing up. The older you get, the harder it is to care about baseball in the same way you did in your teens and early 20s.

 

I think this is backwards. What I was younger had less time for baseball, with more friends, more girls, playing sports, a much more active social life. Now in my early 30s, I'm married with a child and in grad school, but I've got much less to do than I did in my teens and early 20s. My interests are fewer, but much more focused. And I have more means to indulge in my fandom now than ever.

 

The reason this site, or more specifically this forum, seems to be flagging is because discussing the Cubs major league team feels like discussing an unfortunate medical condition.