2013

[jersey cubs fan]

Morale can't save bad players... but it's nice to know they're not miserable in the clubhouse at least.

I don't see what is nice about that.

[Sammy Sofa]

gooney demands that everyone share in his misery.

[El Duderino]

Morale can't save bad players... but it's nice to know they're not miserable in the clubhouse at least.

 

My thoughts as well.

[CubColtPacer]

Morale can't save bad players... but it's nice to know they're not miserable in the clubhouse at least.

I don't see what is nice about that.

 

It might make Garza a little more amenable to signing an extension early instead of holding out for free agency unless he gets the perfect deal, for example. There are some benefits to a happy clubhouse, especially when the team isn't winning which would naturally cover up most of the potential problems. It's way down the list of important things, but it's nice to have.

[Soul]

Morale can't save bad players... but it's nice to know they're not miserable in the clubhouse at least.

I don't see what is nice about that.

 

It might make Garza a little more amenable to signing an extension early instead of holding out for free agency unless he gets the perfect deal, for example. There are some benefits to a happy clubhouse, especially when the team isn't winning which would naturally cover up most of the potential problems. It's way down the list of important things, but it's nice to have.

 

Get Garza to talk to all our potential FA signings about how much fun he's having.

[jersey cubs fan]

 

It might make Garza a little more amenable to signing an extension early instead of holding out for free agency unless he gets the perfect deal, for example.

 

Nonsense.

 

Being on a 100 loss team is going to be more of a reason not to sign a team friendly deal than being happy shooting the [expletive] with your teammates would be a reason to sign a team friendly deal.

 

 

Besides that though we should hope he doesn't sign a deal with the Cubs.

[bcl412]

Morale can't save bad players... but it's nice to know they're not miserable in the clubhouse at least.

 

Can't hurt when it comes to potential free agents at least

[Backtobanks]

The overwhelming majority of players for the Cubs over the decades love to play here. Nobody wants to leave - low expectations, great fans, big market opportunities to make extra money, etc.

[illiniguy]

The overwhelming majority of players for the Cubs over the decades love to play here. Nobody wants to leave - low expectations, great fans, big market opportunities to make extra money, etc.

We haven't had low expectations since 03. The 04 team won 89 games and was booed on the regular.

[SABR Gamer]

The overwhelming majority of players for the Cubs over the decades love to play here. Nobody wants to leave - low expectations, great fans, big market opportunities to make extra money, etc.

We haven't had low expectations since 03. The 04 team won 89 games and was booed on the regular.

 

Why do you have expectations that b2b will deal with reality/facts?

 

You are far too optimistic.

[JeffH]

The fans have had high expectations. Leadership has not.

[jersey cubs fan]

The overwhelming majority of players for the Cubs over the decades love to play here. Nobody wants to leave - low expectations, great fans, big market opportunities to make extra money, etc.

We haven't had low expectations since 03. The 04 team won 89 games and was booed on the regular.

 

Just because some people woke up and realized they should probably hope for more than mediocre doesn't mean the Cubs have anything but low expectations. There are incredibly low expectations for the Cubs. There were still people thinking Jim Hendry got a raw deal and should have been given more of an opportunity to prove himself. People pissed their pants with joy from back to back .500 seasons. It takes 90+ loss seasons for people to be disappointed. Some fan bases demand 90+ win seasons every season. The Cubs have done it once in 15 years and 2 in 20+ only because of a 163 game season.

[Backtobanks]

The overwhelming majority of players for the Cubs over the decades love to play here. Nobody wants to leave - low expectations, great fans, big market opportunities to make extra money, etc.

We haven't had low expectations since 03. The 04 team won 89 games and was booed on the regular.

 

Why do you have expectations that b2b will deal with reality/facts?

 

You are far too optimistic.

 

I'm not the one having trouble dealing with reality. Everybody outside of Chicago identifies the Cubs as a low expectation team with a party atmosphere going on in the bleachers daily. The fans show up every year despite losing or mediocre seasons. Players make lots of extra money for personal appearances. Players who manage to play decently over a few years become lifetime celebrities over the years and become a permanent part of Cubs' folklore. That's why the players hate to leave the Cubs.

[XZero771679666304]

The "low expectations" thing ended years ago. The atmosphere is tangibly different than it was a decade ago and there's really no debating it.

 

And people outside of Chicago believe a ton of stupid and inaccurate things about the Cubs, so why does their opinion on this matter hold any weight now?

[bcl412]

The "low expectations" thing ended years ago. The atmosphere is tangibly different than it was a decade ago and there's really no debating it.

 

And people outside of Chicago believe a ton of stupid and inaccurate things about the Cubs, so why does their opinion on this matter hold any weight now?

 

It could matter for a player wanting to come here. It wouldn't really matter for a player deciding to stay.

 

White Sox fans tend to believe those myths too for some reason.

[jersey cubs fan]

The "low expectations" thing ended years ago. The atmosphere is tangibly different than it was a decade ago and there's really no debating it.

 

And people outside of Chicago believe a ton of stupid and inaccurate things about the Cubs, so why does their opinion on this matter hold any weight now?

 

2.9 million people are showing up for a team everybody knew was going to suck from Day 1 and has managed to underperform.

 

People are willingly accepting management of one of the most valuable franchises in the game deliberately taking a multi-year dive.

 

Don't pretend low expectations aren't a thing.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The 2004 atmosphere faded by last year at least. The current state of Cub fandom *wants* the team to be terrible.

[XZero771679666304]

The "low expectations" thing ended years ago. The atmosphere is tangibly different than it was a decade ago and there's really no debating it.

 

And people outside of Chicago believe a ton of stupid and inaccurate things about the Cubs, so why does their opinion on this matter hold any weight now?

 

2.9 million people are showing up for a team everybody knew was going to suck from Day 1 and has managed to underperform.

 

People are willingly accepting management of one of the most valuable franchises in the game deliberately taking a multi-year dive.

 

Don't pretend low expectations aren't a thing.

 

 

1. 2.9 million people didn't show up, thought they might have paid. After this, you can bet 2.9 million won't pay next year.

 

2. Some people are accepting what is going on only because they expect a long run of strong contention to shortly follow.

 

The atmosphere pre-2003 was that of low expectations simply becuase it was accepted the Cubs could not or would not win, and that the Cubs losing was somehow the natural order of things.

 

The reasons and rationalizations behind low expectations for 2013 and, say, 1993 are not remotely the same. Context does matter.

[XZero771679666304]

The 2004 atmosphere faded by last year at least. The current state of Cub fandom *wants* the team to be terrible.

 

 

No one wants the team to be terrible. No one is enjoying this, it's brutal. But if you're going to suffer, you might as well get something out of it.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The 2004 atmosphere faded by last year at least. The current state of Cub fandom *wants* the team to be terrible.

 

 

No one wants the team to be terrible. No one is enjoying this, it's brutal. But if you're going to suffer, you might as well get something out of it.

 

Ventured outside of NSBB lately? You'll find in most places Cubs fans hang out, there is much cheering for the team finally being willing to be awful, because good players cost money and that's what Hendry would have done, or something.

[XZero771679666304]

The 2004 atmosphere faded by last year at least. The current state of Cub fandom *wants* the team to be terrible.

 

 

No one wants the team to be terrible. No one is enjoying this, it's brutal. But if you're going to suffer, you might as well get something out of it.

 

Ventured outside of NSBB lately? You'll find in most places Cubs fans hang out, there is much cheering for the team finally being willing to be awful, because good players cost money and that's what Hendry would have done, or something.

 

Obviously they're doing so because they actually prefer it to winning.

 

Or maybe it's because they're smart enough to know that losing 100 really isn't that much more demoralizing than losing 85-90, and losing 100 might actually make a tangible positive difference next year and beyond.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I don't know if preferring the team to be winning but willing to accept a lot of losing if someone promises you vague future gains as a result qualifies as a high-pressure environment.

[Clem Fandango]

Well if anyone wants to see one of the last two games of the season, they're practically giving the seats away...

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-talk-cheap-cubs-tickets-1002-20121002,0,6848972.story

[jersey cubs fan]

The reasons and rationalizations behind low expectations for 2013 and, say, 1993 are not remotely the same. Context does matter.

 

So you admit there are low expectations.

 

End of discussion, game over.

[SouthSideRyan]

The 2004 atmosphere faded by last year at least. The current state of Cub fandom *wants* the team to be terrible.

 

 

No one wants the team to be terrible. No one is enjoying this, it's brutal. But if you're going to suffer, you might as well get something out of it.

 

Ventured outside of NSBB lately? You'll find in most places Cubs fans hang out, there is much cheering for the team finally being willing to be awful, because good players cost money and that's what Hendry would have done, or something.

 

Ventured inside NSBB to a game thread lately? OOOOH FECAL LEAGUE GO OTHER TEAM HAHAHHA!!