Let's talk about "true fans"

[DaFace]

Marcellus's thread was clearly a lot of attention whoring, but when it comes down to it, he has a point. The word "true fan" has become a catch-all for anyone who doesn't agree with a person on here about XXX player or XXX move that the Chiefs have made.

The issue I have with it is that it's increasingly become a straw man insult that doesn't even make sense. Discussion around here lately reminds me of discussions in D.C. where every issue has to be black and white and anyone who doesn't agree with you is an idiot. The reality is that there are opinions all over the spectrum and that nothing is ever black and white. I'd think there are at least five different categories of Chiefs fans these days:

1 - True "homers" who will cheer for the team and applaud every move they make unconditionally. These types almost don't even exist on ChiefsPlanet (though people like to act like they do). These are only a small portion of the Chiefs fanbase, and they look like this.

2 - Optimists who will always cheer for the Chiefs, but have a sense of realism about it. They probably cheered Cassel for the first few years, but reluctantly joined the SOC bandwagon last year when it was clear that there was just no hope in saving the team under Cassel.

3 - Fans who try to keep a balanced approach. They don't get too excited about drafting a RT at #1 or trading for Alex Smith, but they believe that it's likely the team will at least be improved this year if not dramatically so. Their approach is a "wait and see" reaction, though they'll be quick to criticize if things don't work out.

4 - Pessimists who are skeptical that the Chiefs are going to be competitive any time soon, but who do try and give the team some benefit of the doubt under the new leadership. They're probably not happy about Alex Smith being our QB, but are grudgingly willing to see what he can do.

5 - Total naysayers who have had it with the team for the past 40 years and will refuse to be optimistic until the Chiefs find some real success (playoff wins at a minimum, and Super Bowl contention ideally). They believe that the front office should be constantly scrutinized given that their predecessors were given a long leash and screwed it all up.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to see where people would put themselves on the spectrum. It seems like most threads these days are battles between 5's and 1's, but I'd bet that those types are actually pretty rare around here. My dream would be that we can one day have discussions that are dominated by 2's, 3's, and 4's, but who knows if that can ever happen until the Chiefs start showing success.

Discus.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Not sure how I feel about this statement... there are a lot of fans who talk about simply making the playoffs at 9-7 or 10-6 like it's some significant accomplishment, those who don't seem to understand that the upside to finding the next great QB is worth possibly drafting a couple of turds, and those who talk about needing to protect the QB like it's a one way street and a QB can't possibly be successful without a great line (as opposed to a QB making his O-Line look better than they really are).

However, like you said in the OP, it's become cliché, and not everyone who's giving Alex Smith a chance necessarily agrees with every retread move they've ever made and not everyone who falls into group 2 or even 3 is a true fan, by definition.

I can't speak for others, but my personal opinion isn't that it's a significant accomplishment to go 9-7 or 10-6, but that you need to get to that point before you can really hope to start competing every year. I doubt there are a ton of teams that go from 2-14 to 14-2 back to back (though I know a handful have done close to that).

For me, Alex is a stabilizer that will help to 1) let our young guys get practice with a real-live NFL team and 2) make us somewhat more attractive because there is a CHANCE we'll actually compete.

[Hammock Parties]

No room for realists?

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Wonton Prejudice

No room for realists?

I think those are included in naysayers.

[morphius]

It is hard to place myself. In general I'm pessimistic, but willing to wait and see. I didn't like the Cassel trade, but cheered for him anyway, but knew pretty quickly in his 3rd year that we HAD to move on. I didn't like trading for Smith, but I'll cheer for him to succeed. Hate taking a LT/RT at the first pick in the draft, but understand that this years draft was weak. Watching all the naysayers makes me feel better about the team and occasionally drive me up to a 2.

eh.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I can't speak for others, but my personal opinion isn't that it's a significant accomplishment to go 9-7 or 10-6, but that you need to get to that point before you can really hope to start competing every year. I doubt there are a ton of teams that go from 2-14 to 14-2 back to back (though I know a handful have done close to that).

For me, Alex is a stabilizer that will help to 1) let our young guys get practice with a real-live NFL team and 2) make us somewhat more attractive because there is a CHANCE we'll actually compete.

True for this year, but I've seen the 'just get in' mentality for as long as I've been here. IMO, when a Tebow-led team or a 7-9 team can make the playoffs, it just doesn't mean much, except that yes, sometimes weird stuff happens (like how both of those teams managed to win a game). A lot of people have always seemed content with playing it safe in the offseason as long as they're in the playoff hunt (after all, they won the worst division in the AFC while playing the worst NFC division! ), even if they're no serious threat to do anything.

I'm apathetic about the whole QB situation.. part of me wonders if this was the one year they really had no other choice than to make a trade, instead of drafting a QB, and it's not like the new regime should draft one in the first couple of rounds just because the Chiefs haven't done so in 3 decades..... but it's like walking into your carpet-stained house with a new dog and the first thing it does is shit on the floor. You can't kick it to the curb, but, really?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

I think the number of True Fans here are greatly underestimated by most of this board. We assume that they aren't here because they don't post. They're the Silent Majority. I also think that there are a number of people that are more True Fan than they are willing to admit. To borrow a phrase from Lacan, it's the "Knowledge that doesn't know itself."

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by ChiliConCarnage

Do you believe that guards and right tackles should be taken with top five picks?

Do you believe that a quarterback is best served as a game manager?
uh oh Dorseys a true fan

It's amazingly prophetic because we actually had people championing for Womach to be the top pick

[Halfcan]

I am looking forward to the new year. I think we are going to be pretty good.

[Predarat]

I am close between a Pessimist and Balanced, closer to Pessimist so that is my vote.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I think the number of True Fans here are greatly underestimated by most of this board. We assume that they aren't here because they don't post. They're the Silent Majority. I also think that there are a number of people that are more True Fan than they are willing to admit. To borrow a phrase from Lacan, it's the "Knowledge that doesn't know itself."

90% of the time I get in a Chiefs discussion with a stranger they are a Truefan.

It's mind-numbing.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by notorious

90% of the time I get in a Chiefs discussion with a stranger they are a Truefan.

It's mind-numbing.

I wouldn't argue that the vast majority of fans outside of CP are very homerish or are casual fans.

If they weren't they would have found CP by now.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by Marcellus the True

I wouldn't argue that the vast majority of fans outside of CP are very homerish or are casual fans.

If they weren't they would have found CP by now.

I wish I could be a TrueFan. They seem a lot happier.

I am too much of a realist, though. It been bad for too long for me to be a homer.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by notorious

I wish I could be a TrueFan. They seem a lot happier.

I am too much of a realist, though. It been bad for too long for me to be a homer.

Ignorance is bliss, start sniffing glue.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Marcellus the True

I wouldn't argue that the vast majority of fans outside of CP are very homerish or are casual fans.

If they weren't they would have found CP by now.

There is a point to which even the most absolute homer, should recognize the trend and what is happening, or they deserve what they get.

I am an example of that, and they are going to have to show me something new.
So far this regime has followed the the exact same moves that have been followed for 30 years, and for most of the teams history prior to that.

In my opinion, anyone that actually believes this team will draft a QB in the first round, in the next two or three years is ignoring the facts. Why would anyone ignore the facts?

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

What about the "Hatah" category? God damn true fan thread...
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