sportsthought on for the Warriors.
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Poster Child


Are you a useful forum poster?
Have you settled for following the forums, instead of making up your own mind? Do you make ‘useful’ posts that are actually useless?
Unsure?
If the below describes your typical week, then sadly the answer is yes.
Pre Game - You’re ready to rock. Your team, playing poorly for most of the season is about to run out against a top 4 side...


Post game - You log onto your favourite forum for the post match debate. 

There is of course the ‘playmaker’ thread. It seems different each week, but actually it's always the same.
Last week the playmaker was useless and had about as much chance of setting up a try as he does of pulling Paris Hilton. Your contribution comes in the form of a useful post about how it is unbelievable that our coach keeps selecting the #7, despite the fact that he's useless and we could get better from the Jim Beam or NYC squads.
You think about repeating this in this week’s ‘utility back should start’ thread, but then remember that you bagged the hell out of him five days ago, following his dropped bomb that cost the team victory last week.

 Someone then agrees with you in the playmaker thread, only confirming what you and every other fan have known for two years now. You wonder why coaching staff and management don’t listen to us – the fans. We’re the ones who sacrifice other stuff so we can buy season tickets or Pay TV subscriptions. All those passionate fans can’t be wrong?
You put these thoughts down as another useful post.
Oh hello, the ‘ageing second rower’ thread has started. Some fool reckons he had a great game - perhaps he missed the intercept pass that led to a try? The fool gets shot down soon enough; the weight of numbers sees to that.
Tired, you head to bed, frustrated at the team, and frustrated for your fellow fans - week in week out we have to put up with this crap. But at least the guy posting about our second row has now been educated.
Sunday - You join in the chorus of fans calling for some of the NYC young guns to be promoted to the senior side for their next game. They are ready now! There is no reason to hold them back. You re-iterate this, and remind everyone about our former development squad winger – now established at another club and thriving.
We keep letting our great young talent go, while we keep picking veterans.

In the ‘team for the next round’ thread you cleverly pick most of the young guns, including the fullback with the X factor. Bring him in now! He’s good enough! You go one better by leaving out a certain youngster as he’s “too raw”.
Monday – the team announce they have lured yet another one cap Origin player to join the ones already here – fantastic. The bloke has played Origin and will stiffen the team’s defence no end. Strangely someone starts a re-hash of an old thread about the coach holding back young local talent in favour of discards. This could not be a truer statement and you post accordingly.

Tuesday Afternoon and WTF???? It’s the same halfback! Surely last week was the last straw. WTF is the coach doing? The #7 must be blowing the coach right?? Several wise forum users agree with you. Fuming!


Wednesday - You decide to add to the ‘this week’s tipping’ thread. Although you wrongly picked the Eels over the Dragons last round, you suspected deep down that actually the Dragons would beat them. Gutted!
Never mind, you’ll tip with your heart next time. On the ladder, you’re still in touch with the leaders, a few good rounds and you’ll be top 10 again, like you were after round 3. Thankfully, it’s still early days.


Thursday - Some idiot reckons that the injured prop might be back early in time for the last few rounds. You respond swiftly with a useful post about how there is no need to rush players back from knee injuries like that.


Friday - You slip in one more post to increase your overall post count, changing your Forum status from “Legend’ to “Immortal”. Feeling pretty good about things, you head into the weekend, ready to rock.
So is this YOU?
I challenge you to ask yourself; have I actually got anything meaningful to say?
Or am I another ‘useful’ poster?
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Inspiration for this comes from the Gotan Raider at seoblackhatdiary.org
745 words between the stars