Get ****ed and ****off

[Dragon David]

Not sure who coined the phrase but we really are a mess at the moment.

A few months ago I posted a short story of how I took my teenage son to watch the Dragons play Canberra at WIN stadium. It was a freezing cold night. My son, who has no interest in league, never spoke the entire game. He wrapped himself in a blanket and every now and again popped his head up looked at me and shook his head. Unfortunately It was another of our dismal performances and a game where we were pumped by Canberra (who even scored with 12 men at one stage)

What I didn’t say was how I was ashamed of my demeanour. I get quite moody and very negative watching these guys. The reason I was ashamed was because I was with a mate and his son. I wasn’t offensive but very negative and can remember whinging about the coach and all the faults of the team and particular players pretty much the whole time. I felt it was very immature of me as an adult. It was particularly bad because my mates son was a very passionate little fellow a few years younger than my son all dressed in his dragons gear. He was one of those kids who knew every player and could recite any statistic you could fathom. Poor form by me. Strangely enough I felt somewhat relieved when I recently spoke to this mate. What he told me was his son is now following the Roosters. All things aside the fact I’m happy his son is following the Roosters says it all.

That's the sad fact now Belta. If kids want to follow a team, they want to follow one that has what it takes to win nearly all of their matches and win quite comfortably and excitingly. When they see their mates back at school, they don't want to talk about the team of losers and be all embarrassed so why not follow the Roosters or the Panthers or Storm.

My sons used to follow league when they were youngsters but followed the Knights for a few years but gave following the sport away years ago possibly because of my tantrums during the times I watched the Dragons.

It is pathetic I know of myself to go through all of the yelling and screaming, for what?

I feel that following a winning team gives you so much to look forward to and your mates' son has a reason to smile now.

 

[Belta]

At least we know what to expect

Yep disappointment and heart ache at every corner.

 

[Gareth67]

The title of the thread brought back some vidid memories , so much so that I thought that I was working back at Homebush Abattoirs for the moment , way back in the ‘70s !


For the younger brigade it is now covered completely in concrete , the Sydney Olympic Park .

 

[muzby]

Um - Okay, that’s fantastic.

Oh, just to be with you.

Is giving me the best day, of my life.

 

[Belta]

That's the sad fact now Belta. If kids want to follow a team, they want to follow one that has what it takes to win nearly all of their matches and win quite comfortably and excitingly. When they see their mates back at school, they don't want to talk about the team of losers and be all embarrassed so why not follow the Roosters or the Panthers or Storm.

My sons used to follow league when they were youngsters but followed the Knights for a few years but gave following the sport away years ago possibly because of my tantrums during the times I watched the Dragons.

It is pathetic I know of myself to go through all of the yelling and screaming, for what?

I feel that following a winning team gives you so much to look forward to and your mates' son has a reason to smile now.

Yep I think we are not alone. And whether we admit it or not many of us do as parents, coaches, spectators can subconsciously send out negativity that I believe youngsters absorb. Even silence after a loss is detectable as disappointment. But long term losses are unavoidably negative. I certainly don’t advocate that winning is everything because that can be a penchant for a major let down as the world isn’t always roses but I can certainly see how long term negativity and Newcastle being a similar example can really muddy the dreams of a youngster.

On a home front one safety net I make Is I make a conscious effort to be positive, not over the top but try and put things in perspective very shortly after a loss before the negativity can set in, and I really feel it helps. It might be something as simple as saying to parents and kids (as other parents can be so negative and drastic) “Well as a team you can’t play your best every week. There’s gunna be games where it just doesn’t happen.” And my kids in particular will pretend they can’t hear me but I convince myself they can and convince myself that it helps.

 

[Mjab]

I started following the Saints in 75
I grew up in the area too so it was a natural fit
But with wins in 77 79 and quite a good run of albeit losing GFs 80s and 90s
It was still good to follow the Saints
If I was a kid now I would never even consider wanting to be a saints supporter with our performances over the last 9 years
A disgrace and embarrassment essentially
1/2 a generation lost as supporters
Thanks to the admin, coaching and BOD
They just don’t get it


my Teen daughters just laugh when they hear the Dragons results now
they have no interest in supporting such a joke of a club

It’s not really the players fault when they get told to play dragons footy by the peanut coaches in the last 9 years With shit roster management

A f**king disgrace From the top down

go to you tube and watch some old games
generally more satisfying than anything in the last decade except 2010

 

[Dragon David]

I started following the Saints in 75
I grew up in the area too so it was a natural fit
But with wins in 77 79 and quite a good run of albeit losing GFs 80s and 90s
It was still good to follow the Saints
If I was a kid now I would never even consider wanting to be a saints supporter with our performances over the last 9 years
A disgrace and embarrassment essentially
1/2 a generation lost as supporters
Thanks to the admin, coaching and BOD
They just don’t get it


my Teen daughters just laugh when they hear the Dragons results now
they have no interest in supporting such a joke of a club

It’s not really the players fault when they get told to play dragons footy by the peanut coaches in the last 9 years With shit roster management

A f**king disgrace From the top down

go to you tube and watch some old games
generally more satisfying than anything in the last decade except 2010

I guess being a sports fanatic, which I am and I am sure many of you on the Forum are as well, there will always be the ups and downs that come with who you follow in league, AFL, A League, tennis, cricket, golf etc. and there will be stacks of disappointments and plenty of happiness and enjoyment.

We have all got to live with the good and the bad, not only in sport but with a myriad of day to day things of life in general.

The past almost 9 years after Bennett left the Dragons has been very disappointing for us, but in time, hopefully not too long, it will turn around for the better. It is just a very long cycle.

 

[Nanadragon]

I too am a long time supporter, since 1961, grew up in Carlton, and yesterday a friend asked me if I was now going to follow another team. I said, adamantly, NO.
Over all these years there is not another team I like enough to support. In fact I dislike the other teams in the comp.
Supporting a team is a tribal thing and the Dragons are my tribe, good or bad.
I can only hope the future will be better and we will become a powerhouse club again.
Worst thing we ever did was lose some of our identity by merging with another team.

 

[Dragons4me]

Yep I think we are not alone. And whether we admit it or not many of us do as parents, coaches, spectators can subconsciously send out negativity that I believe youngsters absorb. Even silence after a loss is detectable as disappointment. But long term losses are unavoidably negative. I certainly don’t advocate that winning is everything because that can be a penchant for a major let down as the world isn’t always roses but I can certainly see how long term negativity and Newcastle being a similar example can really muddy the dreams of a youngster.

On a home front one safety net I make Is I make a conscious effort to be positive, not over the top but try and put things in perspective very shortly after a loss before the negativity can set in, and I really feel it helps. It might be something as simple as saying to parents and kids (as other parents can be so negative and drastic) “Well as a team you can’t play your best every week. There’s gunna be games where it just doesn’t happen.” And my kids in particular will pretend they can’t hear me but I convince myself they can and convince myself that it helps.

Yeah. Same here. After a loss make some benign comment in front of the kids and missus (or whoever's in the immediate vicinity) but immediately afterwards in my solitude retreat in my misery. I know I'll be over it by the following weekends game but mentally prepared for a repeat dose.
The price I pay to follow this club.

 

[This Year?]

lol. I chuck a similar tanty almost weekly and question my support at least once a season, only to come back for more. At least I don't suffer alone.