From: mattb@ctron.com (Matthew E. Brown)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey
Subject: Re: Wrens escape Lightning burns
Date: 5 Nov 92 18:45:56 GMT
Reply-To: mattb@olympus.ctron.com (Matthew E. Brown)
Distribution: na
Organization: Cabletron Systems INc.

RAP115@psuvm.psu.edu writes:
>lsa@ll.mit.edu (lisa s anderson) says:

>>I must admit that Tom's article was obviously biased, but I don't see how
>>Rob (or Robbie Po or whatever he calls himself) can attack Tom's credibility
>>and call him a homer

>   Really, Lisa, and everyone else like you that does this, I wish you people
>would learn how to post!  I never called Tom a homer like you say up above.
>I just thought Tom's article was unfair calling the Penguins "Wrens" - you
>don't see anybody else often attacking another team's nickname.  Yes, I know
>the Penguins played bad - I'm not challenging that.  I admitted that in a
>previous article.  For the good of hockey, though, it's not right for someone
>to upset hundreds of fans, by writing the Broons and the Wrens - this kind of
>stuff on net is for sissies and is uncalled for.  We should all be able act
>as grownups on net and talk in a sophisicated manner.  This is what rec.sport.
>hockey is for!

Rob, if those hundreds of fans are reading r.s.h in a sophisticated and adult
manner, they will recognize that modified nicknames are not necessarily
"attacks" but just an attempt to liven up an article with some humor. Sometimes
it misses the mark, or sometimes offense is taken. Such is the net. You have
as much right to complain as Tom does to poke fun. But mature sophisticated
fans won't get really upset.

On the other hand, you should be more careful when you choose to admonish and
dictate to the readership, in my opinion. I don't care for your blanket
condemnation of "you people" when learning to post has nothing to do with 
your point, unless it means "learning to post only what RAP wants to read."
Nor do I choose to accept your definition of r.s.h. My own feeling is that
this group, and most of the rest of the net, is a place for the lively and
entertaining exchange of information and misinformation. Individual readers
should not try to dictate content, although they are welcome to express
displeasure with it. For example, I don't like these two aspects of your 
article, and I am telling you so, but if you want to continue to operate as
if these are the rules, then go ahead. It's your news account, not mine.

In reality, Tom is far from the only one who pokes fun at player or team 
names or tendancies. In fact, the sports media does it all the time. Several
Pens fans have been known to take some mean shots at their own team here.
I have wordplayed on team and player names myself, but just for fun. Calling
Peter Sidorkiewitz "Dorky Wits" doesn't mean I hate the guy or am ridiculing
him. It just might be covering up for not being able to spell his name.

In fact, Tom is about the last guy who needs to be chastized for name calling,
at least in my memory. Tom is clearly not acting in a petty, vindictive, or 
childish manner (nanner, nanner, etc.). He is just trying to "lively up
yourself" (to quote Bob Marley). And I would take you more seriously if you
were objecting to a misname of a team other than the Penguinks (this is what
my 2.5 year old boy calls both the Antarctic and Pittsburgh varieties).

Now, if part of your point is that we should try not to have r.s.h deteriorate
into long, running, pointless flames and trivial "prove your assertions or
apologize" disputes, I couldn't agree more. But a little bit of spirited
heckling and abuse is ok fun, and is a substantial part of the sports
themselves, if you think about it. Even immaturity can be conducted maturely,
if you think about it. 

Anyway, don't take this personally. I am just attempting to inject another
opinion into the discussion, and to attempt to persuade you not to take what
I perceive to be a rather narrow viewpoint of this group. Some of the articles
you have posted have pissed me off, but others have been real good. I wouldn't
have it any other way.

All I ask is that you give others some slack or range in the stuff they post.

Matt
Only mildly irritated, by the way.
Newsgroups: rec.sport.hockey