A message to all the "fans" who call the team "Red Donkeys"...

Many thanks Jamison... You answered my questions... I did read the FAQ on mods prior but it didn't really answer my questions... I wasn't sure what kind of oversight mods had in general.... Best - ag

 

Jamison,

Excellent post, even if I felt a bit of a dig. Fact is, I have my reasons for not posting over on the other board anymore. There's no denying that the donkey business started over there. When someone started a thread here with the term, I spoke up. This thread brought the issue up again. [Interesting how the anti-BS bias on MF.com is rarely addressed here...]

I think this thread has made the case as strongly as possible why many of us find the term objectionable. And while Michael K. initially made the claim that Donkey was a "term of endearment," that point has been debunked thoroughly, thanks to this thread.

Rick B. mods other boards? I'm far too much in his debt to ever question our beloved Super Gooner, so the notion of a mod being a supporter...I'll shut up on that out of respect for Rick.

There's no question that Michael K. is an intelligent and well-informed member of the community of bs.com users who discuss this team. I just wish he'd be less insulting towards those of us who have been cool with the metamorphosis.

 

Data Point: For me, Donks is a term of endearment when the team fails spectacularly to perform. Period. And this thread or anything else can't debunk my heart. FWIW.

 

Curious, do you refer to any other team in any other sport by a nickname for when they lose?

 

Reds lost last night and MF did call them the Donkeys, but I don't really pay attention to that. I know Dan and I know he cares, so whatever he calls them, he calls them. I don't think anyone is changing that.

As for the anti-BS bias...again, some people felt the need to be in a different community with a bit of a different ethos. There were legitimate issues that lead to the creation of that site, and I don't know what devoting time to it here would really accomplish, to be honest, other than stirring up a rivalry that has already been settled.

 

Well, the losing Metros were Mutts to me. Cosmos, never had the need.

In other sports, I'm not really a fan anymore, but when I was a kid the Orioles were often the B'orioles.

For a while, my brother and I like to follow the Devils hockey, and when the sucked they were "the kid from Bloomfield" (long, funny story on that one.)

I don't care about football enough to care.

That's about it.

 

I'm not drawing any conclusions from this news, but I do think it's germane to this discussion that BArcelona is paying Unicef to put their logo on their kits.

What a wonderful, terrific thing. That's the kind of team I would love to love.

 

Amen to that! An incredible gesture of goodwill.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/13/sports/soccer/13soccer.html?_r=1&ref=soccer&oref=slogin

 

Never too late to move over there...

 

First off: Classy move, Barca.

Um, why? What has this got to do with the fans that call the team Red Donkeys? Were they sponsoring the deal? (I highly doubt that!)

 

Good lad!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/GuinnessBeer.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ireland_37_bg_061402.jpg#file
Free cans on the road trip would be great!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Guinness_Toucan-ad.jpg

 

It's not only classy, but it's part of a bigger picture --- a commitment to certain values and ideals that the team has always followed. And they have managed to do it and be successful in the modern age, something that the more cynical among us think is impossible.

Part of this discussion had to do with commercialization of the team. That's what it's relevant to.

 

I have always had a soft spot for them because of their democratic values.

If you're comment is meant to be helpful, thank you. If you're just being a dick, go f### yourself.

 

Well... The truly cynical amoung us might just say that this is Barca pimping their brand by using "feel good" marketing. Those that get hung up in the undercurrents of branding and naming, that is.

But, I do kid. It's great when professional teams support charities. For example, here's something that aught to make you feel good, in more ways than one.
The Red Bulls are hosting Prostate Cancer Awareness night.

 

It's not just supporting charities. From this conversation, it seems that you don't know about the history of Barcelona. They have never had advertising on their kits, ever, since 1899. Also, while I'm not terribly well schooled on the issue of the Barcelona football team and Spanish fascism, I do know they were on the correct side of a conflict called the Spanish Civil War (have you heard of it?). So I think for Barcelona Football Club, progressive causes, charity, and democratic freedom have been a 100 year commitment, more or less.

What Barcelona is doing, and has done, is not just about "supporting a charity". It's quantitatively and qualitatively very different. Why would you even want to argue with that?

 

I'm not arguing with anything. I'm just poking fun at you a little. "Loosen up" and get tested. It saves lives.






see, still "poking" a bit of fun at you. BTW - I'm assuming you have a bit of a sense of humor, and realize I'm not attacking you or your opinions. I'm happy for Barca, and appreciated that they came here last month. But I'm not a Barca fan. I'm a Red Bull fan. Don't expect me to gush.

 

I didn't expect anyone to do or say anything. IT was just a point of information that I made clear in the post. It wasn't meant as a comparison between the two teams.

You can tell me to lighten up, but I think it's you that got defensive about your beloved Energy Drink F.C.

 

Oh, come on. Of course it was a comparison. That's why you chose this thread, and why you stated earlier:

I was honestly wondering why you chose this thread to post about Barca. (You are bull baiting, which is illegal in this country, I might add.) I had forgotten that you are still really upset at the sale and name change, and were one of those 'Red Donkey' fans. Once I realized that, I was only having fun. And I wanted to make sure you knew that so you wouldn't take it personally, since it wasn't intended so. And as far as Energy Drink FC goes, you aren't upsetting me with that. I'm still a bit disappointed in the sale myself. See, I thought for sure Red Bull would give us wings...

 

I was wondering the same thing, j1mbr0wn. It's great that Bacelona put on the UNICEF logo on their jerseys and pay UNICEF for the privilege of doing so. That they can afford to turn down $22 mil a year from a sponsor is great also. I'm also glad that they were on the right side of the Spanish Civil War. As long as we are talking about what other clubs do: is is wrong of Chelsea to accept $18.7 mil (as pointed out in the NY Times Barcelona article) from Samsung for the jersey sponsorship? It's not. It's just free enterprise, capitalism, greed or whatever you want to call it, at work. Is it wrong for Red Bull to put it's logo on the front of the jerseys? Our beloved "Soft Drink FC" should be able to put whatever it wants on the jerseys.

COME ON SOFT DRINK, FIGHT!

 

No, but it is wrong for Samsung to give any money to those Chelski ba$tards. I'll never buy anything Samsung - ever. Just as I'd never have flown Emirates...until this year.

Hats off to Barca; I don't see it as germane to this thread's discussion, but whatever...unicef needs all of our support. The Barca anti-fascism folklore is a bit hyperbolic, when you dig into the facts of how they handled themselves during the War and the Franco era - still its a myth worth believing.

I do think the charging bulls before the sun a fabulous look on the front of our jerseys. Sort of a sponsor, but sort of not.

 

Doesn't this mean that Red Bull was on the right side of the Cold War?

 

You should add Metrogo that they are paying Unicef (2 million?) to have their logo on their kits which makes the move even more amazing and wonderful...

 

See, the UNICEF spirit is working already!

 

Okay, now that we're down to telling each other to F off and arguing about the beauty of Unicef gestures, this particular cow of a thread has wandered hopelessly off topic and will be 'kilt dead'.

Or, in this case, taken out behind the shed, shot, and given to an Indianapolis Colts fan.



If you want to discuss why Metrofanatic calls the team the donkeys, post there and ask them.

If you think some people are fair weather fans, start a thread and call 'em out.

If you want to discuss commercialization of world football, go to the Beautiful Game forum and discuss there.

Thread Closed. [bang]