pinksheets wrote:
So the alternative is just assume the Mariners are a dead franchise that will never ever compete again?
I'm sorry, the Mariners have done plenty to lose themselves the benefit of the doubt and even more to raise the ire of fans, but lately the anti-M's stuff has gone from hyperbole to hysteria. Disliking the current owners is one thing, but to write off the franchise entirely? And why do we have to get so damn divisive with our teams and even those local teams' fans? This isn't an either/or and this thread presents a bizarre hypothetical that is purely set to stoke the fire. I love the Seahawks, I love the Sonics, and I love the Mariners. Do the Mariners suck? Yeah, but that doesn't mean we should even start talking about indifference towards the idea of losing them. That type of attitude has presented itself before, we saw it with certain groups the first time they almost left, when the Hawks almost left, and even when the Sonics DID leave. Don't be a part of that crowd.
It's fun to dismiss everything the M's do and to write off everyone who says "they're going to be good in a couple years", but that's just silly. There is a lot to be excited about within the M's organization. Do the owners and the execs suck? Yeah, but we've been pumped about Seattle teams before with awful ownership, that's almost a Seattle tradition. Unless you're going to be a giant payroll team, which the M's will likely never be even with a new owner, it takes a good long while to build a team.
I admire your enthusiasm even though I don't share it anymore. I had been going to games since '77, from the last few years of the kingdome to the first 6 years or so of safeco I went to 30 games a year on average. I bought tons of mariners gear during hat stretch and would take bi-monthly tours of safeco field, I loved the place that much.
This ownership and upper front office's (see Howard and Chuck) unwillingness to put a winning product on the field or take the necessary steps to do so is why I won't spend another red cent on the Mariners until the 2 headed beast known as Chowie is gone.
There is no reason that Lincoln and Armstrong should still have a job. If you or I failed as bad as the above 2 mentioned we would have been fired years ago.
A rebuilding process should NEVER take 10 years, especially for a baseball team that plays In a league WITHOUT a salary cap.
I'm sorry but all of he scorn aimed at the mariners org is earned and well deserved and all of the mariners "problems" are "self inflicted!
The folks I feel bad are the ones inthe M's org that have to try and sell this crap product to businesses and individual fans.
