I'm starting to lose respect for Mason

**purplepoe** · 12-31-2006, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by skaybaltimore

Funny, Poe...I don't recall anyone here being named Derrick Mason. It was NOT the fans that initiated this -- it was MASON HIMSELF. So WTF are you even talking about? If it wasn't on his mind, then why did he open his mouth in the first place? You're entitled to your opinion, but your opinion doesn't have the power to change REALITY. And reality is, the whole thing was started by Mason, and it was THE WRONG TIME FOR HIM TO SHOOT OFF HIS MOUTH. I don't care HOW competitive he is. Or WHAT justification he had, or thinks he had. And regardless of any of that, for you to try and twist this around to something the FANS started is absurd. You're just way off on this one, man.

GO RAVENS!!!

Who said it was the fans who initiated it? Certainly not me.

Im talking about some fans' reaction to it.

Go re-read your fuckin post and then read mine all of mine on this thread. Did I say it wasn't on Mason's mind? No. I said I could do without his comments as well. I just don't think it's a big deal.

So take it easy with putting words in my mouth.

You wanna talk about reality? How about the fact that this has gotten ZERO play anywhere else besides a few message boards. It was a little add-on to Aaron Wilson's story. If it were anything of substance, it would've been a headline or at least at the top of his or any other article. But it wasn't. That's the reality. And THAT is what I am talking about.

Originally Posted by skaybaltimore

your opinion doesn't have the power to change REALITY.

No shit, really?

PP

**skaybaltimore** · 12-31-2006, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by purplepoe

This team is on the same page.

It's us the fans who are talking about it, not them.

I bet they couldn't give 2 shits about it.

PP

IF the team were on the SAME PAGE, then what page was MASON on when he opened up his mouth and began talking about playing SOMEPLACE ELSE, right at the time the team is heading into the playoffs? Did the FANS initiate that statement? No, MASON did. And that is NOT a picture of a team that's on the same page. THAT'S the reality I'M talking about. I have no idea what reality YOU'RE talking about, or trying to invent.

And you can save the profanity for someone who cares. You're the one who can't seem to differentiate between reality and the revisionist world the way you'd like it to be. Just because it got covered over, does NOT mean it's not a big deal. It might be, or it might not be. But you have no more evidence to ASSUME it's not a big deal, than anyone else could make an argument that it IS. Your assumption that it isn't does NOT make it "reality" -- only your opinion. And the fact that fans are talking about what Mason initiated does not make it only a big deal being blown out of proportion by the fans.

GO RAVENS!!!

**purplepoe** · 12-31-2006, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by skaybaltimore

IF the team were on the SAME PAGE, then what page was MASON on when he opened up his mouth and began talking about playing SOMEPLACE ELSE, right at the time the team is heading into the playoffs? Did the FANS initiate that statement? No, MASON did. THAT'S the reality I'M talking about. I have no idea what reality YOU'RE talking about, or trying to invent.

And you can save the profanity for someone who cares. You're the one who can't seem to differentiate between reality and the revisionist world the way you'd like it to be.

GO RAVENS!!!

Originally Posted by skaybaltimore

So WTF are you even talking about?

I don't abbreviate like you.

I haven't once condoned what Mason said.

Come back to me when Mason isn't giving his all on the field. Have you ever seen that? The wants the ball more and isn't feeling all that appreciated. No more, no less. He said something that rubbed some fans the wrong way. Again, please show me where I said the fans initiated ANYTHING.

Believe me, I can deal in reality. The reality is this was barely a blip on the radar. That has been my stance the whole time. There has been ZERO talk about it from anyone in the press or on the team since he said it. That shows to me that it's not a big deal. If you think it is, that's fine.

Im going down to the tailgate now to enjoy watching Mason and the Ravens clinch a 1st round bye.

PP

**Art-Florida** · 12-31-2006, 01:26 PM

Okay, that's it. They've gone over the line. Beginning immediately, the 'wide receiver' position is abolished.

From now on, teams must line up with two tight ends, two halfbacks, a fullback, and a quarterback. 1940s football the way it was meant to be played.

After a suitable time period has passed, this abolishment may be rescinded, provided the prima-donna, whining, showboating, glory-hound wideouts think carefully about what they've done, say they're sorry, and promise never to do it again.

If the league feels they have shown the proper remorse, they may be allowed to play with the other kids again, and will receive a special one-time treat of double chocolate sundaes. A second offense will result in a sentence of being screwed in the rectum by porcupines...with NO FOREPLAY.

**skaybaltimore** · 12-31-2006, 01:28 PM

I agree with everything, except that last part, Art.

(heheheheh)

GO RAVENS!!!

**skaybaltimore** · 12-31-2006, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by purplepoe

I don't abbreviate like you.

I haven't once condoned what Mason said.

Come back to me when Mason isn't giving his all on the field. Have you ever seen that?

Yes, in fact I thought he looked "out of sync" against Pittsburgh. Not enough to throw him under the bus, by any means, but "off" enough to notice it.

Originally Posted by purplepoe

Again, please show me where I said the fans initiated ANYTHING.

What you've been saying is that this is not a big deal, and that the fans are initiating this "issue" that you believe to be a non-issue. What I'm saying is that you have no basis for saying that. If anything, YOU'RE the one blowing this basically moderated position up to the point of polarizing it. I made a simple statement agreeing with Sting that the statement made by Mason in the interview was inappropraite, IMO. Period! Then you had to jump in and say that it's no big deal -- it's just something being exaggerated by some fans. But that's only your opinion, not "reality". And all of your protestations to the contrary that it's "only a blip on the radar" do NOT make it reality, no matter how hard you thump your chest, and no matter how many profanities you use.

GO RAVENS!!!

**festivus** · 12-31-2006, 02:33 PM

To put it in perspective, there are other quotes from Mason in today's Sun:
"The only scoreboard we need to watch is our own," receiver Derrick Mason said. "Right now, we must seal the deal. We have to go out and beat Buffalo. If we don't, all that we've done in the past 16 weeks wouldn't mean anything. We got to think of this game as being pivotal ... "
http://tinyurl.com/y899re

He is always talking 'team'.

Like all pro athletes in team sports, Derrick Mason professionally seems to want two things. 1. team succes. 2. personal accomplishment.

The only question is, what order does he put them in?

After all his team-oriented statements to the media, enough to choke a horse if you're going to be fair to him, then we might be able to agree his priority is team success.

I think everybody who's been posting agrees he was in that *one* quote expressing his desire for personal success. I don't begrudge him that desire, but I believe based on a fair review of all he's said and done that that is a secondary priority for him, behind *team* success.

Believe what you want, I will continue to think the best. In the end it's a matter of opinion based on an unbiased observation of his behavior.

**skaybaltimore** · 01-01-2007, 02:27 AM

The T.V. announcer mentioned at least three times that Mason had complained about not getting enough touches -- AFTER McNair threw at least 5 straight passes to Mason. Again, this isn't a FAN initiating the statement -- it came from the T.V. announcer. And whether or not it had anything to do with all those passes going to Mason tonight, and almost NONE going to Clayton -- who knows. But it sure looked different to me out there, compared to the trend over the past 5 games or son.

GO RAVENS!!!

**festivus** · 01-01-2007, 09:55 AM

Skay, I heard the announcer too. I understood him to be referring to the same quote that triggered this thread. So I don't see how that adds to the discussion, except that you correctly point out Mason got a few balls last night, which hopefully will mollify him.

Sometimes quarterbacks will throw to receivers who for one reason or another need the ball, even though other receivers may also be open. I think I recall Brett Favre doing it and I'm sure others do it as well. It may even have been McNair's way of telling his old teammate to shut up.

Anyway I've made my point and this thread has lingered beyond what it deserves, in my humble opinion.

**skaybaltimore** · 01-01-2007, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by festivus

Skay, I heard the announcer too. I understood him to be referring to the same quote that triggered this thread. So I don't see how that adds to the discussion,

It adds to the discussion in the sense that it is not just the fans who are running with this thing, as has been suggested. If it were truly no big deal, then the announcer would not even have mentioned it. Yet not only DID he mention it, he mentioned it several times. What that says to me is that somehow, this shit with Mason was bigger than the previous poster was trying to make it out to be, and it was not something being perpetuated needlessly by fans. And that sort of shit is just NOT what you want happening entering the post season, IMO. And I disagree that this discussion has "lingered" longer than necessary. The comments made by the announcers JUST HAPPEND LAST NIGHT. But if you feel that way, N/P -- you can just participate in other threads you feel are more worth your time.

GO RAVENS!!!