Is "Free The Birds" the RIGHT thing to do?

[jthor99]

I was listening to WNST this morning, and Drew was polling people on how many people had actually attended Orioles games this season (@ Camden Yards). He simply wanted a YES or NO answer, and some even elaborated why they may or may not have went. Nestor and the station basically wanted to get a “feeler” on whether people may or may not be interested in another “Free The Birds.”

One particular caller was quite upset that WNST was "thinking" about doing a 3rd "Free The Birds" Campaign. He basically said that it didn't help anything, and it made the organization look worse then it already did, and basically suggested that WNST was basically on a witch-hunt. Fair argument nonetheless.

My overall feeling is like anything else in life. If you feel that something isn't RIGHT then you need to stand up and do something about it. As fans I believe that's the right thing to do. Now does that mean walking out of the stadium like WNST might do? I'm not so sure, but I don't on a whole have a problem with it because I honestly believe they are sending a message (whether it may be LARGE or SMALL).

What are your thoughts? Simply Yes or No , and maybe a reasoning behind it.

[Passarino]

Free the Birds made its point with the original campaign. Flanagan is out and MacPhail has been told by the emporer to "..do what you need to do". I supported the first FTB rally but not the second one. I want to see if the emporer is true to his word and MacPhail is able to do what he needs to do before endorsing another fan protest. Signing Tex would be the best sign of all!

[Ravens2006]

Yeah, I was all for it in the Flanagan and Friends era. They destroyed the organization, absolutely destroyed it (at the bidding of Pete). MacPhail has a big, tough job on his hands, so I can give him some time before he gets his name on the blame list. If they don't do some serious spending in the next off-season or two, then it's all just part of another scam. MASN is here Pete, so give Andy some money to work with... There are no excuses anymore...

[jthor99]

As Drew mentioned this morning this would be more about (atleast his opinion) the disprespect of the FO. He didn't say or not say that included McPhail. His reasoning is that attendence this year even with the "excitment" at the beginning of year was LOWER then last year. His basic point (which I personally agree with) is that the Orioles do a horrible job of marketing themselves to there fans.

What was amazing to me by listening to the show this morning was how many FORMER season ticket holders there were who said they would NEVER attend a game again. Some of them said they only attend because there childeren want to attend the games. To me that got me thinking wow I mean the Orioles have really screwed up. You look at these former people who would not only spend time, but money going to Orioles games, and the Orioles have just basically drove them away.

[heavy]

"Free the Birds III" is more like "Look at WNST". A publicity stunt for a mediocre station. If they want advertising pay for it .

[jthor99]

Originally Posted by heavy

"Free the Birds III" is more like "Look at WNST". A publicity stunt for a mediocre station. If they want advertising pay for it .

You may or may not be right. Part of me has those same thoughts (atleast on Nestor's part), but also a part of me feels that people need to stand up and basically say "hey this isn't right". As I mentioned do I feel that a walk out is what would be necessary? I'm not sure I could say yes or no, but I feel that something should be done.

[crawdaddy]

Originally Posted by jthor99

You may or may not be right. Part of me has those same thoughts (atleast on Nestor's part), but also a part of me feels that people need to stand up and basically say "hey this isn't right". As I mentioned do I feel that a walk out is what would be necessary? I'm not sure I could say yes or no, but I feel that something should be done.

eh, why not just get 10-20 people to go out before and during every game and protest on the sidewalk. that seems like it would be more effective than doing it once over the course of 81 home games. the single event thing makes it, to me, seem more like a radio station wanting to be noticed. i could be wrong though. it could just be a rather ineffective way to impart change.

[jthor99]

Originally Posted by Shamequa

The single even thing gets the radio exposure and espn exposure. You are right - if your SOLE concern were improving the club and NOT promoting your own personal agenda, you would camp out and protest. Think anti abortion advocates who stand outside free clinics 24/7. gets kind of tiresome but they get their point across.

Get the bleedingorange and black dude. he has tickets but never uses em so he has plenty of free time to go protest.

I here what your saying but Pete would you have arrested if you were protesting on the streets of the warehouse (atleast I would think). Plus, I'm not sure how long the protest would really last on the outside of the streets.

I personally think the point get's across even more if you can rally a bunch of people to literally walk out of the stadium to show there disgust with the team. I'm not suggesting I would even take part in something like this, but this honestly was the first time that I felt that this made sense.

This organization refuses to do anything. Sure, we can keep having it driven down our throats that were rebuilding, and honestly as a fan I really want to believe that. But, to me it's more then that. This organization just has a pathetic way of promoting the team. Not only does the lack of people attending teams effect the Orioles itself, but what about all of the things around the stadium that are being effective?

To me this is bigger then just the Orioles. It's about how the city is slightly ruined by it. Sure, during football season it's not as much because of the Ravens, but in June and July and the early months you have to wonder how many business are hurting because of the lack of support of the Orioles. Something needs to change

[crawdaddy]

Originally Posted by jthor99

I here what your saying but Pete would you have arrested if you were protesting on the streets of the warehouse (atleast I would think). Plus, I'm not sure how long the protest would really last on the outside of the streets.

I personally think the point get's across even more if you can rally a bunch of people to literally walk out of the stadium to show there disgust with the team. I'm not suggesting I would even take part in something like this, but this honestly was the first time that I felt that this made sense.

This organization refuses to do anything. Sure, we can keep having it driven down our throats that were rebuilding, and honestly as a fan I really want to believe that. But, to me it's more then that. This organization just has a pathetic way of promoting the team. Not only does the lack of people attending teams effect the Orioles itself, but what about all of the things around the stadium that are being effective?

To me this is bigger then just the Orioles. It's about how the city is slightly ruined by it. Sure, during football season it's not as much because of the Ravens, but in June and July and the early months you have to wonder how many business are hurting because of the lack of support of the Orioles. Something needs to change

he could only have people arrested if they interfered with pedestrian or street traffic . . . or they were on the grounds of the stadium. the sidewalks do not count as such.

it is weird though that people are upset now because the team is not promoted well? eh, i could understand the win loss record argument, but because they lack media flare . . . weird.

[RavensDomination]

I was listening this morning too. If I had a dollar every time Drew mentioned how Greg Bader told him not to come anymore I could buy the Orioles franchise myself. Get over it Drew, for the love of God.

[Independent Terp]

It would be wrong this time around but back in 2006, it was brilliant. We all remember than the New York Giants fans walked out on their team after one of their poor performances. It led to the ousting of Jim Fassel and the hiring of Tom Coughlin. We all know where that headed.

Nestor needs to give Andy MacPhail a shot. It's his team now. And the Orioles have done much better promoting the team than in years past. Do you think there would've been a "Ravens Rally" five years ago? Hell no.

[can you hear me now!]

so telling the media they aren't welcome is how you deal with critics? Drew is absolutely right in that they don't have a decent marketing effort and that they have pissed on the fans for years.

it's really unfortunate that the angelo$er apologists continue to attack those with the termidity to point out the constant failures of this organization on and off the field..oh the horror, oh the shame....

another FTB would change nothing the the way the whorehouse conducts FTF 81 times a year. angelo$er believes that he's done nothing wrong-- it's bad luck, it's fans being impatient, it's someone with delusions of grandeur poking him in the eye for giving the city a black eye....yep it's all about someone trying to promote their business and has absolutely nothing to do with stating the facts about how badly run the organization is. This offseason will reveal how much leeway mc phail has...I'm betting the last 11 years are a fairly good indicator of what's coming....

[bleedingorangeandblack]

Originally Posted by Shamequa

The single even thing gets the radio exposure and espn exposure. You are right - if your SOLE concern were improving the club and NOT promoting your own personal agenda, you would camp out and protest. Think anti abortion advocates who stand outside free clinics 24/7. gets kind of tiresome but they get their point across.

Get the bleedingorange and black dude. he has tickets but never uses em so he has plenty of free time to go protest.

did i take your girlfriend or something in highschool

[jthor99]

Originally Posted by Shamequa

Obviously you have a b0ner for Angelos, so appealing to your better judgment would be a waste of time.

Nobody in this thread has made any pro Angelos comments. Nobody has made excuses for him.

Thathaving been said, he did change direction when he hired Macphail. if he is true to his word, these self promotional demonstrations are a waste of time and indeed counterproductive.

Go back and read what some of us already said before your rant. If Macphail isnt allowed the freedom to do what he says he needs to do, then next year is the appropriate time. Not this year.

Now, tell us what happened. Did papa Angelos fire you? or better yet, did he not like your curriculum vitae and decide to not even hire you in the first place?

Maybe he sued your daddy's asbestos company? Cmon, its okay, you can fess up.

Yeah, but waiting until next years will bring out the same naysayers who are saying NOT to do it now. I can picture it now all of the belly moaners "Give McPhail another year he'll have this ship tunred around !!".

I'm not sure what makes any of us think that Pete is suddenly after 10 years is just going to allow McPhail to do whatever the hell he wants. What because he robbed a few teams blind in some trades? Sure, McPhail has made some great trades, but it was all in a sense to DUMP salary, and also to build in McPhail's rebuilding plan. I'm sorry people but this off season (atleast IMO) is a TELL ALL for the Orioles organization.

If McPhail simply sits on his hands and spends little to NO money then I'm sorry there's no way he has full control. Building young talent is great don't get me wrong, but you have to have a solid mix in order to compete actually playing in a meaningful game.

Not only that if this team was so exciting to watch, which many of us felt at the beginning of the year then why is attendence worst then last season?

Hell, I rather watch this current team play any day of the freakin week then watch last year schlubs play. It baffles me that year after year we have to wait for the BS the Orioles pull on a consistant basis. I realize "winning " itself will cause people to come back to the warehouse, but the Orioles need to do something in the time being to establish a fan base again.

Because what McPhail may or may not realize is the man upstairs righting paychecks has LOST most of his fan base. And he could really care less. I don't trust Angelos at all, and McPhail may have 100% authority in trades, but you can bet your bottom dollar he doesn't have free reign to Peter's wallet.

This offseason is a tell all. Not next year

[crawdaddy]

Originally Posted by jthor99

Yeah, but waiting until next years will bring out the same naysayers who are saying NOT to do it now. I can picture it now all of the belly moaners "Give McPhail another year he'll have this ship tunred around !!".

I'm not sure what makes any of us think that Pete is suddenly after 10 years is just going to allow McPhail to do whatever the hell he wants. What because he robbed a few teams blind in some trades? Sure, McPhail has made some great trades, but it was all in a sense to DUMP salary, and also to build in McPhail's rebuilding plan. I'm sorry people but this off season (atleast IMO) is a TELL ALL for the Orioles organization.

If McPhail simply sits on his hands and spends little to NO money then I'm sorry there's no way he has full control. Building young talent is great don't get me wrong, but you have to have a solid mix in order to compete actually playing in a meaningful game.

Not only that if this team was so exciting to watch, which many of us felt at the beginning of the year then why is attendence worst then last season?

Hell, I rather watch this current team play any day of the freakin week then watch last year schlubs play. It baffles me that year after year we have to wait for the BS the Orioles pull on a consistant basis. I realize "winning " itself will cause people to come back to the warehouse, but the Orioles need to do something in the time being to establish a fan base again.

Because what McPhail may or may not realize is the man upstairs righting paychecks has LOST most of his fan base. And he could really care less. I don't trust Angelos at all, and McPhail may have 100% authority in trades, but you can bet your bottom dollar he doesn't have free reign to Peter's wallet.

This offseason is a tell all. Not next year

kind of weird how you started off indifferent to the whole thing and now seem to have clearly taken a side. i'm glad we could help.

[Elevation]

I hope it happens, just because I predicted it in thinking man's preseason prediction thread.

[jthor99]

Originally Posted by crawdaddy

kind of weird how you started off indifferent to the whole thing and now seem to have clearly taken a side. i'm glad we could help.

No, it's just the more and more I see others comments and posts the more I tend to agree with the whole thing. Before, I never found it productive , but what I heard on the radio this morning (atleast to me) just struck a nerve.

So, yes I have clearly taken a side? Is that wrong? Everyong is entitled to there own opinion and I 100% respect that. It's just the more and more I sit back and think about the more it makes sense to me

[crawdaddy]

Originally Posted by jthor99

No, it's just the more and more I see others comments and posts the more I tend to agree with the whole thing. Before, I never found it productive , but what I heard on the radio this morning (atleast to me) just struck a nerve.

So, yes I have clearly taken a side? Is that wrong? Everyong is entitled to there own opinion and I 100% respect that. It's just the more and more I sit back and think about the more it makes sense to me

I don't think anyone here has said taking a side on an issue is wrong.

[lyonheart]

So WNST is going to host another one of their protests?

What a crock!!

They talk about how they love all the local teams and then you hear this come out of their mouths?

Funny but you never hear either of the other two sports stations in town (1300 and 1370) resort to this kind of garbage.

FREE WNST! That's what I say.

See you later Nasty! And take Mr. Golf with you! Take them all with you and stop preaching about how much you love Baltimore!

[jthor99]

Originally Posted by lyonheart

So WNST is going to host another one of their protests?

What a crock!!

They talk about how they love all the local teams and then you hear this come out of their mouths?

Funny but you never hear either of the other two sports stations in town (1300 and 1370) resort to this kind of garbage.

FREE WNST! That's what I say.

See you later Nasty! And take Mr. Golf with you! Take them all with you and stop preaching about how much you love Baltimore!

It's an idea up to this point certainly nothing concrete.

Also, I may be mistaken but the other 2 radio stations you are referring too are PAID by the Orioles, so it wouldn't much sense for them actually **** where they eat.