redandwhiteonline.com mentioned in article in AFL magazine

[Nico]

I pay my membership year in year out and when players who get paid outrageous wages put in shocker after shocker or belt someone for no other reason but, "I said I couldn't guarantee it wouldn't happen again" in his 3rd match back, then I reckon I am entitled to question what in the hell is going on.

If we all followed Marty's and Jimmy's mantra there would be a half dozen hand clapping supporters in outer every week. One thing is for sure, by continuing to bag RWO they will get their free tickets to all the club functions.

Journos have to remember that without the card carrying, cheering supporters they would be reporting on flower shows every week for the Womens Weekly.

[hot potato]

It appears Martin Blake has written an article without doing any accurate research on what Nico has posted re Jude, he has just concocted some thing he thinks is like what Nico would say... which is very poor for an actual article in a published journal.

[Mogg0]

You guys are a bunch of dickheads sometimes. The exaggerated negativity often displayed on these forums leaves us wide open for taunting and belittling, and its all we deserve. It's fantastic to see the Egos defending themselves and spewing forth @@@@e analogies in an attempt to be funny. All you're doing is reinforcing the stigma that we're BIG INTERNET TOUGHGUYS.

Embarrassing.

Marty has a point.

[smasher]

I was pleased to see the Swannies getting some good publicity although I don't know how many people read "4 Quarters".
The story on Jude Bolton gave great insight as to what he goes through to play our great game at the highest level.I thought it was a good read.

[Big Al]

For sure
But I accept Martin has his opinion as does Jim Main but I reckon I am equally as intelligent as them so I reckon I am right as often as they are. I wonder if they thought as we did as a collective at Princes Park one day watching the 2's, that one Brett Kirk had not a hope in the world of making it.

Great post Nico, certainly shows a lot more class than Blake does.

[ROK Lobster]

You guys are a bunch of dickheads sometimes. The exaggerated negativity often displayed on these forums leaves us wide open for taunting and belittling, and its all we deserve. It's fantastic to see the Egos defending themselves and spewing forth @@@@e analogies in an attempt to be funny. All you're doing is reinforcing the stigma that we're BIG INTERNET TOUGHGUYS.

Embarrassing.

Marty has a point.

It's a forum for opinions, conversations and humour good and bad. All that differentiates this from a conversation at the pub is that the words hang around for longer and the dickheads in the corner that would not otherwise hear you (or you hear them) get an earful of every word you say - each thread generally has about 4 conversations at once going on (with a 100 or so? regular posters you will never get consensus of opinion, a set sense of humour, a standard of impropriety or general evenness in cognitive abilities).

Who cares if we are taunted or belittled or seen as big internet toughguys - whatever that means? Martin Blake's opinion is as valid as anyone else's, except that he is clearly very subjective in his point of view and seems incapable of entering into a rational dialogue, relying on the "not a real fan" argument for anyone critical of the catalogue man. People that worry about other people's egos on here must have some sort of inferiority complex imo. Granted, it's probably warranted, but there is no need to make it public.

[CureTheSane]

You guys are a bunch of dickheads sometimes. The exaggerated negativity often displayed on these forums leaves us wide open for taunting and belittling, and its all we deserve. It's fantastic to see the Egos defending themselves and spewing forth @@@@e analogies in an attempt to be funny. All you're doing is reinforcing the stigma that we're BIG INTERNET TOUGHGUYS.

Embarrassing.

Marty has a point.

That post was written just as a big internet tough guy would write a post - slamming us all down
You internet bully, you.

Uh-oh, I think I am using humor
I appologise for my attempted humor.
I didn't mean to try and be tough......

[stellation]

Martin Blake's opinion is as valid as anyone else's

I think you've hit the nail on the head there to some degree, albeit from a different angle. I honestly think the traditional sporting media must be concerned about the growth in fan sites and discussion forums, primarily because they give someone the opportunity to view the opinions of a number of different people in a central spot- and it is quite likely they will come up with the view that the opinions of a number of those people are just as valid as some guy writing for the paper. With a fan site it is more often than not interactive, so obviously lends itself to being more enjoyable to some (most?) people.

With sports reporting in Australia articles seem to fall into the categories of match preview, match review, opinion pieces, interviews and rumours (Scoops! Young men drink and do stupid things!); I think it is fair to say that the first 3 of those categories are the bulk of media articles written, and they also happen to be the ones that match closest to the content provided by fan sites (ignoring the fan site forum's ability to provide such rumour scoops as "my mate knows the strapper and he reckons Toohey likes a bit too much of his namesake's product"). Traditional sporting media will always have its place, and I assume will always have greater access to players, coaches, medical staff, front office people, board members and agents associated with a given sport to be able to do interviews or get an inside word. A really quick scan over Martin's listed work suggests the bulk of it falls most definitely into the opinion piece category.

Traditional sporting media writes for a larger audience, whereas a contributor to a fan site knows there will always be nerd interested in debating how many contests Nick Davis let his opponent win in a specific quarter of a game. Traditional sporting media outlets will always have a market there, they are much closer to the "passing interest" end of the spectrum where as RWO is closer to the "crazed obsession". When was the last time we saw a write up of the magoos in the SMH that was equivalent to the fine work produced for RWO?

What I find a tad offensive is Martin's suggestion that someone on a fan forum that is critical of a Swans player is not a real fan; by the simple act of contributing to this site, and in Nico's case it has been a consistent contribution over a long period of time, I'd argue that someone is perhaps more likely to be a passionate fan than the bulk of Martin's regular audience as they've sought out another avenue to further discuss their team; obviously the argument could also be made for them being a passionate whinger as they've sought out another avenue to complain ( ), but I know that most certainly is not the case with the majority of posts I've read from Nico over the years.

The people writing on this site, regardless of whether they fall in Davo or Bevo camp , are doing it because they are passionate about the Swans and/or footy in general. Martin writes about the Swans and expects to receive payment. Whilst I'm sure he is passionate and proud of his nephew's endeavours (which he should be), if I was to take the broad "don't know him but I'll choose to make blah judgement" approach, that Martin has taken himself, I know who I'd think is the "real fan".

[CureTheSane]

Anyone else get a bit pissed off when these media blokes come out and rag on pissy little internet message boards?

And I say that in the context of them having a wide audience through the media and are happy to be as critical of, say, footballers as they like, and then log onto Google, do a search, find a message board which contains 'no-bodies' airing their opinions, which may be different to theirs.

Then they get upset and write about those posters as if their opinions are unfair and unwarranted and not worth reading.

However they have given those opinions credence by writing about them, thereby perpetuating the cycle.

Fools.

[Legs Akimbo]

You guys are a bunch of dickheads sometimes. The exaggerated negativity often displayed on these forums leaves us wide open for taunting and belittling, and its all we deserve. It's fantastic to see the Egos defending themselves and spewing forth @@@@e analogies in an attempt to be funny. All you're doing is reinforcing the stigma that we're BIG INTERNET TOUGHGUYS.

Embarrassing.

Marty has a point.

Curious that you say 'you' for dickheads and 'us' for RWO.

Why does 'Marty' (interesting level of familiarity there), have a point? 'Marty' has insinuated lots of things about Nico based on his dislike of what Nico has written about his nephew on this site (which he continues to read anyway, unlike most on this site who don't read his rag). Nico has corrected 'Marty'. Several others, myself included, appreciated the quality of Nico's post, which I think is at least as good as 'Marty's opinion piece, and at the least does not include fictions about 'Marty'.

Some made a bit of a joke of it all -fair enough. Whilst hardly sparkling repartee (apologies ROK and Connelly), their posts were more amusing than 'Marty' threatening physical violence against Nico (if that was indeed an attempt at humour rather than simply the bellicose threat of a vicariously aggrieved uncle).

I was quite irritated by the superior tone of your post. Then again, within bounds, anyone can post anything they like here, and that's the beauty of it. Maybe 'Marty' should have posted here because it is probably a better forum for such vitriol than his rag. Embarrassing.

[satchmopugdog]

Talk about proud uncles....there would be some very pleased English teachers out there at the moment(for youse lot). No matter what the opinion the arguments are being provided at an excellent level. Interesting reading.

[Robbo]

This Martin Blake bloke obviously has no @@@@ing idea.

I wouldn't worry Nico.

And no Blake's opinion on Jude Bolton is not as valid as anyone else's.

[Mogg0]

Curious that you say 'you' for dickheads and 'us' for RWO.

I tend to steer clear from being overly critical, and I pride myself on maintaining perspective, something which a few of the posters have a problem with. I criticise, whine and get frustrated like anyone else on here, but I don't post knee-jerk reactions and you'll never see me start up threads to specifically criticise a certain player. It is both narrow-minded and useless. For those reasons, I think I sit outside the dickhead category.

On the topic of Marty Blake, I simply see where he is coming from with his opinions of this board. We are probably among the Swans most hardcore fans, and because we have the vehicle to discuss the Swans and their every move, it is easy to lose perspective. What frustrates me is the fact alot of us completely remove emotion and fail to see the motives behind people's opinions. OF COURSE Marty is going to defend his son from wayward criticism. Why is his choice to publicly defend Jude him a license for us to undermine and question his opinion?

[Legs Akimbo]

OF COURSE Marty is going to defend his son from wayward criticism.

I think Marty owes his brother an explanation!

[liz]

I think Marty owes his brother an explanation!

I'm guessing his sister (or brother-in-law).