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Post by c4ndlelight on Aug 7, 2020 19:19:30 GMT -5
This board is very unique. Like, I post a thread about Towson cancelling a match against Coppin State, and posing the hypothetical question if that was done for RPI reasons/giving them a better chance at an ar-large. Then, literally the same day, the actual head coach for Towson comes on to VolleyTalk and post state his case and give reasoning for the cancellation, and told me I need to put on my big boy pants and call him I think this board can be overly sensitive sometime, but that’s a side effect to the fact that prominent people in the volleyball world post here and make it one of the best sports forums. I've actually had a theory for a while that one of the hurdles to having volleyball grow as a sport is that we need to embrace negative commentary. I'm grateful for the job that Lee Feinswog does at VolleyballMag, but you know who draws viewers? Stephen A. Smith and Colin Cowherd. Real debates over who should be starting, who choked, or what coaches should get fired is how popular sports work (at least in the US and Europe). We seem to be in this weird spot where we want the sport to grow without being ok with those debates. There is sort of a chicken-and-egg thing here. Because it's a small sport, it's likely someone's mom or boyfriend or whatever is one of the very small number of people reading the posts. This leads to some people to measure their words, for a variety of reasons. But also there's the fact that the sport involves young women, and there's greater discomfort in giving or hearing harsh commentary directed towards an 18 year old woman - people are less likely to be sensitive to not pile on the equivalent athlete in another sport. This also impacts what behavior / competitive emotion is perceived as appropriate on the athlete's end as well. I mean, we had a libero go through an entire Olympic Games unable to handle a freeball and posters were still chided for pointing it out.
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Post by dodger on Aug 7, 2020 22:09:01 GMT -5
So she’s critical of “you” and you say : NOT US: lololol yea “YOU”. There are a large number of over dedicated to the abuse of a player to make there point of view important: and then when someone disagree’s with you: you go after them! Yea look in the mirror ! You know who you are! Lets just give her some credit for being willing to risk getting gigged here! I say “RIGHT ON SISTER 💪🏽💪🏽“
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Post by ironhammer on Aug 7, 2020 22:16:42 GMT -5
I certainly am a vocal person on this forum and many think my comments can at times be unnecessarily harsh and negative, and sometimes they are, but it's almost always about a persons play, not who that person is. I rarely see people post hateful things about players. Even among the most vocal posters, this forum is incredibly tame regarding what is perceived to be criticism. She choose to accept a scholarship to play volleyball for one of the most visible programs in the country. I'm not sure what comments she was referring to when she was a freshmen, but anyone in the public eye should expect to be both praised and criticized. People have opinions. If people thought she wasn't a good setter her freshmen year and voiced that here, I see nothing wrong with that. This is a forum, not cheerleading practice. If players and coaches and whomever else we talk about just want to get their egos boosted and don't want to read opinions they don't agree with because it makes them feel bad, they should just NOT come to this site. The criticisms are almost always about a persons play on the court, this is volleyball after all. It's rare you see people actually degrading players looks or attitude or emotional state, or intelligence, or pretty much anything NOT having to do with volleyball. I do agree that there are many college sports boards that are MUCH worse than this one. MUCH MUCH worse, VT is pretty tame in comparison. And the mod here lately has been zealous in cracking down on posters who, according to the mod, steps "out of line", so there is that too.
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Post by staticb on Aug 7, 2020 22:57:25 GMT -5
There was a not so nice thread about Jenna Gray in her Freshmen year--such that the mods moved it, however if she googled her name, I'm sure it was one of the first hits that came up! (Here's the "Nice" one) volleytalk.proboards.com/thread/67938/jenna-gray-good?page=2From what I remember, that thread was not VT at it's finest moment.
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Post by badgerbreath on Aug 7, 2020 23:40:59 GMT -5
Basically, my advice to any player is never read VT. Your coaches are giving enough criticism based on much more information than we have. Why come here for love letters from the infatuated, or criticism from know-it-alls who actually know little or nothing about you or your situation. Everyone is here to soothe their egos or to be entertained. What goes on is not about you. That's OK, because it provides an outlet. That's what sports is for fans - a platform for you to compete and write a story that we can talk about and, to a measure, use to replace ourselves.
But it is a truly terrible measure of self worth. I can't think of worse. You, your coaches and your teammates know much much more. Stick to them. They are more likely to be honest. The only reason to read VT is to educate and prepare yourself for the demented world that is the sports community. Some good, some bad, all lies.
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Post by Riviera Minestrone on Aug 7, 2020 23:55:05 GMT -5
I run a site on an international VB board. Since its inception they had no rules set in place. Pops joined ~two years back; me just over a year ago now. THAT was an out-of-control, toxic forum!
A board owner delegated authority to a band of 3 longtime posters. They did an 'enema', a thorough purging, of lurkers, posers, saboteurs, stalkers + trolls. It's still lively; not vicious anymore.
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Post by jengal on Aug 8, 2020 1:25:28 GMT -5
I think the first time I realized that many athletes read this forum is when Ebony Nwanebu posted a blog with advice to stay off VolleyTalk. I don’t know that I was ever viscous, but since then I have tried to make sure I am not overly critical of specific players.
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Post by HawaiiVB on Aug 8, 2020 2:52:49 GMT -5
You'd be surprised how many VB club coaches monitor this site indirectly. In most instances, it's about cocooning underclass players prior to college.
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Post by cbrown1709 on Aug 8, 2020 3:24:19 GMT -5
I do agree that there are many college sports boards that are MUCH worse than this one. MUCH MUCH worse, VT is pretty tame in comparison. And the mod here lately has been zealous in cracking down on posters who, according to the mod, steps "out of line", so there is that too. Yeah, but are those mostly about men's sports? Are females more emotionally attached to their performances?
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Post by ay2013 on Aug 8, 2020 3:29:18 GMT -5
MUCH MUCH worse, VT is pretty tame in comparison. And the mod here lately has been zealous in cracking down on posters who, according to the mod, steps "out of line", so there is that too. Yeah, but are those mostly about men's sports? Are females more emotionally attached to their performances? should whether or not a particular person/gender "feels" more emotionally attached and therefore possibly upset by internet criticism change anything? This is a sports forum, we talk about volleyball, mostly respectfully. If an athlete/parent/coach whatever, can't handle honest criticism (even if at times it does get laid on thick), don't come to the site - pretty simple.
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Post by cbrown1709 on Aug 8, 2020 3:41:20 GMT -5
Yeah, but are those mostly about men's sports? Are females more emotionally attached to their performances? should whether or not a particular person/gender "feels" more emotionally attached and therefore possibly upset by internet criticism change anything? This is a sports forum, we talk about volleyball, mostly respectfully. If an athlete/parent/coach whatever, can't handle honest criticism (even if at times it does get laid on thick), don't come to the site - pretty simple. You and I both know how some of these posters get. If I'm a high level athlete who works my ass off and puts everything I have into it, then happen to read where some keyboard jockeys, some of who never played at a high level, are bashing my game. I'd be pretty frustrated and pissed off.
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Post by mikegarrison on Aug 8, 2020 3:59:49 GMT -5
should whether or not a particular person/gender "feels" more emotionally attached and therefore possibly upset by internet criticism change anything? This is a sports forum, we talk about volleyball, mostly respectfully. If an athlete/parent/coach whatever, can't handle honest criticism (even if at times it does get laid on thick), don't come to the site - pretty simple. You and I both know how some of these posters get. If I'm a high level athlete who works my ass off and puts everything I have into it, then happen to read where some keyboard jockeys, some of who never played at a high level, are bashing my game. I'd be pretty frustrated and pissed off. They say there's no such thing as "bad publicity". It's not quite true, but it applies somewhat here. Sports and fans are interwoven. Without fans, sports are primarily something that would be done in the backyard, not on TV in front of thousands of people. While they may not have fully realized it, college athletes did sign up to be public figures. That has some consequences. That's no excuse for cruelty, however. Criticism and praise are fine, but abuse says more about the abuser than it does about the target. Some fans (and some media pros) try to build themselves up by being harshly critical or even abusive to the athletes. And some try to build themselves up by being sycophantic. Neither one is really a very good look.
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Post by vbnerd on Aug 8, 2020 6:36:17 GMT -5
If things are intentionally mean, that's obviously a problem.
If comments are objectively critical, that's just entirely fair, whether the subject of the comments enjoy it or not.
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Post by Mark Richards on Aug 8, 2020 8:26:09 GMT -5
I run a site on an international VB board. Since its inception they had no rules set in place. Pops joined ~two years back; me just over a year ago now. THAT was an out-of-control, toxic forum! A board owner delegated authority to a band of 3 longtime posters. They did an 'enema', a thorough purging, of lurkers, posers, saboteurs, stalkers + trolls. It's still lively; not vicious anymore. Do Volleytalk a huge favor and go back there and stay there.
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Post by stanfankev on Aug 8, 2020 11:31:03 GMT -5
I don't know Jenna personally. I'm just a fan. But I can't see her as the type of person that needs validation from VT. Curious, maybe. Seeking praise, doubtful. She's been at the top of the game for years now. A leader of one of the most dominant classes ever. She's got trophies and awards coming out of her ears. She's moving on the the next level with some of her best friends. I think she's in a good place, not looking for praise from any of us. I think she just searched her name (as I might suggest not doing) and got her feelings hurt. Then she said, "I'm fricking Jenna Gray. I'm a badass." And moved on.
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