One of the prized luxuries of being a fan is that we can take opponents anyway we like and it doesn't effect the game one bit.

https://twitter.com/_joshstaylive/st...63213423046659

One of the prized luxuries of being a fan is that we can take opponents anyway we like and it doesn't effect the game one bit.

Tony said it best.
https://youtu.be/M8RCqzrwLUs

I respectfully disagree. These are human beings. In this day of social media it’s easy for players to get caught up in their own press...positive or negative. The NY Mets recently had to deal with a star player negatively reacting to home fans booing him. CGM doesn’t have a twitter account so he can ignore it. I don’t believe players (even coaches) exist in a bubble that separates them from dealing with outside forces. I believe the undefeated Pats team got caught up in their own pub before the SB before the Giants and I believe Indy did too when Namath beat them in the SB. If fan input was not part of the game then the games would not be played in front of thousands of screaming fans. Just my opinion.

With all due respect, you aren't disagreeing with me. You have gone off on a tangent that has very little if anything to do with my comment.

In regards to my comment: Whether I pine away in fear of playing the Carolina Panthers or don't give them a second thought has zero effect on the outcome of the game. As universally famous and revered as Guido is, I seriously doubt how he feels about the Panthers is going to effect the scoreboard this weekend. Much like the delusions of grandeur by both Panther and Falcons fans over recent years has not helped them put a Ws in the win column against the Saints. Saints are 6-1 in the last 7 meetings with the Falcons, and 6-1 in the last 7 meetings with the Panthers. Also, TheDude's feelings alone would have caused both teams to sweep us... and we would have many 0-16 seasons.

On your reply: As fans we certainly would love to feel like we impact the game with our insightful ramblings wouldn't we? With a combined 18 years of baseball and football I can tell you the morning following a game I grabbed the paper on my way to school or Saturday morning film review to see what was was written but after the paper was discarded there wasn't a second thought about what I read, focus immediately changed to the upcoming game preparation. Other than knowing my parents were in the stands I couldn't tell you anything else about the fans in the stands or what they were saying, my focus was on the game and actually drowning all that crap out.

Games are played in front of fans for two reasons; ticket revenue, and because crowd noise helps the home team but there isn't a single word in that noise that is distinguishable much like the fake crowd noise used during 2020. If fans in the stadium screaming could change the outcome of a game the Browns would sell tickets for $2 and go 16-0. If crowd noise could change the out come of a game the Saints would not have had a better road record than home record in 2019...

Going all the way back to Namath to cite a handful of examples does not a rule or trend make, those are anomaly's. One person on the Met's 40 man roster is not a trend or rule, its an anomaly.

Our biggest direct impact on professional sports is on revenue, the game is changed to drive revenue. No one gave two sh1ts about the fans opinions or thoughts but the fans during bountygate.

Your beliefs are yours and I am in no way trying to change them, I am just clarifying on my original comment. Please continue to change the outcome of games we need more Ws this year.