Over the years, I have increasingly lost interest in both reading and posting on Internet message boards and forums concerning pro sports. In fact, its been about 9 months since I last registered at an Internet message board and have thus far this year posted less than a dozen times on a sports-related forum. And, unlike most Internet posters, I always use variations on my name such as "crector" and "C. Rector" since I've always tried to both get my facts straight and come up with something intelligent before posting. This spoof of the Budweiser “Real Men of Genius” ads that’s been circulating on the Internet basically sums things up for this writer:

Reeeeal men of geeeeeniuuuus!

Today we salute YOU, Mr. Really Mad Internet Sports Fan

“Mr. Really Mad Internet Spo-orts Fan!”

Only YOU can fully appreciate the mind-blowing tragedy of a bunch of 18-22 year old athletes you’ll never meet, losing a game.

“Don’t you TAAAAALK to me about perspective!!”

While others are too preoccupied with things like real life, you take your anger directly to the place where it will make the absolute least possible impact: An Internet discussion forum.

“Loggin’ on now!”

Your unique eye for logic allows you to sling turds of doom every which way, and then brag about how you were RIGHT as soon as one of the pieces sticks to the wall regardless of how many dozens fell limply to the floor before that.

“See I told you sooooooo!!”

And if some idiot newspaper columnist has the gall to not be as incensed as you are, you unleash your fury down upon him with all the tenacity and mercilessness of a rabid pit bull with a tender buttock locked in its jaws.

“Total anonymity!”

So keep clicking away, oh Marauder of the Mousepad. Because when the results you so desire finally come about years from now, you can say it was because YOU demanded it.”

“How come they haven’t fired that dumb coach yet?”

Speaking of firing a "dumb coach," remember how last year the various Cubs boards & blogs were loaded with posts calling for the firing of the team's hitting coach, claiming that he was an incompetent even though practically none of the posters had ever seen the man coach the hitters or even had any idea just what he was trying to teach the hitters in the first place? Well, at the end of the season they got their wish as Sarge was reassigned to 1st base coach. Now, the Cubs offense is well off last year's mark even if the stats show the team to be at or near the top in the NL in several categories. Those stats are primarily because Neifi Perez was enjoying what must have been his best hitting month ever and Derrek Lee was hitting like Ted Williams. Now that Neifi has returned to Earth and Lee looks like he's in a slow decline, the Cubs offense has lost much of its steam. Interestingly enough, hardly any of Sarge's critics last year have dumped on his successor for this year's problems. Could it be that they don't want to admit that they made a mistake in judgment?

Speaking of poorly thought out posts, here's a thread starting post from the InsideTheIvy.com Forums:

Hendry Ready To Ruin This Franchise
Under the tremendous pressure of the lousy start and the false belief that this team should be a contender, Hendry will apparently trade prospects for more of the type of talent that comprises this team.

Our 2005 team is made up of mediocity in the every day eight. And nothing in the bullpen----long or short. Yes, we do have 3 POTENTIALLY great pitchers, who aren't quite yet.

The 2005 version will never beat the real contenders. With or without the likes that Hendry can reel in through trades.

On the other hand, with the real talent we do have in the minors, we can and should be top contenders soon. Maybe in 2007. Perhaps even 2006.

So, when you fans urge the trading of our real talent for more of......Barret, Walker, Nelfi, Nomore, Holly, Burnitz, and even perhaps Corey............ and Hawkins, Mercker, Welly, Wurtz, Fox, Glendon, and soon JoBo in the pen......you do your ownselves a disservice.

This is a common fallacy found on Internet boards. Prospects get over valued by fans who think that they will all prove out even though many of the top-rated prospects fail to make the grade at the MLB level. Also, anyone who's aware of Hendry's real record as team GM knows that, if anything, he's very cautious with dealing prospects to the point that he's basically ruled out trading either Angel Guzman or Felix Pie under any circumstances. God help him if they both go bust on the MLB level.

Having said that, posts like this were common on Houston Astros fan forums last year when that team had a bad start. Now they are proliferating on Cubs forums. Perhaps this is a harbinger of great things to come for the Cubs later this season.