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Beat me to it, BS.

Yeah, why shouldn't I want my team to WIN?

I am a realistic fan, I know when my team looks bad, I know when they should win, I do not say the Skins will win the Bowl every year, but I will say they should make the playoffs, and they will this year!!!!

Hope springs eternal in the offseason Bombers. We can all hope and pray and fantasize about our teams chances. However, there are some like John Kitna who live in a dream world and think that teams like the Lions will win 10 games. It's one thing to want to win, and another to expect your team to win despite holes and flaws that will prevent a championship win. Should the Browns or Raiders assume they are entitled to win the Super Bowl this year because they drafted a few good players and made some FA acquisitions? Should the Steelers or Niners fans expect their team to win it all because at one time they did before?

I voted Dallas' way simply because I really hate Florida fans saying they were gonna win it all every year Ron Zook was coach...knowing they played like ***. I'm very realistic about my sport teams....but for one...I hate a constant winner cause it takes the fun and excitement out. I want my team to win, but I can accept some loses to great teams to point out our flaws every once in a while. It's like being happy when USC loses or something. I'm not saying Im happy with Miami's 7-6 season....I pissed we lost some of those games...but I can see losing to a very good FSU team...not a weak Carolina or Duke team.

Read the whole argument and understand before you vote. Do you understand the difference between being entitled to a championship as opposed to just wanting to win. This can be a good TD, but you have to understand the argument or this is wasted bandwidth just like the other TD's that argue the "Top 5 skill position" or "Replace the BCS with playoffs".

bschwartz-If it wasn't for eternal optimism the fans in Ohio would have no reason to EVER watch NFL football. But i think what ositodallas is getting at is the "blind fan" factor- Dallas is a good example, Chicago, New England, Pittsburgh. All cities where the casual fan absolutely EXPECTS a ring, regardless of how bad the personnel on the team is. Anything less was a bad season. Another great example- Cleveland fans dubbing Brady Quinn the savior of the franchise and expecting to contend for the playoffs this year....

Oooh. I hope my team finishes last. I don't want them to go to the Superbowl. I don't ever want to see them in the playoffs.

maybe i get this topic more than most b/c I'm a fan of a team that most fans have that mentality. I'm the realist among my friends- I would never put an unrealistic expectation around the upcoming season, but they all do....

I'll stick with examples I know best. Should Cowboys fans have assumed this was their year when they had an inconsistent QB, porous O-line and a questionable secondary? Maybe, but that theory played itself out. Should the Mavs fans have assumed that Dirk would lead their team back to the finals to win it all after losing do DWade and winning 67 games this year? Maybe, but nothing is a given. Teams have to earn championships, and fans should understand when their team is flawed and will struggle to win it all.

Glad to see you're reading and understanding DesertStormVet. Case in point. Cowboys teams have rotted the last few years. Never won a playoff game in a decade. Yet fans think "we should win the super bowl". Now, let's look at the Patriots. A team that actually builds not only to win one year, but over many years. I can understand how Pats fans can think "this year is a loss if we don't get the Lombardi trophy". Is the point clearer? Everyone wants their team to win, but let's talk reality first when it comes to the mother of all assumptions.

You have to root for your team to win it all. If your team isn't in it anymore, root for the underdog. That's like a man law or something.

could not agree more GOAT

Why shouldn't we? Jackets- Stanley Cup or bust, lol. I think if a team made the playoffs, fans are allowed to expect the team to win it all, and if a team didn't make it to the playoffs, fans are allowed to expect they will. Obviously, it won't happen for everybody, but they have a right.

Entitled: a right or claim to something. Anyone getting the crux of the argument? Who actually deserves to win except the team who is actually built to win through saavy personnell management, proper conditioning and preparation through coaching, and execution of a gameplan but the team that wins it all. Fans can be as passionate as they want, spend their life savings, and expect their team to win, but if they back a turkey, are they entitled to a team that wins a championship? Is it the fans and owners who spend the most money wins? No. It's the best team on the field who puts together the best season and gets the job done in the post season who gets the trophy.

great example is the MLB, every team has thier name on the championship trophy as a symbol that every team has a piece of that title until one team is named champion. so yes you are entitled.

We all want our team to win. But who's the most deserving? The team that spends the money or the one who has the better players and coach? Let's keep this focused on fan expectations though. Should a fan of a team like the Devil Rays expect to see their team play in late October? Should Raiders fans expect a Super Bowl ring this year? Did anyone honestly think that the Cowboys had a shot last year with Drew Bledsoe under center? Again, let's put aside the argument that fans WANT to their team to win. Aren't we all Homers at heart (Doh!)? It's about fans who think that their team deserves to win it all strictly on the merit of the franchise's history, not the team they've assembled or any realistic chances of victory.

the Cowboys made the playoffs. So i should have given up on my Broncos in 1998 when they got a wild card? how about steeler fans in 2005 when the only had a wild card? Seems like the boys had a shot.

Are you serious? No one is entitled. The Devil Rays are the best example, since you've mentioned the MLB. The Devil Rays always trot out the least competitive team there is every year. Yet every other team is supposed to lay down and just hand it to them? Yes, every team can take a shot at it. But no one deserves a championship just because of past glory, money spent, or even players assembled on the roster. A championship has to be earned by hard work and preparation.

If you thought the Cowboys had a shot last year then you weren't following them that closely. Bledsoe's play was declining by the year, which is why both the Pats and Bills passed on him. The Cowboys also had a miserable offensive line that was thin. No you should not give up on your team ever. What's the point? Then you're a bandwagon jumper. Is anyone getting the point of thinking their team deserves to win as opposed to supporting your team no matter what? Did you think the Broncos were entitled or deserving of a third super bowl win despite losing their Hall of Fame QB to retirement?

exactly. so should the D-rays or any other team for that matter roll over and say "well we can't win it all this year, oh well." NO you play to win. look at the Marlins, they trade everyone but the mascot and play in a tough division. Yet they have 2 titles in the team's short history. By your standards they have no right to be optimistic in Florida.