Chest out. Chin up ... Oh, and boats !

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Captain Kickass

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Howdy Kennel-Sirs and Kennel-ettes,

Long time no rant eh?

The TL;DR version of me is, I'm much busier with life these days but I do lurk a lot without posting (I like to 'soak in' threads, but I find that harder these days so I just observe). Anyhoo, that's not why I'm here. We can catch up later and there's more pressing matters at hand.

So without further ado .... Gather round the campfire. Uncle CK has a story :grinning:

You see ... this year in particular, I've noticed an increasing rise in frustrations from some fans, varying from constructive criticism to spectacular emotional meltdown. For some, patience is wearing thin and for others it may have eroded completely under the urge of 'waiting for a Bulldogs premiership'.

Personally, 'that noise' annoys me and I avoid it. Whether we're winning 12 games straight (2012) or in race for the spoon (2008), in the bottom of my heart I know I will always love this club. Sure, I might hate what's going on right now, but who am I kidding ? I'll be back next week, next year, just like everyone else. With that in mind, the idea of week-to-week frustration doesn't marry up with the 'loyal, 30+ year supporter' in me. I wont lie though ... there certainly was a time when that used to be me (2005-2007), so I understand how one gets here. Simply put - Expectations are not being met and frustration emerges. That happened to me during that era.

What I learned during our darkest days, is that players come and players go, but it's the fans and the history that endures. Time has taught me that some of the greatest moments as a fan have occurred during times of great uncertainty and frustration.

- The frustations of our season in 95 (finished 6th) are forgotten because we triumphed against adveristy.
- The loss of the GF in 98 is tempered by our historic "charge from 9th" and consectitve extra time heroics.
- The heartache of losing our 2002 points is forgotten by those who galvanised and supported the club regardless. Anyone who went to out last round win that year will tell you "yeah those days sucked but man that day was the best !"
- The satisfaction that came with 2004, after 2002 & 2003 !!!
- Our collective let down after 2008's spoon, SBW's defection and general state of affairs .... was met with a rebirth in 2009. Led by a new batch of recruits and a CEO who'd pull our tarnished names from the mud and prove you could in-fact polish a turd, we bulldozed our way back into contention as a powerhouse of rugby league. I went to 12 games that year, culminating in being part of 35,000 strong Bulldogs Army and about 100 Kennelers at our downfall against Parramatta. F*cking awesome times !!!

That day changed me forever ... In my eyes, we were united. All 35,000 of us, marched into the battle draped in blue and white, and with the full furry of voice and hope, we stood tall, stuck out of our chests and said "Here we are. We're right behind you !"

I remember the faces. SO many faces.

Some faces I'd seen all year long and, on the big day, there they were again packed with extra hope -It helped me feel at home.
Some faces we're new and I could tell they were drawn by the irresistible pull of "Bulldogs Army on Tour" - It helped warm my heart the future was in good hands.
Some faces I'd seen once or twice - It filled me with happiness thinking "good, I'm glad they made it too".

So if you've come this far you're wondering :Yeah CK but how does that apply to me ?

Well I'll tell ya ....

Right now, in Rd 24 2016, our little Bulldogs boat is in a race to the line with other boats. If we're honest about our boat, it aint the fastest, it aint the sturdiest, and even though it's pretty sturdy to get the job done, it appears to be leaking. And now's not really the right time for leaking I know, but we got not other choice than (a) work with it, or (b) sink. If we take on anymore water, we may not beat the other boats.

We can't buy another boat now. We have to work with this boat. The last thing this boat needs right now, is thousands of people complaining about how much the boat sucks. If you hate the boat so much you wanna get off and swim to shore, that's fine. I'll see you next year with a new boat and we can try again then.

But right now, tonight ... with last years premiers led by the "great-one-we-let-get-away" JT, ask yourself ... Am I gonna help get this boat to the island in September or not ?

I'm urging you : THROW YOURSELF INTO THE CHALLENGE !!!

Defy the odds.
Defy the chorus of naysayers.
Defy the taunts of opposition.
Defy them all with a big f*cking middle finger and shit-tonne of blind faith !!!

If shit hits fan, and we eventuallly bomb out in September ... you can take away pride, loyalty, fearlessness and honour, as your legitimate fan badges. Nobody can ever tell you that you havent done the hard yards !

Win or lose tonight, we ARE playing finals footy - That's a fact.
What are you gonna do fellow -Kenneler ?

Who's standing at the front of this boat ?
Who's turn is it to hurry up and bail water from the drowning naysayers, so we can cheer solid for 90mins ???

If that's you, and you're taking it upon yourself to be that fan in the boat, I'm with you.

Screw the life-vests, we stay here until it either makes it the whole way or goes down, and we'll do it together.

Dogs by 8points tonight !!!
(*pelvic thrusts and leaves forum*)
 

Mr Invisible

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The reason you've been quiet is you've been composing that post for months you can admit it now CK.

Glad to have you back.

I'm not confident at all tonight.. I really want a win, but just can't see how we can do it
 

Boxer

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The reason you've been quiet is you've been composing that post for months you can admit it now CK.

Glad to have you back.

I'm not confident at all tonight.. I really want a win, but just can't see how we can do it
Have faith im more positive today than the last week we will win .
 

Captain Kickass

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If you're not confident, that's OK ... you just FAKE IT !!!

It'll get right up the noses of opposition types whether we win or lose.

You'll enjoy your 80mins. Outwardly exuding zero fux (while secretly praying for a last minute comeback, if the need arises :P).
They'll live in everlasting fear that sounds like "I hope we beat those so-and-so's tonight, I can't stand it when they win".

Fake it, and WIN once ... you'll be addicted to it, and people will find it impressive.
 

khan

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Howdy Kennel-Sirs and Kennel-ettes,

Long time no rant eh?

The TL;DR version of me is, I'm much busier with life these days but I do lurk a lot without posting (I like to 'soak in' threads, but I find that harder these days so I just observe). Anyhoo, that's not why I'm here. We can catch up later and there's more pressing matters at hand.

So without further ado .... Gather round the campfire. Uncle CK has a story :grinning:

You see ... this year in particular, I've noticed an increasing rise in frustrations from some fans, varying from constructive criticism to spectacular emotional meltdown. For some, patience is wearing thin and for others it may have eroded completely under the urge of 'waiting for a Bulldogs premiership'.

Personally, 'that noise' annoys me and I avoid it. Whether we're winning 12 games straight (2012) or in race for the spoon (2008), in the bottom of my heart I know I will always love this club. Sure, I might hate what's going on right now, but who am I kidding ? I'll be back next week, next year, just like everyone else. With that in mind, the idea of week-to-week frustration doesn't marry up with the 'loyal, 30+ year supporter' in me. I wont lie though ... there certainly was a time when that used to be me (2005-2007), so I understand how one gets here. Simply put - Expectations are not being met and frustration emerges. That happened to me during that era.

What I learned during our darkest days, is that players come and players go, but it's the fans and the history that endures. Time has taught me that some of the greatest moments as a fan have occurred during times of great uncertainty and frustration.

- The frustations of our season in 95 (finished 6th) are forgotten because we triumphed against adveristy.
- The loss of the GF in 98 is tempered by our historic "charge from 9th" and consectitve extra time heroics.
- The heartache of losing our 2002 points is forgotten by those who galvanised and supported the club regardless. Anyone who went to out last round win that year will tell you "yeah those days sucked but man that day was the best !"
- The satisfaction that came with 2004, after 2002 & 2003 !!!
- Our collective let down after 2008's spoon, SBW's defection and general state of affairs .... was met with a rebirth in 2009. Led by a new batch of recruits and a CEO who'd pull our tarnished names from the mud and prove you could in-fact polish a turd, we bulldozed our way back into contention as a powerhouse of rugby league. I went to 12 games that year, culminating in being part of 35,000 strong Bulldogs Army and about 100 Kennelers at our downfall against Parramatta. F*cking awesome times !!!

That day changed me forever ... In my eyes, we were united. All 35,000 of us, marched into the battle draped in blue and white, and with the full furry of voice and hope, we stood tall, stuck out of our chests and said "Here we are. We're right behind you !"

I remember the faces. SO many faces.

Some faces I'd seen all year long and, on the big day, there they were again packed with extra hope -It helped me feel at home.
Some faces we're new and I could tell they were drawn by the irresistible pull of "Bulldogs Army on Tour" - It helped warm my heart the future was in good hands.
Some faces I'd seen once or twice - It filled me with happiness thinking "good, I'm glad they made it too".

So if you've come this far you're wondering :Yeah CK but how does that apply to me ?

Well I'll tell ya ....

Right now, in Rd 24 2016, our little Bulldogs boat is in a race to the line with other boats. If we're honest about our boat, it aint the fastest, it aint the sturdiest, and even though it's pretty sturdy to get the job done, it appears to be leaking. And now's not really the right time for leaking I know, but we got not other choice than (a) work with it, or (b) sink. If we take on anymore water, we may not beat the other boats.

We can't buy another boat now. We have to work with this boat. The last thing this boat needs right now, is thousands of people complaining about how much the boat sucks. If you hate the boat so much you wanna get off and swim to shore, that's fine. I'll see you next year with a new boat and we can try again then.

But right now, tonight ... with last years premiers led by the "great-one-we-let-get-away" JT, ask yourself ... Am I gonna help get this boat to the island in September or not ?

I'm urging you : THROW YOURSELF INTO THE CHALLENGE !!!

Defy the odds.
Defy the chorus of naysayers.
Defy the taunts of opposition.
Defy them all with a big f*cking middle finger and shit-tonne of blind faith !!!

If shit hits fan, and we eventuallly bomb out in September ... you can take away pride, loyalty, fearlessness and honour, as your legitimate fan badges. Nobody can ever tell you that you havent done the hard yards !

Win or lose tonight, we ARE playing finals footy - That's a fact.
What are you gonna do fellow -Kenneler ?

Who's standing at the front of this boat ?
Who's turn is it to hurry up and bail water from the drowning naysayers, so we can cheer solid for 90mins ???

If that's you, and you're taking it upon yourself to be that fan in the boat, I'm with you.

Screw the life-vests, we stay here until it either makes it the whole way or goes down, and we'll do it together.

Dogs by 8points tonight !!!
(*pelvic thrusts and leaves forum*)
Des built the boat.
 

immortalbulldog

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I'm not confident at all about tonight. But here I am clock watching until I can take off my game day hoodie and swap it with my game day jersey and head to Belmore. I am one of the critics and I've been vocal about it.

My frustration stems from the fact that slowly but surely the fabric of the club is being eroded. We have turned away from our club first, team second, player third ethos. We have persisted with failures like TRex and allowed guys to play when they feel like it for personal reason. Any players with the customary grit and determination has been shown the door. Ennis, Pritchard, Finucane etc. In 1998 we had an ordinary team on paper but they were never willing to lie down. Now we have superstars on paper but if we fall more than a converted try behind, no matter what stage of the game it is, you can't help but think it's all over.

But here I am waiting. Watching the clock.

I know that the Belmore factor is a myth now. The coach doesn't get the importance, the players don't get the significance of the place. I'm going tonight because without the fans carrying on the tradition of what Belmore is about it will get lost. Belmore was never about kpi's or stats or possession, it was always about the team playing at their home in front of their fans. We were there for them and they played for us.

I don't have faith in Des and I'm sorry to say I can no longer rely on the players to know what it means to be a Bulldogs players. What I do rely on is that the club means too much to too many for the fabric of the club to erode away completely. The greatest ever bulldog, Terry Lamb, was vocal about Des not understanding the culture and I know he isn't alone. It's up to the greats and the fans to preserve what the club is about. That's why I'll be there tonight cheering whenever the team gives me reason to. I just hope they give us reason to.
 

too69u

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It's the Cowboys that need to be wary of us tonight,not the other way around.Boys are pumped and ready to rock and roll tonight.
 

Moey

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Im with Immortal Bulldog on this one, but as much as i hate Des Raelene and co, im about to board a flight from Brisbane to make it to the game tonight.
Lets go Doggies!
 

bringitontm

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Howdy Kennel-Sirs and Kennel-ettes,

Long time no rant eh?

The TL;DR version of me is, I'm much busier with life these days but I do lurk a lot without posting (I like to 'soak in' threads, but I find that harder these days so I just observe). Anyhoo, that's not why I'm here. We can catch up later and there's more pressing matters at hand.

So without further ado .... Gather round the campfire. Uncle CK has a story :grinning:

You see ... this year in particular, I've noticed an increasing rise in frustrations from some fans, varying from constructive criticism to spectacular emotional meltdown. For some, patience is wearing thin and for others it may have eroded completely under the urge of 'waiting for a Bulldogs premiership'.

Personally, 'that noise' annoys me and I avoid it. Whether we're winning 12 games straight (2012) or in race for the spoon (2008), in the bottom of my heart I know I will always love this club. Sure, I might hate what's going on right now, but who am I kidding ? I'll be back next week, next year, just like everyone else. With that in mind, the idea of week-to-week frustration doesn't marry up with the 'loyal, 30+ year supporter' in me. I wont lie though ... there certainly was a time when that used to be me (2005-2007), so I understand how one gets here. Simply put - Expectations are not being met and frustration emerges. That happened to me during that era.

What I learned during our darkest days, is that players come and players go, but it's the fans and the history that endures. Time has taught me that some of the greatest moments as a fan have occurred during times of great uncertainty and frustration.

- The frustations of our season in 95 (finished 6th) are forgotten because we triumphed against adveristy.
- The loss of the GF in 98 is tempered by our historic "charge from 9th" and consectitve extra time heroics.
- The heartache of losing our 2002 points is forgotten by those who galvanised and supported the club regardless. Anyone who went to out last round win that year will tell you "yeah those days sucked but man that day was the best !"
- The satisfaction that came with 2004, after 2002 & 2003 !!!
- Our collective let down after 2008's spoon, SBW's defection and general state of affairs .... was met with a rebirth in 2009. Led by a new batch of recruits and a CEO who'd pull our tarnished names from the mud and prove you could in-fact polish a turd, we bulldozed our way back into contention as a powerhouse of rugby league. I went to 12 games that year, culminating in being part of 35,000 strong Bulldogs Army and about 100 Kennelers at our downfall against Parramatta. F*cking awesome times !!!

That day changed me forever ... In my eyes, we were united. All 35,000 of us, marched into the battle draped in blue and white, and with the full furry of voice and hope, we stood tall, stuck out of our chests and said "Here we are. We're right behind you !"

I remember the faces. SO many faces.

Some faces I'd seen all year long and, on the big day, there they were again packed with extra hope -It helped me feel at home.
Some faces we're new and I could tell they were drawn by the irresistible pull of "Bulldogs Army on Tour" - It helped warm my heart the future was in good hands.
Some faces I'd seen once or twice - It filled me with happiness thinking "good, I'm glad they made it too".

So if you've come this far you're wondering :Yeah CK but how does that apply to me ?

Well I'll tell ya ....

Right now, in Rd 24 2016, our little Bulldogs boat is in a race to the line with other boats. If we're honest about our boat, it aint the fastest, it aint the sturdiest, and even though it's pretty sturdy to get the job done, it appears to be leaking. And now's not really the right time for leaking I know, but we got not other choice than (a) work with it, or (b) sink. If we take on anymore water, we may not beat the other boats.

We can't buy another boat now. We have to work with this boat. The last thing this boat needs right now, is thousands of people complaining about how much the boat sucks. If you hate the boat so much you wanna get off and swim to shore, that's fine. I'll see you next year with a new boat and we can try again then.

But right now, tonight ... with last years premiers led by the "great-one-we-let-get-away" JT, ask yourself ... Am I gonna help get this boat to the island in September or not ?

I'm urging you : THROW YOURSELF INTO THE CHALLENGE !!!

Defy the odds.
Defy the chorus of naysayers.
Defy the taunts of opposition.
Defy them all with a big f*cking middle finger and shit-tonne of blind faith !!!

If shit hits fan, and we eventuallly bomb out in September ... you can take away pride, loyalty, fearlessness and honour, as your legitimate fan badges. Nobody can ever tell you that you havent done the hard yards !

Win or lose tonight, we ARE playing finals footy - That's a fact.
What are you gonna do fellow -Kenneler ?

Who's standing at the front of this boat ?
Who's turn is it to hurry up and bail water from the drowning naysayers, so we can cheer solid for 90mins ???

If that's you, and you're taking it upon yourself to be that fan in the boat, I'm with you.

Screw the life-vests, we stay here until it either makes it the whole way or goes down, and we'll do it together.

Dogs by 8points tonight !!!
(*pelvic thrusts and leaves forum*)
What a post! Post of the year!!!

Just made my day and got me excited about going to the game tonight.
 

bulldogsfan_88

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Good old CK can always count on him to rally the troops! I have spent the last day and a half in bed leaking from both ends from this stupid gastro virus that is running round but come game time nothing is gonna stop me from pulling my jersey on & plonking myself in front of the tv (except maybe my bowels) I would even come to the game but well that could end badly!!! But I will be cheering the boys on loud & proud

THE DOGS ARE HAVIN A PARTY & THE COWGIRLS ARE IN THE BIN!!!!!
 

Dingo

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I loved your boat analogy CK but no one seems to have a firm grip on the rudder...
 

dekepefc

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Our boat is more of an ark. With at least two plodders for each position on board. And instead of Noah we got moses.
 

zappa

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Been a while Kickass, good words.
 

Alan79

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Love your work CK. If the boat dips below the waves I'll be trying to drag it to the island by the anchor chain.
 
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