Media Day Thread

[MichaelMcNamara]

I'm on board with peak hype. Why are we fans if not to get super hyped when it's warranted?

TIL what a parasocial relationship is

I just tend to disagree. Emotion is a simple formula: Expectations of what you think will happen vs What actually happens

Thats what, literally, every emotion is. Expect to walk into an empty house, and surprise... all your loved ones standing there, with gifts in hand and your favorite meal for your birthday = Positive emotions

Expect to have an easy drive home, but you get stuck in traffic due to a 4 car accident = negative emotion.

I am not saying that you only expect bad things, to cheat code this formula. But you try to rid yourself of the bias of what you want to happen, and be a little more objective in your expectation setting. I look at Saints fans right now.... they had a TON of fun this offseason, getting all pumped up and excited. Telling everyone that didnt believe that they were "Jameis haters"

Now, they are miserable. You cant tell me that overhyping your team is the "fun" in being a fan. Because it leads to misery when it falls flat.

[MichaelMcNamara]

Personally, I think 45-48 wins is realistic, with average health. Now, the raw talent -- 55 win team. But I think this is a classic 'less than the sum of their parts' team. Way too much overlap in strengths and the puzzle pieces dont quite fit together. I also dont think they will be highly effective in clutch minutes this year.

In the NBA, 5+5+5+5+5 does not equal 25. The Warriors have a scrub starting center, a great defensive player who is beyond awful offensively, a guy at SF who was thrown away, and a cast of guys who were given up on off their bench. Yet, they win the title. I think that, eventually, when guys like Trey and Daniels develop and replace minutes from guys like Jonas and even CJ, this could be a contender. But this upcoming year, there will be a lot of game threads where people wont be able to believe the Pels lost to a team with less talent. All that said, 45 wins should still be something that makes everyone happy, if you go in with the right expectations

[coreylaron]

With an ending similar to last season, losing in the first round to a better team but winning a couple, would we still experience the same happy feelings? Question for everyone. I think we all are expecting to make the playoffs, does it go further than that?

[MichaelMcNamara]

And that is a perfect illustration of how happiness is tied to expectations, not necessarily raw results

Because, no — if the team won enough games to be 9th, won two playoff games and lost in the first round, most would not be happy. The same thing that made people ecstatic and over the moon last year would not bring happiness this year

Happiness is a combination of results and expectations— and you can only control one of those things

[AusPel]

I just tend to disagree. Emotion is a simple formula: Expectations of what you think will happen vs What actually happens

Thats what, literally, every emotion is. Expect to walk into an empty house, and surprise... all your loved ones standing there, with gifts in hand and your favorite meal for your birthday = Positive emotions

Expect to have an easy drive home, but you get stuck in traffic due to a 4 car accident = negative emotion.

I am not saying that you only expect bad things, to cheat code this formula. But you try to rid yourself of the bias of what you want to happen, and be a little more objective in your expectation setting. I look at Saints fans right now.... they had a TON of fun this offseason, getting all pumped up and excited. Telling everyone that didnt believe that they were "Jameis haters"

Now, they are miserable. You cant tell me that overhyping your team is the "fun" in being a fan. Because it leads to misery when it falls flat.

Fear not. Inwardly my expectations are tempered, but riding the hype train is a fun online endeavour

[MichaelMcNamara]

And that’s what people always say — I am excited and hyped but if they don’t do well, I won’t get upset, I can control that.

And if true, this fan base if full of humans who are the exception, not the rule, with regard to humans process emotions. Which is awesome

[RobertM320]

And that is a perfect illustration of how happiness is tied to expectations, not necessarily raw results

Because, no — if the team won enough games to be 9th, won two playoff games and lost in the first round, most would not be happy. The same thing that made people ecstatic and over the moon last year would not bring happiness this year

Happiness is a combination of results and expectations— and you can only control one of those things

I dont think that's what he's saying. I think he's saying, suppose we finish as the #6 seed, 48-34, but we lose in the first round to a #3 seed Golden State, for example. would we be happy.

[hornetsrebirth]

And now we see the psychological motivation behind pessimism. It is a self preservation strategy against the pathological fear of disappointment. The pessimist clings to a glass half empty view so that if/when something undesirable happens, at least he can console himself with the knowledge that he was right. The pessimist warns others against having hope mainly because he is worried it will infect him and threaten his strategy for avoiding the discomfort of disappointment.

[6warddude]

And now we see the psychological motivation behind pessimism. It is a self preservation strategy against the pathological fear of disappointment. The pessimist clings to a glass half empty view so that if/when something undesirable happens, at least he can console himself with the knowledge that he was right. The pessimist warns others against having hope mainly because he is worried it will infect him and threaten his strategy for avoiding the discomfort of disappointment.

nice..

[6warddude]

i just love the pelicans..win or loose im just happy i have a team to enjoy...

[Upper Decker]

Here's a photo for everyone but McNamara

https://twitter.com/FearTheBrown/sta...C-qY-m79orAAAA

[Upper Decker]

I love getting unreasonably excited. Bring it on. Its only sports. I love sports because of the incredible highs of a Zion dunk or a pick-6 in football.

If you don't get excited, what's the point of all this?!?!?!?

[Taker597]

[AusPel]

I love getting unreasonably excited. Bring it on. Its only sports. I love sports because of the incredible highs of a Zion dunk or a pick-6 in football.

If you don't get excited, what's the point of all this?!?!?!?

Exactly

[MichaelMcNamara]

Notice that I didn’t try to convert anyone. I said I disagree and stated my personal philosophy- a lot of which is based on empirical evidence. But never claimed my way must be the way you choose. Just what I think is most logical, and is therefore the path I choose

People should embrace different opinions. Not want everyone’s to be the same

[AusPel]

Notice that I didn’t try to convert anyone. I said I disagree and stated my personal philosophy- a lot of which is based on empirical evidence. But never claimed my way must be the way you choose. Just what I think is most logical, and is therefore the path I choose

People should embrace different opinions. Not want everyone’s to be the same

Changing opinions is seen as a sign of weakness

I love updating my philosophies as new information comes to light

Society hates that

I hate society

[Upper Decker]

Notice that I didn’t try to convert anyone. I said I disagree and stated my personal philosophy- a lot of which is based on empirical evidence. But never claimed my way must be the way you choose. Just what I think is most logical, and is therefore the path I choose

People should embrace different opinions. Not want everyone’s to be the same

I appreciate the opinions of pessimists, but I wish they'd just own up to the fact that they are pessimists and not call themselves realists, which basically means that those who disagree with them are unrealistic. Not that I lose any sleep about it. Ta ta!

[MichaelMcNamara]

To me, a pessimist is someone who assumes worse than the median objective outcome AND does not acknowledge the possibility of an outcome vastly better than said outcome either.

My projection is in line with Vegas, who sets lines to get equal action on both sides and I also have acknowledged the best case scenario as a real possibility

Over the past 15 years, this franchise has gone under the Vegas win total 11 times and over 4 times, so to be in line with Vegas would actually make you an optimist, an objective person might argue

[The Dud]

Off subject but...here's a question...which of the 3... MLB, NBA and NFL can analytics be most useful?

[MichaelMcNamara]

As a predictor of results or for what specifically?

Regardless, the answer is baseball. Infinitely less variables. No turnover in that sport, and many other factors make that far and away the answer.

The real question is which sport is second

[The Dud]

Agree...baseball is 99.3333% (repeating of course)...just a battle between 2 players. All the other players makeup the remaining .6666%. I'm a baseball guy...but the more I dip my toe into the NBA...the more I think the NBA is probably second. Of course...I COULD be wrong.

[Eyquem]

Wow, it's incredible to watch how fast fortunes can change in the NBA. The Pelicans got off to a terrible start last year while the Suns had high hopes and then led the league in victories. But media day for the Pelicans this year was a love-fest full of optimism, and media day for Phoenix was like funeral... Ayton is clearly unhappy, Crowder didn't show and is demanding a trade, CP3 is a year older, and their owner is banned, reviled, and trying to sell the team. The reversal of fortunes for these two teams is stunning.

[MichaelMcNamara]

Wow, it's incredible to watch how fast fortunes can change in the NBA. The Pelicans got off to a terrible start last year while the Suns had high hopes and then lead the league in victories. But media day for the Pelicans this year was a love-fest full of optimism, and media day for Phoenix was like funeral... Ayton is clearly unhappy, Crowder didn't show and is demanding a trade, CP3 is a year older, and their owner is banned, reviled, and trying to sell the team. The reversal of fortunes for these two teams is stunning.

Reversal of fortunes, where? In the press conference game?

You taking the Pels to win more games than the Suns this year?

[luckyman]

FYI looks like the last preseason game will be broadcast OTA. Took'em 20 years to figure that one out but better late than never I guess. Do that more.

[Eyquem]

Reversal of fortunes, where? In the press conference game?

You taking the Pels to win more games than the Suns this year?

No, but I think the next 5 years look better for the Pelicans than they do for the Suns, and the win totals will be much closer this year.