I really need to remember to go upstairs more because it looks like there are some threads here that I would like and some members that I may enjoy getting to know better. With that said, I won't be casting a vote because I really don't care if you talk about Brady or don't talk about Brady. Or, where you choose to talk about Brady. Makes me no difference. However, I do care about the harmony of this board because so many of you have been very kind to me. So, I will give my lengthy 2 cents.
Reading through this thread was a bit of deja vu for me because it sounds like you are experiencing much of what Colts.com did after Peyton's departure. There were those who left to join a Bronco's board. They were big fans of Peyton and were angry that he had been released. They were often mocked as not being "real fans". I never thought that was fair because I believe that someone should follow their heart and not some rules of fandom that others have created.
There were those who pretty much had the opposite viewpoint. Their take was more one of "out with the old and in with the new". Most people fell somewhere in between. I honestly didn't know how I felt until the Broncos came to LOS and found myself hoping that Peyton had a good game while also cheering like crazy for the Colts to come out with the W.
There was a lot of friction during that time and we tried to let it play out, but there came a point where we realized that wasn't going to happen. So, the request was made that all threads/posts directly relating to Peyton be posted in the NFL general subforum. While this meant that the moderators had to do a lot of moving since some members couldn't seem to understand this, it did help even though it was just a matter of geography. Of course, Brady's immediate success makes it more difficult; but similar to how politics is kept out of the main forum, it may help keep "all things Brady" out of your main forum.
In order for this to work, members who don't want to read "all things Brady" should stay out of that subforum or at least refrain from posting to chastise those who do want to talk about Brady. And, those who want to praise Brady may need to learn to tone it down. There is no need to post anything and everything that you can find that praises Brady. When you do, you come over as the mother who constantly tells her daughter how great her ex-husband is while she is trying to build a new life with someone else.
I'm responding to my own post because it looks like I may need to clarify my thoughts a bit better. So, here goes:
Unless you are looking to start a Brady Fan Club, this subforum would contain both positive and negative posts about Brady. My guess is that there will be far more positive posts for the very fact that I don't think any Patriot fans will be actively looking to find negative things about Tom because while he may no longer be the Patriot QB, he will always hold a special place for Patriot fans as they remember those 6 championships. It's far more likely that the subforum will be filled with positive posts from those who continue to avidly follow Brady.
Although I haven't read through it, I see that you do have a Brady/Bucs thread. While I think that thread was a good idea, it's still always there in the main forum due to the high volume of posting. So, when Patriot fans look at the first page; they always see a Brady thread. That's why I think the subforum may help. It wouldn't actually be a case of "out of sight, out of mind", but not having a daily reminder of Brady in the main forum may ease the tension.
Members need to try to keep Brady out of threads in the main forum unless there is a good reason for doing so. Of course, one of those reasons would be the two teams competing on the field. As someone who kept really busy moving, editing, and deleting Peyton threads/posts that were made in the Colt's forum after Peyton was no longer on the team; I urge you to do that to help UT because while I was just one of many, he is doing this alone.
In many ways, I see this as being a lot like the P & R forums where the only members who post are the ones who are interested in such discussions. One of the most difficult things about the P & R forums is trying to keep the conversations civil. That's why I said that members shouldn't chastise one another for posting in (or for posts they make) in a Brady subforum. That doesn't mean you can't disagree. It means that you need to realize that others may have a different viewpoint and there is no need to continually attack them.
In regards to my comment about toning it down; I wrote that not only because there were Colt fans who put Peyton on a pedestal, but I've also seen that from Patriot fans whom I often thought came to the Colts board with the primary purpose of convincing us that we needed to worship at the altar of Brady. As a member, I usually ignored by not posting unless it was way over the top . . . such as when a Patriot fan described Brady as being "selfless in every aspect of the word". I couldn't let that one go without a response.
As a moderator, I didn't have the luxury of ignoring many such posts because the reports would come flooding in from Colt fans who took objection to such posts. I wouldn't expect that to be as big of a problem here because I would think that all Patriot fans will always have some degree of love for Brady. However, if you go overboard with the "I
Brady" posts; it may be a bit hard to stomach for those who are looking to move on and give all their support to a different QB.
I'll close by saying . . . Thank you, UT, for once again doing everything you can to help this board run smoothly. I know it can't be easy at times.