[CardinalSagehen]

Does anyone really enjoy picking against your own team just to get more points on a fan message board?  Against the alma mater for most of you?  

Isn't it possible to compartmentalize the two things?

I predicted that KSU would win by ten points in the contest; but during the game I was 100% rooting for Stanford to win and 0% rooting for my prediction to be correct.

The prediction game is a contest intended to be fun.  While luck plays a big part, in theory the winner is the best at analyzing all of the data and synthesizing this into a prediction of the final score of games.  To play the game properly, there should be no influence from fan sentimentality.  Setting aside feelings of loyalty towards your favorite team is difficult for some, so they play the game with a major handicap.  This is why such a game on a fan board is fickle.  Some may play the game to express their optimism, their loyalty, or their pessimism -- despite the data.

Through many years of following The Cardboard I have noticed that some members make great effort to convince other members of their position on topics.  I've always wondered to what end is this effort.  If everyone on this board had the same opinion on every issue, it would be oppressively boring.  Surely the effort is not made to somehow influence the outside world (e.g., getting Shaw fired because a consensus on The Cardboard says he should go).  Is the effort made to prove how smart you are? Is the effort made to seek justification of your own feelings by ratification from others?  Do some just enjoy arguing?  It is perplexing.

No disagreement from me there.  As stated from the very beginning:

I won't judge, I just don't enjoy it.

It's a personal preference thing.  

To your question about whether some just enjoy arguing - that's one of the main points of a message board. Most of the time, you can call it debating rather than arguing, though. There is a great debate on another thread about the best Prince album ever.

Sometimes posts can involve virtue-signaling, such as my post above. FWIW, I knew what I was doing and it was for entertainment purposes.  That said, it's true for me - I don't enjoy picking against my team.  Nobody wants bland milquetoast posts here.  If anything, we need more pot-stirring.

[CardinalSagehen]

Does anyone really enjoy picking against your own team just to get more points on a fan message board?  Against the alma mater for most of you?  

Isn't it possible to compartmentalize the two things?

I predicted that KSU would win by ten points in the contest; but during the game I was 100% rooting for Stanford to win and 0% rooting for my prediction to be correct.

The prediction game is a contest intended to be fun.  While luck plays a big part, in theory the winner is the best at analyzing all of the data and synthesizing this into a prediction of the final score of games.  To play the game properly, there should be no influence from fan sentimentality.  Setting aside feelings of loyalty towards your favorite team is difficult for some, so they play the game with a major handicap.  This is why such a game on a fan board is fickle.  Some may play the game to express their optimism, their loyalty, or their pessimism -- despite the data.

Through many years of following The Cardboard I have noticed that some members make great effort to convince other members of their position on topics.  I've always wondered to what end is this effort.  If everyone on this board had the same opinion on every issue, it would be oppressively boring.  Surely the effort is not made to somehow influence the outside world (e.g., getting Shaw fired because a consensus on The Cardboard says he should go).  Is the effort made to prove how smart you are? Is the effort made to seek justification of your own feelings by ratification from others?  Do some just enjoy arguing?  It is perplexing.

No disagreement from me there.  As stated from the very beginning:

I won't judge, I just don't enjoy it.

It's a personal preference thing.  

To your question about whether some just enjoy arguing - that's one of the main points of a message board. Most of the time, you can call it debating rather than arguing, though. There is a great debate on another thread about the best Prince album ever.

Sometimes posts can involve virtue-signaling, such as my post above. FWIW, I knew what I was doing and it was for entertainment purposes.  That said, it's true for me - I don't enjoy picking against my team.  Nobody wants bland milquetoast posts here.  If anything, we need more pot-stirring.