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dougello7

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About dougello7

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  • Birthday 07/26/1977

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    Male
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    Curwensville, PA
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    Sports, comics, movies, music, gaming, reading, writing, collecting comic/pop culture-related items.

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  1. Magic supporter from the beginning. Tree Rollins fan.

  2. dougello7

    2018-19 Official Season Discussion Thread

    Playing better? Yes. Consistent? Not so much. Serious contenders? Nope. Not yet. Again, you can't lose to the Knicks and Cavs in the span of a few games and be serious contenders. In order to do that, you must solidify a playoff spot, and they have not been able to do that so far.
  3. dougello7

    2018-19 Official Season Discussion Thread

    Currently, this is the most frustrating thing about this team. This stat says it all. On top of that, it felt for a stretch they had figured some things out, and that still may be the case overall, but you can't solidify a playoff spot if you can't beat the Knicks and Cavaliers. They have played well against better teams, but still find ways to lose against the worst in the league. And, I could figure it out if I sat and thought about it, but I don't really want to at this point. I'd rather just see positive actions lead to positive results. Onward and upward.
  4. dougello7

    2018-19 Official Season Discussion Thread

    Listen, it all starts with ownership and the kind of ideas they have on the type of program they want to be known for. Allow the staff to make the big decisions and do it in a way that shows you support them and still have control of the organization. Maybe there is a problem with the "brand" currently. The bottom line is that many things need to change. And, the honest answer is that the team has a reputation to some extent for being soft as well. Your statement, even though it may not be liked by all, is not too far off when it comes down to it. Listen, we could have a lengthy discussion on how many players this team has had over the years who have left to become superstars, or at least All-Stars, on other teams ... teams that have won championships even. And, yes, the Lakers have fleeced us over the years; there is no denying that. It's time to get over being one of the league's doormats and start turning things around. That's only going to come from changing the core belief system. That's the tricky thing with core beliefs, they're not always accurate or legitimate, and yet we often blindly follow them, convincing ourselves that they are irrefutable simply because we consider them to be "core." But, "core" has to start somewhere, has to come from somewhere, and if that thought process is faulty or skewed from the very beginning, it needs to be re-evaluated and changed for the continued health of the organization and the product they attempt to sell.
  5. dougello7

    2018-19 Official Season Discussion Thread

    Thanks. I agree with your statement. Sometimes, the first step in making significant progress is to ascertain exactly where that change needs to come, and maybe, it's everywhere. My thoughts are that this team hasn't been doing that in the last six years or so. They are, obviously, not making the proper decision(s) from the jump. If your initial decisions aren't sound, then it bleeds through everything else you do. This team has made so many changes within that span, that it's clear to me, the individuals making them are not necessarily doing a very good job. Way too many shifting players, way too many coaches. The carousel has got to stop at some point. Make a legitimate decision on what you wish your team to be and find a GM that can then find the coaches and players to fit that mold/attitude, and always with an eye toward the future. Even if that mold is patterned after a winning formula from outside of the organization.
  6. dougello7

    2018-19 Official Season Discussion Thread

    Thank you. Listen, I know it's easy to trash on your team sometimes, especially when they underwhelm often, but I am a huge proponent of not standing still. In my humble opinion, if you're not making attempts to bet better, you're getting worse. I agree with you that something must be done. Status quo is just not good enough. It never really is. Things in Orlando have been so stagnant for so long, they seem to have forgotten how to do it right. I love this team, I really do, but coming from an area that has consistency in winning with, and being a fan of, the Steelers and the Penguins, I find it hard to tolerate this type of management, production and commitment. Now is the time. They should have plenty of cap-space within the next couple years to do something big, but obviously, they still have to pull that trigger, as you say.
  7. dougello7

    2018-19 Official Season Discussion Thread

    I suppose I should preface what I'm about to say by stating that I am an original Orlando Magic fan ... from the dawn of their inception. I am a Pennsylvania native with no ties to the Philadelphia 76ers, as I am from Central/Western PA, and with no NBA team in Pittsburgh, I was left to choose someone else. Orlando was the team. My father used to draw me Sorcerer Mickey and Disney pictures when I was a child, so it stuck. Plus, I liked Nick Anderson and he was their first draft pick. So, I am not a fair-weather fan, and have been around since the beginning. However, I am heavily disappointed in this team over the last several years. Not since their expansion days and the dissolution of the Doc Rivers days has this team been this bad and seems to show no improvement year to year. It would seem that the Magic are doomed to finish their 30th season with approximately 30 wins. That would make seven straight losing seasons. When will the ship begin to right itself? I am beginning to wonder if it ever will. Sure, the team has some talent, but that talent cannot seem to blossom into something more than a simple group of disparate players with no real cohesion, and certainly not into a team with proven winners. Talk about frustration. They are now mired in a four-game losing streak with three of those losses by double digits, two of which were to teams much worse than they are, and one of them against a divisional opponent. They have now sandwiched a two game win streak with a three-game losing skid and a four-game losing stretch. Ugh. To me, this has been a recurring problem with the team recently. They always seem to find a way to string together losses at the most inopportune times ... like now. Prior to heading into a brutal New Year stretch, playing games that they should win, at least on paper. And yes, I know the game is not played on paper, but eventually something has to give, and you must start to beat the teams you are better than, home or away. All of this is especially concerning due to the fact that the division is weak this year, and could be up for grabs. This team underachieves and cannot take advantage of that fact, playing winnable games at a time that they could gain some ground and possibly take the division lead outright, but still refusing to do so. When will it change? When will it begin to get better? This, to me, has been too long in coming ... too long for a rebound season, too long to see major improvement, too long to show proper development into a solid, productive team. I am starving for a return to former greatness, and this team does have a history of it despite their expansion in a modern era. That is no longer an excuse, though, and it hasn't been for a while. It is time to start winning again, or the culture and the attitude of this team needs to be re-established for a new era. What are the prevailing thoughts out there in terms of where this team is heading? I'd be interested to know.
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