Your policy will be greatly appreciated! I love it when people add facts via posts, offer opinions based on observations and ask questions. I always find postings where motives are questioned or management’s compentency disparaged to be a distraction, at least. Your blog is the best and the one I read first. Your policy should ensure it stays that way. Thanks for the great work and best wishes during the Holiday season to you. Spring training is just around the corner! Go Nats!

I can see in the commentary above that there is already an issue which Dick classified as “management competency.” Even the most die hard Nats fan (me for one) will have varying opinions over time on something as crucial as management competency. If that’s not a core issue then I’m not sure what is. Take a look at the past month for example - the entire makeup of the major league level has been altered and we seem to be in the midst of a developing philosophical divergence. The Nats have gone out and acquired great athletes not all of whom are model citizens and perhaps it could be argued that this extends to the front office given that Bowden is on his own second chance of sorts. We gave up a great kid in Gibson whom all of us have followed since he was drafted and he was one of several who received some acclaim from Baseball America (his pic from that publication became my computer screensaver for a time). I am now a bit confused on whether commentary (which I am certainly guilty of) on such topics is now deemed off limits. No one wants a bunch of mean dither - it’s a waste of our time. However, I would argue that most of it - so long as it’s on topic (the Nats) is acceptable(?)….but when it devloves into attacking other posters who have differing opinion that then is when the line is crossed….

Brian is that your intent as well or are we now restricted to making only positive comments about management? I love the Nats and love this management team, but from time to time they will error and those errors I would think are worthy of strong, negative commentary. If the intent is to stifle dissent then regrettably I no longer wish to participate. That said, this a tremendous site you have and an incredible service to us die-hards who tend to have a certain passion with corresponding strong opinion. I hope that the basic culture of free and open opinion/debate is not seriously altered. Thanks.

As the posting referenced, I have no problem with constructive criticism. For example, if you want to discuss the positives and negatives of the moves made by the Nationals, I have no problem with it. Where I have an issue is when it resorts to name-calling or disparaging someone.

Raising an issue with what Bowden has done this off-season is fine. Calling Bowden a name for what he has done is where I do not want the discussion to go.

Roger…..understood. I think that’s a crystal clear policy and well within bounds where decency and freedom of dissent are balanced out. Thanks.

For example, to Hartmanbirge’s point, I believe that Gibson is at least as likely to have a successful Major League career as Dukes. Having said that, we had 4 left-handed pitching prospects but are short on hitting. There is logic to the trade. I LOVE Gibson; however, Dukes probably has better shot at being an all-star. And, a better shot of being out of the game by his 25th birthday.

Happy Holidays and Go Nats!

I’m curious what made you feel like you needed to enact this policy: please do not misunderstand me, I think it is an excellent idea and I agree wholeheartedly, but I read most if not all the postings and such and I have a hard time remembering things getting personal (bear with me however, memory is something I lost a long time ago)-

Just a bit curious when or how you felt things had been going down the wrong path.

Have a great break and wonderful holidays… and I look forward to your writings in 2008-

Have a happy holiday.

The irony is that I have family members who do welcome the kind of people you don’t. (Guess whom I won’t be visiting this year.) I just hope none of them starts a blog.

Wishing a peaceful holiday season to all.