Polling GSoM: Are you really that surprised that PR director Raymond Ridder and the Golden State Warriors got caught "astroturfing"?

Ridder admitted he was posting on the site. Like he said in the article, he was just trying to turn the conversation in a positive direction. You’re just looking for more reasons to hate this front office.

he never encouraged anyone to buy tickets

Idiocy and incompetence is one thing, but at least you know what you’re getting from them. When they cross the line into lying, faking, and pretending so as to serve their own purposes, then how can you trust anything you read or hear around you anymore? How can you trust anything they say anymore? No smart business would want to lose the trust of their customers, and you’d think they’d be smart enough to know this, but apparently not. So yes, i am VERY surprised and pissed off by this.

The other problem I have is that this move just reeks of insecurity. As mentioned in some of those articles, they are more worried about LOOKING good then BEING good. They have to GENERATE praise and sympathy for themselves instead of EARNING it.

From what I’ve read about this less than honorable “situation”—and I’ve read all the materials—there are many more unanswered questions about the IP address Raymond used than he is admitting to. The content of some of those posts were not to make a positive spin on the general negativity which fill the blogs but more critical in nature. Probably in the next few weeks we will have more full disclosure and Raymond will probably get fired. What what everyone has written about him, that will be a big loss to the organziation, a loss we probably shouldn’t have to endure. But at least one head will have to roll to stop the bleeding.

Personally, I don’t take any view of what Raymond did on moral grounds. We already know the organization constantly lies from President Rowell on down. We also know that Nelson seemingly likes to screw with the media and say whatever he feels like. He enjoys lying and misleading people, especially the media. He is one mean old bastard and can practically do whatever he wants with no accountability..

Obviously I wish Raymond and others in the Warrior organization would have the balls to say who they really are if they want to have a dialogue or present a perspective on one or more of the sites we Warrior fans visit. We have often wondered among ourselves if the blogs are read by the FO. Now we now that at least some of them are.

One of the more startling things I’ve read is that some from the media have been denied access or barred from getting information they need to do their jobs by the FO. I think there is and will continue to be a growing disgust of the FO and its lying ways. In addition, what’s left of the “mainstream” media covering the Warriors will be much more willing to be critical of the FO and its lying ways because the general sentiment of the fan base has been so eroaded by a year that was filled with lies, deceit, and downright stupidity. I understand why Raymond would do what he did, but why he did it is more a commentary on the sad state of affairs with a franchise stepped in defensiveness and fear because they know they stink as an organization and franchise. They are all apologists because as Gertrude Steim said, “there is no there there”.

I think you can add this to the list of media folks who are weighing in on the latest “we do drama dubs”:

http://warriors.realgm.com/articles/157/20090522/finally_abandon_ship/

It is worth reading since it reflects most of our sentiments very well.

I mean honestly, this is the Warriors, the worst run franchise in sports. I gave up on this POS team this year when they let BD walk. I used to have to watch every single game, no matter what, my mood would fluctuate with every W and L now I refuse to support this POS franchise in anyway. I never had season tickets but you could count on me buying 2 or 3 of the 4 packs a year plus some Warriors gear but I don’t want that idiot Cohan to have a single dime of mine.

 I wish more people would just get fed up and quit going to watch an inferior product that they put out on the floor. The one time the Dubs have a bright future they go and mess it up, go figure. I hate not watching AR play but who cares, he’ll be playing for a different team ina few years anyways. I hope most of you will refuse to support this POS franchise until everyone at the top of management is replaced and Cohan sells the team.

and you really can’t believe anything much, like the city magazines were the “fans” pick their favorite and the restaurants stuff the boxes, press conferences arranged to do nothing but get the company’s point across. And moral outrage in the NBA? You have to be guiding. This is the league where there is almost nothing but image—where caring happens and oh yes amazing too. What other sport is engaged in such an endless and tireless ad for itself. And like so much of Mr. K’s reporting, it has nothing to do with the game. I just find it amazing that this web site pumps Tim so much. Could it be, Atma Brother # 1, that a smart guy like you knows Tim is pretty ignorant about basketball but he sparks controversy and controversy brings hits. Hey everyone is playing this game and getting all worked up about this is about as much a waste of time as looking for the sources of one of Tim’s stories. Wasn’t that Dick Bavetta calling the game where LeBron got three seconds to shoot? Ah yes, another NBA miracle play based on an infraction. And Michael Jordan didn’t push off when the Bulls beat the Jazz. Oh the NBA. You know if you want to watch basketball in a marketing sewer, you have to be willing to handle all the stinky stuff you are floating in. And oh yeah, the refs are always honest and there is not one in prison, right?