Pat -
If I were you, I'd get a hold of the person posting under your name - but quick. Hopefully you'll find him in time to salvage your credibility, because he's making you look like a first rate hypocrite.
No matter how many times you call anyone a moron won't change the fact that you don't practice what you preach.
People offer "theories" all the time, most of the time they offer them in the form of questions (e.g. "What was DE's role at NGLA") and to the extent you disagree with the answer you scream about how there are no supporting facts. But the rules have suddenly changed for you, simply by parsing words - "theory" for you vs. whatever anybody else posts. Honestly, do you really mean to tell me that if with respect to the DE thread, if Tom MacWood had posed his query as a "theory" rather than a question, you wouldn't have screamed bloody murdy?
With respect to the myth perpetuation that so often forms the basis of your objections, if you can't appreciate the obvious qualitative difference between posing a theory based on some evidence and positing a theory based on no evidence (and the fact that it is you, not others, doing the speculating doesn't count), then I'm afraid you are more irretrievably lost than even I had originally feared.
And let me be clear, I don't object to your offering theories, I only object to your not allowing others a similar liberty.
You lost a lot of credibility on this thread. Your obstinate interference when real discussion was offered (on theories supported by at least
some evidence) was annoying and self-serving, but at least it was consistent. Under the new rules (which you will be held to), somebody will avoid your ire only by making sure that they post theories that have absolutely no basis in fact. The moment they offer some support, their theory will be doomed.
Another remarkable sea change represented by your post is the shift in the burden of proof -
THE MUCCI COROLLARYSo far, you've failed to produce one iota of evidence that refutes the theory that Travis and Ross might have had a gentleman's agreement with respect to stepping on each others toes.
Up until Saturday, the burden of proof you required used to be on those who would have others believe their "myths," now it appears that henceforth, the onus will be on you to disprove the "theories" of others with which you disagree. I'm not certain you recognized the amount of work you created for yourself.
And, lastly, ss far as telling you what you would or would not do in a hypothetical situation - you're right up until this thread I would have known, now I have no idea.