I guess a good question would be is what is "bashing" or "ripping" a player?
Here is a shot.
Mere criticism would tend to focus on the play itself, what the player failed to see or do. This could involve saying something like, "Dzuris should have seen the fake hand off" (e.g., when the opposing QB throws for a TD off of play action).
Bashing or ripping would additionally involve criticizing a player's intelligence or character. A clear instance of the latter, for me, is questioning a player's effort. Fans simply have no way of knowing if a player is giving 100%. All they have to go on is their perception of the way the play unfolded, and they often neglect the player's effort on the previous play, any injuries he may be dealing with, the assignments of his other teammates, and so on.
Various things could make it look like the player is not trying as hard as one would like, but the fact of the matter is the fan simply isn't in a good position to know. And the judgment is in any case motivated by a desired result not achieved, for which some explanation is sought. Explanations like "lack of effort" are easy and cheap when you see Dzuris trailing behind a halfback who runs twice his speed.
My stance is that fans are universally in a bad position to offer such explanations. Some who do analysis and do it well (very rare on this message board, but it happens), are better off and might offer legitimate ones. The coaches, by contrast,
are in a good position to offer it, since they have a much better idea of the player's abilities, effort, and tendencies in practice.
Another example. If you call Tommy an "idiot" for throwing an interception, you're bashing and ripping. If you simply say something to the effect that he "shouldn't have thrown the ball," then you're offering criticism. Even if you say something like, "he is terrible at reading defenses," that could be legitimate criticism so long as one can point to instances as evidence. The focus of criticism needs to be on the play, the game, or habits evident across games, i.e., the player within the game, rather than on the player himself.
In my view, fans are never justified in bashing or ripping players. They can criticize the play of players all they want. Spinner's suggestion that one instead bash or rip the coaches is a possible alternative, since it is their specific task to achieve the desired outcome and they bear much more responsibility. While this would certainly be preferable, I think it is subject to many of the same limitations.
