Message board effect.

1. Say something overly critical of your own team.
2. When called on it, say ?I?m being a realist?

In a court of law it?s called a statement against interests. It appears to have more credibility. Notice I said appears.

It?s why Neal McCready is constantly trying to run from the term ?fanboy?. He wants so badly to be taken seriously by national media.

Unless being a fanbase journalist is what you want for a career, it?s a death knell for those who don?t. Thus, they try to appear to be credible with clickbait statements they know aren?t true.