OT - Grumpy Old Man Thread

[Honestbuckeye]

Ok, one joke.

Do Boomers or Gen X have to own inventing participation trophies? We’ve been told millennials received them, so who owns the process of conceiving of them and handing them out?

excellent question

[OrangeAfroMan]

Not at all. But I’m especially not good when someone presents a bunch of bluster and bullshit with nothing to back it up and then tries to pretend it’s factual. That is your pattern.

Your panties are in a wad.

[utee94]

Ok, one joke.

Do Boomers or Gen X have to own inventing participation trophies? We’ve been told millennials received them, so who owns the process of conceiving of them and handing them out?

It wasn't happening when I was a kid, and was very much happening by the time my kids were old enough to participate.

So I'm gonna go ahead and blame the boomers. 

[MikeDeTiger]

Ok, one joke.

Do Boomers or Gen X have to own inventing participation trophies? We’ve been told millennials received them, so who owns the process of conceiving of them and handing them out?

The earliest sports I can remember playing--tee-ball, or baseball for small children--we got participation trophies.  Literally everyone who signed up for the league got a trophy.  My team was awful.  I remember getting a trophy at the end of the year and my tiny young brain was trying to figure out why, when we didn't win anything.  That would've been about the mid-80's.  

We were called Gen Y when I was in college, though we're probably lumped in as the very tail end of Gen X now.  As discussed with utee before, there are some definite differences between Gen X and my age group.  

[847badgerfan]

Ok, one joke.

Do Boomers or Gen X have to own inventing participation trophies? We’ve been told millennials received them, so who owns the process of conceiving of them and handing them out?

Some Boomers and (more so) Gen X (especially the younger ones) are definitely the problem here. It's not a joke.

BUT

My two Millennials were not awarded participation trophies.

If the team they were on sucked, they sucked. That was that.

There's my sample size of two for ya.

[betarhoalphadelta]

We were called Gen Y when I was in college, though we're probably lumped in as the very tail end of Gen X now.  As discussed with utee before, there are some definite differences between Gen X and my age group. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xennials

[847badgerfan]

The earliest sports I can remember playing--tee-ball, or baseball for small children--we got participation trophies.  Literally everyone who signed up for the league got a trophy.  My team was awful.  I remember getting a trophy at the end of the year and my tiny young brain was trying to figure out why, when we didn't win anything.  That would've been about the mid-80's. 

We were called Gen Y when I was in college, though we're probably lumped in as the very tail end of Gen X now.  As discussed with utee before, there are some definite differences between Gen X and my age group. 

Wow. That blows my mind.

[847badgerfan]

Here are some examples: https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2025/02/08/7-financial-benefits-baby-boomers-got-that-well-likely-never-see-again/

A lot of holes can be blown into that article. 

[utee94]

I was done with youth sports and moved on into school sports by 1984.  No participation trophies before then, at least not in Central Texico.

[jgvol]

Some Boomers and (more so) Gen X (especially the younger ones) are definitely the problem here. It's not a joke.

BUT

My two Millennials were not awarded participation trophies.

If the team they were on sucked, they sucked. That was that.

There's my sample size of two for ya.

We never got them when I was a kid, but my Gen Z kids sure did.

That still didn't bother me as much as when my boys first started T-ball (4-5 year olds), and no score was kept, and each team got to bat around every inning.

Not that many outs would have been made probably, but still, if we are going to dress up and play, let's keep score.

[ELA]

Yeah, we never got participation trophies beyond tee ball, and neither have any of my kids.

One time my oldest was in a baseball tournament that was supposed to have 12 teams, but got rained out, and they moved it to mid week.  When that happened, 8 teams dropped out, but they had trophies for 1st and 2nd, and rings for 3rd and 4th.  So he does have a ring, which is long lost, that says 4th place on it.  Out of 4

[Honestbuckeye]

Here are some examples: https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2025/02/08/7-financial-benefits-baby-boomers-got-that-well-likely-never-see-again/

some good points- but still very general and not super factual.

They talk about better interest rates for mortgages.     That is just false.  I had to pay 11.5% interest for my first house (everyone did in the mid 80s-and those were all boomers).   Rates have been historically low for the generations that followed.

They talk about a more robust job market.  But the job market has swung from great to horrible and everywhere in between, multiple times, during the boomer adult lifetime.

One income households- that is harder now than before for sure.  But not a "boomer" issue.   Many boomers had the same issue- but they countered it with two income households.   Maybe some of the "older" boomers lived when one income was easier, but that has been a challenge for people who are now in their 60s and 70s (all boomers).  Same with Pensions.   Those have been gone for nearly all of the Private sector for 50 years.

I do think the health care costs they present are accurate. But how that is the "boomers fault" is ludicrous.

And contrary to your earlier post- I don't see any examples or evidence of Boomers taking credit for benefits they had or didn't create, or blaming following generations for issues they (boomers) created.   

.

[OrangeAfroMan]

some good points- but still very general and not super factual.

If only you were this skeptical with religion...

[847badgerfan]

^^^ out of bounds