Why do people get so pissed when players promise victory?

[MaineDolFan]

Joey Porter is saying Miami will win this week and everyone is up in arms.  Why?

What, exactly, are players supposed to say?  "Well...uh...we'll play four quarters.  We'll get a first down every time we make ten yards.  Duh, um, if we cross the goal line with the ball we'll get six points.  Golly, gee!  We'll give it our best effort and hope for the best!"  Or, worse, should they say "we suck.  They're great.  No chance in hell do we win this game."

When my one year review at the company I work for comes around in March I WILL be promoted.  I'm very good at what I do.  Why should a professional athlete have any less confidence in what they do than what I do? 

Players give the standard answer and people complain that it's the standard answer.  Someone says "yeah, we'll win this weekend" and everyone is like "OH MY GOD!  Bulletin board material!  HOW DARE HE?"

The reaction to this stuff never ceases to amaze me.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

When I played football, a bunch of kids from other schools (and mine) would talk shit like that as well.  I responded where I preferred to... on the field. 

[Denver_Bronco]

I think saying you will win and GUARANTEEING victory are 2 different things. I think Porter's Ok in this instance.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Athletes in general are stupid people, so it's easy for them to get angry. Hell, the Patriots for years fed off of their delusional belief that no one respected them, despite being an underdog about 3 times in 6 years and being the Superbowl pick of most people.

The Patriots will use this as motivation, even though you don't really have to lie to yourself to beat the Dolphins. Just showing up is good enough.

[Tenshot13]

I love it when players talk shit...everyone talks shit, so people need to get off their high horses about it...athletes are under more of a spotlight about it.  Porter shooting off his mouth, Ocho Cinco's list of DB's he was going to burn, T.O. talking shit about McNabb (although T.O. is a bit much)...It's good entertainment.

I also love it when players promise victory and they get blown out...unless its the Dolphins, then it sucks.