I guess technically Coordination. We have people who come into our section with no intention of joining in on the singing so all of the loud voices are spread to thin. There are other reasons too involving security and the like, I'm not in the mood to go into all that again.
some of us do, but others want to stay and get another cheap beer before they pay $8 for another one.
We've been working on that as well. I think the mass march in is usually 30-45 minutes before kickoff; usually towards 30 minutes.
The stadium lots open two hours (officially) before a game, with the gates opening an hour before the game. Since all of us have to drive to Gillette, and there are next to no drinking options around the stadium, the tailgate is really the only option for getting pissed. Of course, drinking isn't the only thing that happens with the tailgate, as most of us use it as a way to see our friends we only see 15 times a year. Marching in together was a focus last year, and I think we were getting somewhere with it. I know the march in at Giants Stadium and RFK were quite massive and noisy.
Yeah the lack of pubs and piss tubs in that area are indeed limited if any. Only two solutions....drink more so you make sure your in full voice. And if that does not work.... drink more.
IMO if the tailgate was 8 hours long for every match there would still be many people leaving the tailgate 15 minutes before kickoff.... What a bunch of f'ing drunks I associate myself with!!
Sadly that's true. I've had this conversation with Ed ... at the end of the day, why are you really there?
To support and cheer on my team. Everything else, beer, tailgate, conversations mean nothing without that. Flags, banners and streamers none of those are as important IMO as being heard, just a very nice addition.
It used to be about the soccer. I stand in the 8 to 10th row every week and I think I see only 1/2 of the Fort watching the game. So that's my suggestion: watch the game. cheer when something good happens. We've missed cheering or booing fouls, because we spend time worrying about flag waving and drum placement, and that group of kids standing in "my row".
I know people don't like it ... and I can understand that. But this thread is about improving the Fort and having people there ready to cheer on the team from before the kickoff would be an improvement (at least in my eyes).
honestly, i'm not there to watch the game. you can watch a game at home. i'm there to cheer for the team, give them a boost, and share in the great experience that the Fort is. watch the game if you want, but i want to sing and jump and wave a flag the whole game and try to give the players a boost.
Unfortunately, some of us do not have the luxury of time to go home and watch the game (even though I have Tivo). Nor do I really have any interest in watching a game that's already been played and I know the outcome. I go to the game to watch the action on the pitch. That said, I'll be damned if I go to a game and don't try to contribute to the atmosphere while I'm there. It's a delicate balance, but I've been doing it in some form for that last 12 years and I'm not planning on changing at this point.
Ditto. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you can cheer and contribute to the atmosphere and still watch the game.
I do both, like Jon said some people do not have the time to re-watch the game or do they want to watch the game on replay.
Agreed. There are supporters groups which take "supporting" their team to the opposite extreme; where it becomes about the fans and not the teams. Go over to the "Best of MLS Supporters" threads to see what group that weeks happens to be touching themselves over their latest tifo display. We aren't there to get drunk or to show off. We are there to support the Revs.
I'm not saying you can't do both, cheering and watching. Some fans get so upset when people are in "thier spot" or the chants are off. They take it too seriously, and I feel bad for them, it seems to spoil thier experience. The first 10 minutes of every game is missed because they are too busy complaining about something or someone in the Fort. I could do without the "I discovered the band first, and when they are big, I'll make a point to let everyone know I was into them when it wasn't cool" attitude that some people have in the Fort.