I've been quiet for so long, but enough is enough

[NutHouse4life01]

After reading and scrolling through countless threads and posts about section 137, the north end, V-Army, The Legion, etc. etc. etc. and hearing so much bull ******** yet so many clever and marketable ideas I have to say this is all making me disgusted. I have refrained from posting on the matters at hand because I have felt overwhelmed by it all. But now, it's just consuming me and I have to speak up like so many others have...

I'm disgusted with the team for playing so poorly. I'm disgusted with the coach (no need to elaborate). I'm now truly disgusted with The Legion and each and every one of their 20 (a.k.a. 5) "supporters" that show up "every" match in their Arsenal kits, San Jose scarves, and green-red-orange (hell, any color but black or gold) t-shirts.

I am frustrated and disappointed by the former leaders and members of V-Army/North End that have chosen to give up on the section due to various reasons, including but not limited to front office failures and emergence of high schoolers.

My two best friends and I came to our first Crew game on opening weekend 2003 vs. LA. It was bitter cold out that day, probably below 40 degrees, but Section 137 was filled to the top. We wanted to go down and sit near the "core" of the chanting (led by Zak), but there was literally no open area down there. So, we settled for the very top row of 137. It was an experience unlike any other for me, and that is why I keep coming back to Crew Stadium. The section was alive that day. I still have the match on video tape from that overcast afternoon. I saved it because I wanted to watch it again only to hear how loud the supporters were on t.v.

Since the first day of the 2003 season, I have only missed attending an extremely small batch of Crew home games, the majority of which were due to OSU football game conflicts which I attend home or away. I AM VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT V-ARMY/137 MADE ME A CREW FAN FOR LIFE. I will not stop attending matches, and I will not stop supporting the team from section 137. I love it so much, and I only wish and hope that some people will begin to realize their lost love for the section as well.

And now look at it, the section and V-Army are all but extinct. It only keeps on because of the efforts of a few. My goal for this post is to clear the air, start anew...for the section, for the true Crew supporters that I know are out there but have stayed away for the reasons I've mentioned above. It's also a plea, so to speak, for the leaders I and others once admired to COME BACK to 137 for good.

Zak, Hang, Hughes, Placid, CrewMudgeon we need people like you. Revive the section. You have the power to do so. You've done it in the past, all the while grooming me into the die-hard Crew supporter I am today.

In closing, I'd like to say, as a quasi-leader of V-Army/North End today, there is only one section. If you want to stand and chant and drink or whatever, then you should be in 137. The 5 of us that have kept on with leading 137 have all but abandoned the supporters group name as it is. We still wear our scarves and shirts as a reminder of where our roots came from. The tailgate, the section, the supporters are all one in our eyes.

[Chelsey]

Yeah, but good news for us is they seperated from V-Army on Wednesday, thus taking their oranges, blues, and purples a few rows away.


Bravo on the post, kiddo. It's quite genuine, but to the people you're looking to rally up; I'm not saying it's a dying cause, but some people just move on. They get "too old". :rolleyes:

You're absolutely right in the fact that V-army does need continuity, from the past to the present. As I was discussing with JV last night, Zak was the continuity, and when he buckled out, there was none. JV felt Zak was the key, but I'm not exactly sure what the solution is. I do know that the FO situation needs to be worked on heavily, and we need a person with balls who will talk reasonably and pro-actively with the FO.


One thing's for certain: I am damned sure the solution isn't having two supporter groups in 137, one who judges the other for all it's supposed faults. Basically, I do think it's "time for change". I know we all like to look on the past and happily dream of when 137 was full. Those were good times, no?

But I think the picture's been broken, and trying to piece back the picture won't fix the main problems.


EDIT: I just wanted to say for the record: that Mike, you're a very creditable voice in 137, and that I truly respect you for all of your dedication and enthusiasm in relation to the supporters of Columbus.

[Kryptonite]

Good stuff said by Chelsey and Mike. If someone doesn't want to spend the $65 or whatever it is on a Crew jersey, that's fine. Buy that yellow shirt from any store for under $20, and pick up some free respect. As individuals, we support whatever non-Crew teams, and that's fine. But when we come together as a group, we're Crew supporters first and foremost. Yes, there will be the occasional "this is my first time" or "I only come to one game a month" people who aren't wearing colors, but if you consider yourself a regular, by all means, buy a Crew jersey (preferable yellow), or a yellow t-shirt.

Two words. Wear Yellow. How hard is it? Every friggin' game, i'm out there with a Crew scarf, a yellow crew jersey, and a v-army t-shirt underneath. Other people have the v-army scarves, or at least a Crew jersey. If it's not yellow, it's still a Crew shirt. Hell, buy one of those Crew t-shirts from Crew Gear with the player's name/number on the back.

You look at other supporter's groups for inspiration and motivation. Well, what are they wearing? Shirts that support their team.

However, the apathy isn't all to blame on us, as it's been said a thousand times before. It takes some people two hours or more to get from their house to the stadium. That's the length of a game. Then they have to spend another two hours heading home. That's not fun or easy, especially after a loss.

The product on the field improves, people hopefully start coming back in mass numbers, then we can talk about doing various stunts.

And yeah, it is true. Some people do get too old for 137. I'm guessing there's at least 15 people if not more who used to sit in 137 who no longer do. And that's not even counting people like STB who moved away, or Splarg who can only make 3 or 4 games a year.

Bottom line though, we're stuck with what we've got, and it's not good. Unfortunately, until things change on the field, I see things being very hard to improve things in the stands.

[ZipSix]

Mike, thanks for the post. I had a similar experience in V-Army in 2002 and I was hooked. Now that I live in Cincinnati I don't to all the games I used to. In fact, the game on July 2 will only be my third game this season. I remember how awesome V-Army used to be and it's difficult to come to terms with what it is now, but I certainly would not question your dedication or any of your OSU friends dedication.

I think we all feel like we bought in and now we own a piece of V-Army, and its sad to see the in-fighting with Legion and the smaller attendance numbers around the stadium and in 137. The Crew are playing so bad it is simply not worth the trip to see them; and that's not V-Army's fault.

I remember trying to mesh chants with Legion early this year, and it worked with some success, but then we got drowned out by Crew Groove and Legion's leader decided to proselytize at us on the internet about his vision. [I don't think Legion 04 is all that it could be, so it seems strange to me that he would try to change another group when there is change needed in his own group.]

Regardless, I'll be there July 2 and in full voice. Even if its not like the old days I'm looking forward to it.