Kaiserslautern Redux: Stop Throwing Stuff

[AndyMead]

Hey guys and gals. A disgraceful thing happened in the U.S. section in Kaiserslautern. When calls on the field started going against the team on the field, cups and other trash started getting thrown in the section.

We've got to police ourselves, lest we begin to get the treatment and disdain that the English fans get. The World Cup is a party, but no bad call on the field is justification for throwing a cup that inevitably lands on 1) other fans, 2) photographers, 3) certainly not the referee.

If you see someone throw something, make sure that they understand that that is absolutely not cool. If they persist, report them.

We all suffer the negative reputation that a few idiots cause. Between Korea in 2002 and Germany in 2006 I've been to nearly 30 World Cup finals games, and I've witnessed plenty of on-field travesties with regards to refereeing, but the display of bad sportsmanship in the stands in the U.S. section with all the cup and trash throwing was by far the worst I've seen.

[afgrijselijkheid]

yeah folks, that is unacceptable behavior from anyone else, therefore it is unacceptable behavior for us

let's be cooler than the rest

[AndyMead]

yeah folks, that is unacceptable behavior from anyone else, therefore it is unacceptable behavior for us

let's be cooler than the rest

I was just thinking that we save it for World Cup Qualifying. ;)

But yeah, Costa Rica had to play a WCQ in front an empty stadium because their fans were throwing stuff.

[Palermo10]

Absolutely, I saw it happening and its disgusting. As much as we disagree with whatever call, our voices should be heard above anything. We are there to support our team - noise does that, not throwing beer at a linesman.

[DrunkCajun]

Have to agree. While at the time, I tried to see the positive (that our fans were so into it that they were fired up), it really was absolutely unnecessary, pointless, and simply poor sportsmanship on our part. We sunk lower than the Italians with that move, and that's saying a lot.

[taylor]

I'ld normally agree, but desperate times need desperate measures. I threw some and would throw them again. Especially from our section of the stadium, we felt we were getting ripped off from the ref. I think it really fired up the fans and possibly the players. Neg rep away, but as someone said, it was a necessary evil for the game.


Edit: Throwing "stuff" and throwing plastic cups are two completely different things.

[bmurphyfl]

I agree that fans shouldn't throw stuff but don't worry about our reputation based upon what happened in Kaiserslautern. I spoke to two Germans and they both commented on how great US fans are. They both commented that we were fun and peaceful. So, while we shouldn't do it in the future, it didn't tarnish our image among neutral Germans.

[SnakeEyes]

As I posted elsewhere, I'm normally against this but I am going to let it slide this time and was glad to see it just this one. Fact is Americans were so emotionally involved in a soccer match that they got pissed off.

[Palermo10]

Throwing beer-filled cups is the gateway drug of professional sports.

[DrunkCajun]

What actually concerned me more was seeing a US fan and an Italian fan at halftime very nearly come to blows. If not for another US fan and the US fan's friends, it would have turned into a brawl. They two were exchanging words, and from what I could tell from the sign language, the US fan was implying that the refs were bought by Italy. It took another US fan talking to the Italians to calm them down and the US guy's friends holding him back to keep it from turning into a potentially ugly scene.

Then again, the Italians were no better. After their goal, I had one run up behind where I was sitting (right under a tunnel, so they could stand right behind our seats) and wave an Italian flag literally in our faces--as in the flag hitting us all in the face. That nearly got ugly as well. Had he not stopped after the first pass I would likely have lost my temper and ripped the flag outta his hands, which would likely not have been a good scene since I was right at the end of the US fans and the beginning of the Italians.

[jamison]

Throwing beer-filled cups is the gateway drug of professional sports.

I don't know if that was meant to be funny, but I laughed out loud reading that.

I was in the bottom corner of 20.1 and when they started throwing stuff I actually felt like we were the equals of the fans at other games, eventhough that brings good and bad with it. I took it more like that US fans weren't going to sit idly by like soccer moms and watch the ref be dodgy and the Italians roll on the ground like dogs. That we were now passionate enough to be stupid about it, though obviously that isn't a good thing. Had that same game happened in '98, there wouldn't have been enough Yanks around to voice displeasure. Maybe it didn't matter, but the fans who were there made it known they weren't happy, and the refs of Uruguay and players of Italy have, trust me, seen it much, much worse before. It's not something we should do, especially at home games, but spending out time wringing our hands about "what it means" isn't all that necessary either.

Obviously we should aspire to be model citizens, but I don't see it as a seminal event in American Soccer Hooliganism. Just don't.

In Nuremberg this week, I'm sure we'll be back to normal.

[gswitatrophy]

In a heated game all of this is to be expected. I am impressed we actually began to throw stuff but my only question is where does it end up? a cup can only go so far and probably not far enough to hit the field. Im not saying throw anything heavier to get it to the field but unless I was close enough to hit the field I dont see a point to throwing stuff and potentially hitting some of our own fans. Good job guys for making yourselves heard though during the course of the game!!

[gosh1976]

I was a little dissapointed in it (just a little) and very dissapointed with a US (acting just as bad if not worse than the Italian flag waiving guy after the goal that someone mentioned) fan that was being an ass to an Italian standing in line in front of me just waiting to get a beer minding his own business the only low points other than the horrendous situation inside the train station after the game....

[TheMutts]

I do not condone this behavior but i completly understand it. If i was there I think I would have been throwing things, maybe even myself onto the pitch.

As long as it doesnt get worse than this I think we are ok.

Also remeber (not that this is an excuse) but we are better behaved than other countries fans for the most part

[Palermo10]

I am going to bring toilet paper to toss around the stands on Thursday - any objections?

(clean and unused TP, that is)

[taylor]

I am going to bring toilet paper to toss around the stands on Thursday - any objections?

(clean and unused TP, that is)

In all fairness Palermo, if you colleceted all the cups, you probably came out with 120 Euros.... :)


Good supporting Palermo!

[27 Deg Celcius]

Typical NFL behaviour brought across, from the fake football to the real classy sport. :rolleyes:

[DrunkCajun]

I am going to bring toilet paper to toss around the stands on Thursday - any objections?

(clean and unused TP, that is)

Good luck getting it past security, it's one of the things they're looking for.

[Palermo10]

Really? Because one of the other games had it all over - and the Croatia game they managed to bring flares. I didnt think theyd care about TP

[AGF Aarhus]

Good luck getting it past security, it's one of the things they're looking for.
That's odd, since you can get it pretty easily inside the stadium.