Next time someone wants to complain about atmosphere at The Dick (Part II)...

well first off for opening day 2007 we (La Barra Brava) brought a group out and we had nothing but trouble. 10 or 15 of our people were tossed out, one for saying the name of the stadium. i went to try and sort things out with security and some young man who was a "supervisor with the pepsi center" came over and started trying to bait me until a commerce city cop told him to get out of my face.

the harassment continued all day long (including my girlfriend and her daughter racially abused by the Dick staff).

we've decided as a group we'll never travel to colorado again. ever.


many years ago (1999-2000) we had horrible problems with CSC and security in our stadium. i worked many years with DC United and the RFK staff to solve the problem. what ended up working was having actual police in front of our group. we've never had a problem since them. the same cops, who are well trained in crowd control, work each game (in uniform) and are greatly respected by our membership.

it was very bad prior to the police stepping in. security broke one of our member's legs (who successfully pursued legal action), myself and the barra brava founder had several fistfights with security, as did many of our members.

but now things have worked out. no security can replace a well-trained cop for stadium security--at least that's our experience in the Barra

 

Let me add that we had one member taken to the hospital for a concussion (he hit his head at the tailgate) and one to the drunk tank. The Rapids Front Office were the most unhelpful arrogant worthless pricks after the game. We were trying to assertain which hospital the guy with the concussion was taken to and if the drunk tank guy was arrested and where the tank was located. Although we finally received the name of the hospital and the drunk tank the Rapids Front Office guy refused to walk 30 feet to his office to help us with directions.

We drive around until some of our members returned to the hotel, hit the internet, and gave us directions over the phone. On top of this were the usual stories of unwarrented ejections, baiting, harrassment, racial abuse, etc.

I have been to almost every MLS stadium as an away fan. I have talked to numerous front offices. The Rapids Front Office is the worst front office in the entire league bar none.

 

That's just a crying shame to hear all of the horror stories going on at the Dick.

Here you have your own stadium with a group of people who truly want to support the team, and yet you don't WANT them to do that.

The front office of Colorado sounds retarded. I mean they literally must have some mental disability. In order to sell your product, you must have people who want to buy the product. It's kind of hard to do that when you drive your hardcore customers away.

I don't know if the MLS front office has any control here, but i'd love to see them step in and do something about it.

 

This is just insane to me. I'm a Colorado native (Vail) and this kind of fascist behavior seems so entirely different than the general attitude of the Colorado I know. It is truly sickening. Maybe it's just the mountains, but what happened to the laid-back CO I grew up in? Good luck Rapids Supporters!!

 

You'd think that MLS HQ would step in at some point. They have to be alarmed at the dwindling numbers in Colorado. Also, they must see the successful growing of the fan base going on in KC and Columbus which is largely due to the embracing of support groups.

In fact, league wide you see growing supporters groups. Most notably in DC, Chicago, LA, Houston, Toronto, Columbus, KC, and to a lesser degree SJ, Dallas, NE, NY.

These fans help sell the league.

I hope Colorado's FO wakes up and starts working with you guys.

 

If you can't understand getting kicked out for that than it's probably good that you were. You're kidding right? Just because the name Dick is in the park, doesn't suddenly make it okay to chant it in perverse manners. Not to be confused with one who'd be offended by this, but if you honestly don't understand....

 

2007 Attendance Average (full season): 14,749
2008 Attendance so far: 14,171

I sincerely doubt 600 fans a game would cause MLS HQ to step in, especially when, historically, the Rapids attendance climbs during September and October. It's sad, but attendance numbers would have to drop off much, much more than that for MLS HQ to even lift an eyebrow.

I personally hope that the treatment by Argus of section 100 would be enough to at least merit a look from MLS HQ. But the attendance numbers won't change a thing.

 

Alright then ;-) 5-6 times a years ? That's some serious vacationing! I get back to Vail once a year and am well tapped after that ;-)

 

HARDEN THE FCUK UP! lol

 

Well you've had your Beckham game, we'll see where the numbers go from here. You do still have Blanco coming to town.

 

Whether because it's been a league-wide initiative, or because it's just been individual SGs working harder and smarter, the atmosphere and the organized groups have CLEARLY taken a step forward this season. Anyway, if it's a league wide effort, I would hope they could work with the folks in Denver to get that crap straightened out.

 

how do u know they were saying it in a perverse manner?? how do u know they werent just chanting it for some other reason?? you have NO PROOF behind your assumptions. Besides it was not derogatory, there was no cursing so i really dont know how this is bad..by your logic someone screaming out I LOVE DICK I LOVE DICK can get kicked out even if the player on the field is named DICK..

 

I'm not saying they were right to eject people for that chant, but if you are going to take this position and claim that someone could be chanting "dick dick dick suck my dick sporting goods" for some innocent reason, you are going to be viewed as the worst kind of antagonist who security will always look to eject.

 

This is actually one of the stupidest arguments I've ever heard. I don't condone the tossing out over the chant, but if one can't possibly see the printed chant as intentionally vulgar and would think even for a second that it might be otherwise...well that's just flat out dumb. What do you mean how do I know ? Is there any other possible meaning of saying suck my dick? Any at all? Give me a break.

 

As the leader of a Rapids Supporters Group, I think what they do in that stadium is complete SH|T. I honestly can't enjoy myself anymore.

They harass too many people, and eject wayyy too many people for stupid things. I warm anyone coming in on the treatment they hand down, and multiple people are now bieng banned for the season for one smoke bomb. The FO stated that it is toxic and someone could potentially die.

COMPLETE BS!

So.....

They are losing many people at the end of this year, and things are only getting worse.

 

First things first, you need to itemize what problems the Colorado Front Office has with you as a group. You mention one (you make other sections unsellable), but why? What are you doing that hurts? What other excuses do they have?

We can't really find a solution without a detailed understanding of the problem. I can guess as to what the details are, but let's be explicit.

 

In Utah, we rent our stadium and RSL has to pay a cleaning fee for streamers and confetti and smoke bombs and..... everything. Near our section a couple of 10-year-old girls were escorted out of their seats by some old witch for throwing confetti. A season ticket holder was threatened to be banned for tossing a beach ball in the stands. We've been restricted from the NW corner of the stadium near the corner so we can't heckle the opposition on corner kicks. Guys have been kicked out for swearing. In our rowdy RCB/FCB section, they actually have staff checking tickets and not letting anyone join their section if the ticket is in the assigned area. This is despite a previous agreement that this would be allowed in order to bolster SG support for when the new stadium opens.

And yet, none of this is nearly as bad as what is going on in Colorado. My sympathy is extended.

 

At least here in New England, our stadium's security (TeamOps) is owned by the same people who own the Revs and Gillette Stadium (the Kraft family and their investors) so we do have a working dialogue with them. It is a stretch to say relations are ideal, but there is a line of communication we can have.

 

According to a post in the Rapids forum, Crew fans are now joining Barra Brava in refusing to travel to Colorado due to the actions of security at The Dick.

 

I'm seeing these threads and one thing for sure HAS TO HAPPEN: the unified effort for all supporters groups to petition something be done about this. I'm putting my rivalry mask aside here and state that enough is enough with Colorado's or ANY front office for that matter. The Supporter's Summit is the prime location to express, in a civil intellectual but straight-up way our stance toward's stadium security staff, the suits, and whatever other discrepancies have occured this season. Has anyone filed a complaint through the Better Business Bureau? Things like this has to be in writing in any kid of form, whether a complaint to the team and/or league via email, comms with the BBB. If it's not in writing, there's less a chance of some progressive action taken.

 

I was headed to Denver for the Crew-Rapids game, but had a change of plans. I was out at the Dallas-Rapids game earlier this year and have to admit that the atmosphere there sucks. And it appeared they were way too heavyhanded with security.

I like the stadium. Enjoyed the game. But the atmosphere was lacking.

Sykotyk