Haven't seen the article yet, but here are more pictures: http://www.jamesdimmock.com/shoots/reportage Doesn't sound like we're talked about favorably.
anybody know what the cover looks like? I'm gonna stop by Borders on the way home and try to find a copy.
February issue? http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/magazine/2011/february January. http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/magazine/2011/january
There are different versions of GQ, right? So it might not even be in the American one. I guess it probably would, just sayin.
Here's a sniff of the tone of the piece: "America's new soccer fans are noisy and desperate for legitimacy. But it's hard to take them seriously when they call themselves the Centennial Firm, the Hudson Street Hooligans, the District Ultras or the LA Riot Squad." ..(at the Columbus away tailgate):...."I say hello to another Brit, Doug, from Reading. He supports West Ham, but has lived in Philadelphia for 12 years. He's not a typical West Ham fan. He's quite nerdy. In fact, everyone here is quite nerdy. (An American friend tells me, "That's because they're nerds") The atmosphere is very flat. I expected more. When Bill Buford wrote about British soccer culture in Among The Thugs, he described the experience as euphoric. Here I am, among the Dougs, and it feels as if everyone's on Ritalin."
Why not? Typical British tabloid journalism? Ah just read the above quote. These are the same type of bastards that lied about Hillsborough. So I wouldn't be too concerned. It's not like anyone reads GQ anyway.
Wait... is that Cory in that cover shot? And if they're judging us based on our showing at the Columbus away match then yes, it was pretty flat. But then again, our 15 or 20 people were no where near as flat as their home fans... or their keeper if I recall correctly.
They were also at the Red Bull home match. From what I understood, the article was about supporters who didn't want the hooligan image. But to be honest Doug is a nerd.
Correct; they were at our final home match and at the SOB tailgate prior to the match. The photographer was actually a Brit living in NY, the writer had flown in from the UK.
Small quote from the article regarding the Red Bull game: ..."Rivera, like all the capos, is standing with his back to the game, as he has been since kick-off, conducting the chants. I ask him why he's not watching the match. "Who cares about the match?" he says. "It's all about having fun" This doesn't feel like football. It feels like role-play."
So far, from the things I'm reading, it sounds as if this brit journalist came here with preconceived notions of how he wanted this piece to go and then only took note of the things which re-enforced his stance It seems, to me, that this article is a put-down and is written in more of a taunting manner than objective journalism should allow for. For those of you with whom this writer interacted, what was your impression of him in the time that he was here? Did he give you any indication as to how he was going to handle the subject matter?
If the article is about how most American soccer supporters are Euro-wannabes who can't pull it off, it's probably right on the money. The Sons of Ben aren't nearly as bad as other MLS groups, but if someone came to us looking for that element, they'd find it. I'm an SOB, I'm a Union fan, and I plan on being both of those til the day I die, but it's a huge turnoff for me that many people spend their time trying to make the group like other groups. If you want the rest of the world to respect you, you have to learn how to be yourself. Not how to be like the rest of the world.