I'm hoping that we're all just blowing off steam. Let's see what Oscar and Rob have to say in a day or two. But if they decide to stick to their guns, I'm sticking with them--any boycott of RFK by the Barra includes me.
Me too. Although, once evryone cools down, I hope things work out for us. No Barra Brava would be like losing a family member. All 250 + of them.
Stephen, As I stated in an earlier thread, the CSC "supervisor" went out of his way to confront Oscar in a hostile manner. When he did so he sprayed a large amount of spit into Oscar's face. (As I also said earlier I think this was probably accidental on his part, but it makes no difference, the CSC employee is not there to fight with anyone...) The two of them then proceeded to slap each other. The video tape, (if it exists) should confirm this. I love DC United to death, but when a member of the MPD is threatening to arrest CSC employees for making threats at fans and Oscar and Rob are being asked to write apologies or are banned from the stadium, there is simply no way I can continue to attend DC United matches. Soccer is my life but second rate security guards are not worth risking my life for...
Yeah. Anyone that has a dish can get the game. I saw it done pretty well at a UVA football tailgate last year with a nice flatscreen in the back of a van.
Only person I saw say something about BB disbanding is in LN groups don't disband (if BB does it will be another "only in America" ) anything else I heard was boycott of some sort (sitting at game or staying in Lot8 during game etc). Whatever, even if we stay out for 2 years, DCU will eventually have a stadium where they're authority. There should most definitelly not be any letters of apology. However I am glad that they're demanding apology letter... I was wondering how they would manage to top the idiocy of banner grass burning and they sure came through big time Dear CSC, Go fuck yourself Sincerelly, LA Barra Brava
Unfortunately it's not that simple Barb. Putting your heart and soul into something you love for 10 years only to get punched in the face for all your troubles isn't worth it. They boot Oscar and Rob, there is no more Barra Brava.
Very well said. And to be clear, I'm not coming to matches unless we get a fair result from this, AND MPD ONLY are covering the Barra section. After what happened at the match, these thugs are only going to be emboldened to step the harrasment up a couple notches. It is a fact that it's happened more times than I can count in the past. BTW, BBB's note gets my seal of approval.
Your efforts are the only reason that this did not happen sooner. Your efforts to separate your problems with CSC and the stadium management from the Barra are only another testament to your love of the Barra and the extent that you are willing to go for the good of the Barra.
How do you stop CSC personnel from behaving badly? How do you stop Troy Scott and Li Thompson from behaving badly in the aftermath? Not your fault.
Get over that sh!t right now. Could you have done thinks differently, yes. Would they have made any difference, given the way they treated and attacked Oscar I doubt it. This is in no way your fault. Anyone that says different needs to look up and find all the Barra surrounding them in a dark alley somewhere. -dave
I certainly hope not. Acting like a petulant child and trying to come up with ways to damage the field at RFK Stadium - even the parts only used by the Washington Nationals is a horrifically bad idea. It wouldn't prove a point, it would be low grade "terrorism." Striking out rather than taking the high road - or at least working through the team. In the end you would do nothing but perpetuate the stereotype that plagues soccer fans - thereby harming everything you seem to be a proponent of.
As I said before,talk is cheap. We need to take some actions. Oscar files assault charges, we boycott and DCU will see how the "Team" reacts without our support..... specially if we get to the playoffs. NO DRUMS, NO BANNERS, NO BARRA, NO ROADTRIPS. DC UNITED needs to understand and take some action! HECK lets move to a college stadium until they build one for us....
Banner in front of Barra is touching the grass. For some ridiculous reason it is destroying it as we speak. Do you a) contact someone from DCU and have DC FO person ask BB people to lift it 6 inches until it can be discussed between games. b) contact one of many BB with stadium thingy around their necks and ask if banner can be lifted of the grass for whatever reason until it can be discussed between games. I would have gladly done it for this game as I'm used to ridiculous stuff they come up with to pass time (like flagpoles ) c) go take the banner off yourself
Fact: You're a paying fan. Fact: You attend games for fun and relaxation. Fact: American culture in general and RFK Stadium specifically, condone and promote the use of alcohol at games. Suppositon: You probably had a few beers. Analysis: While you accepted a position of some responsibility, you never stopped being a paying customer. You receive no reimbursement for your responsibility. The onus should be on stadium staff to understand that they - especially if you weren't displaying a credential - were dealing with a fan who was under the influence of judgement impairing alcohol - a product that they condone and promote. This is not an excuse - it's analysis. Don't beat yourself up. While the actions that you and Stephen have described are not 9-5/businessman actions, they're actually quite normal for an after hours paying sports customer in the middle of a game. The actions that are harder to explain are the other side. These folks are "on the clock" being paid to maintain peace and decorum and to make sure that the patrons (including you and Oscar) and facility (including the grass) are kept safe. It really looks like management on the other side failed miserably. You are taking more than your share of responsibility for your actions. I've yet to see any indication of the same from the stadium side.
It's not your fault Rob, it's just sad. However I don't see with calmer heads, how this shouldnt be fairly simple to resolve. 1.) The issue of "apology letters" is dropped immediately. 2.) There is no ban on any member of the Barra Brava. (While you or others may not have acted "properly" it does not warrent a suspension. You were not even ejected from the stadium! --Can Stephen please ask CSC or the Stadium A. why 3 years ago was ejected from the stadium, accused of assualting a CSC employee, and had my leg broken and won a lawsuit and yet I was not "banned" and you were?) 3.) CSC agrees to take action against the supervisor that spit on/confronted Oscar and the confrontational blue shirt #1054 (?) with fighting gloves. 4.) MPD and ONLY MPD is allowed to "guard" the Barra Brava, Screaming Eagles, and La Norte. This does not mean "Police-Lite" or private security officers dressed in pseudo MPD uniforms. (Another question that I would appreciate Stephen asking the stadium authorities involved is, if the Barra is so bad, why is it that our conduct has not involved us with security or police since CSC left only to re-arise when they return.)
One thing that this incident seems to illustrate, much like the silly inflatable doll bit during the Chivas game, is that DCSEC has simply stopped trying to use the team as a conduit to get things taken care of in the supporters sections when they see something that displeases them. They've effectively changed the rules of engagement without letting either the team or the BB/SE leaders in on the fact that they now feel they can directly order people about in the supporters sections. If the Barra elders are expecting to be told by Steve Zack and DCU that there's a problem and instead they get ordered to do something by CSC without the team's involvement, how the hell are they supposed to be able to tell whether CSC is following a DCSEC directive or whether the CSC demand is the byproduct of an overzealous security person acting on his own without proper authority?
If all those conditions are agreed to (all of which are more than reasonable) the I'll continue to come to games.
And they have an easy solution to that to, they can stop moving the stands over there. Would save them a load of cash too... Legal ways are the method to approach this. We have almost 2 weeks until the next home game, I will continue to believe that Stephen (and all DCU) will continue to do everything they can to resolve this situation appropriately (i.e. not having Oscar and Rob banned, forgetting this apology bullsh!t, getting an apology to Oscar and Rob and the whole Barra, and firing at a minimum the fvcker that got physical). If at a minimum Oscar and Rob are not allowed back into the stadium without having to apologize for something that they didn't do, regardless if it is my fault or not DCU can forget seeing more $$ from me until they get out from under DCSEC. Anything less than my view on "resolving this situation appropriately" will still make me think long and hard before I re-up my season tickets next year and I would probably just change to day of game which would probably mean far less games (I enjoy them all, but there are sometimes I just don't want to bother driving in). Stephen, Again, thank you for all your help on this. I hope you are able to find the balance that makes us happy as well as DCSEC. I don't envy your job in this regard. -dave
Oh and idiot discussions posts from URWormfood about destroying the grass aren't going to help mitigate anything. Quit acting like an ass, Worm.