I know a handful of guys who work there. A lot of stuff gets put up by an employee (former or current) that just becomes part of the place. It both gives the place character while making it feel a bit chaotic.
Serious thought: Has anyone ever thought of petitioning the FO to ban drums? If they truly are the biggest blocker of SG unification (which I don't fully agree with, but realize it is a very difficult thing to overcome) then why not ask for them to be banned? Other stadiums in the league don't allow drums, I believe. Why should we?
I like drums, just not chaotic drumming. I wasn't a fan of Salsa Gringa, but I would be in favor of a team-organized drum group. Something along the lines of "To be allowed to bring a drum, you have to be pre-approved and agree to use the following drum cadences to support and bolster certain fan chants and cheers." Sounds dictatorial, but I would love to see support rather than choas or active fan-fighting white noise.
I'm guessing there would be less overall stink over banning drums, vs forcing them to actually participate.
I think the only way to regulate it would be to make all the SG's consolidate into one. If not, you're just going to end up with what we have now.
The FO would need the ability to see the forest past the trees.There's no way this will happen anytime soon.
I would be totally against that. I might go as far as not attend games. Banning drums looks like you're singling out one group of fans who like to support in a way that reflects their culture and its attachment to the game. One thing that I cannot stand about American soccer fans is the idea that you have to be just like Europe with chants and scarves, etc. Could there be more unity among the SGs so that La Barra and the other groups take turns? Yes. Absolutely. But banning drums is toeing a line that I'd rather not see the FO come close to. Besides, we've seen what happens when the drums aren't there...nothing. When La Barra isn't there for USOC games what happens? The other south end supporters don't make enough noise to be heard and the cool kids in Sec. 35 who are only there to be seen looking like cool punk rock fans just stand there and look like cool punk rock fans. So until the cool white kids can prove that they can do anything more than stand around and look like cool white kids, I say bang away La Barra, bang away.
Idk. Maybe have a separate drum section that is not affiliated with any SG. Call it the "drummers guild" or something. That way they all sit together and could have a conductor of sorts to coordinate things. With the divisive interaction of SGs in the past, it would probably have to be a new and separate thing.
fair points Section 35 reminds me of the MUSS at Utah basketball games. Some guys are there because they love the game, but most are there because it is the cool thing to do. My proposal was purely to point out there is a solution to the supposed issue. Like I said in that very post, though, I don't think the drums are the issue. I think they're an excuse for the larger ego driven problem
I have heard the chanting though when the drums aren't there. I think the hard part is comparing the rare one off game and thinking that would be the norm. I would bet if there were consistently no drums, the chants would pickup because people would be consistently hearing those chants. Most people probably only know a few of the very simple chants, because the rest are impossible to hear most of the time. I'm personally just tired of hearing the exact same beat for 90 minutes. It'd be nice if they could do something else, or even stop for some sections of the game to let everyone else have a shot.
I'm all for cooperation. I think it would be great if they organized. Get rid of Sec. 35 and move them to the South End. Have La Barra do stuff for 10 minutes, let another SG do something for 10, etc. Hell, if some of the other SGs brought drums to give others a hint as to what chant they're doing, it might help. Getting rid of drums singles out one group and that's not what RSL should be about.
That is mostly done by supporters of European Clubs. At Austria Salzburg the "CURVA VIOLA" is coordinating the different Fan-Clubs (SG) since many years and since this time the former troubles between these groups are away. We have one "Main-Chorister" and - depending on the number of supporters - some Assistents for him. He is conducting our drums and they give the rhythm for the chants and are supporting them. Union Berlin has a little bit different situation, but there are too responsible groups ("WUHLESYNDIKAT" & EISERNER V.I.R.U.S.) for the coordination. IMHO it is the only way to bring all SG to such an common coordination board and to define the rules there.
Deleted a reactionary post about what's been said about section 35 by a few of you, but I'm curious what those that would criticize the supporters here are doing to make the supporters culture at Rio Tinto better for everyone? Do you bring flags? Do you get those around you involved in chants? Do you spend time and money designing, organizing and painting tifo? Do you answer the call when SGs need help with displays or tailgates or fan parties? If the answer to any of that is no then I would encourage you to step up and help us make it better. The biggest issue with supporters is that there's not enough of us. The one thing we have an over-abundance of is people telling us how to do better but not wanting to do the work.
From the outside looking in, it just feels like there are too many groups, who all have a different idea on how to go about things. It makes it hard to coordinate anything when everyone is on a different page. If they were to all get along and coordinate, or even just unify into one SG, it'd become a lot easier to get more people involved. From where I sat, I couldn't hear the north end at all because of the drums. The south end I typically couldn't tell what chant they were doing until they were about to move onto another, also due to the drums. Even if the drums weren't in the picture, which chant should I join in on? They're all doing something different a lot of the time.
I want it on the record that you're one of the passionate people in 35. What you do (along with the others in that area that are passionate) is really awesome. I should be able to make it to the paint invite you sent out. I think events like that go a whole lot further than anything at the actual game. That's where relationships get built. Thanks for coordinating that. You should share a venmo account here for that, just a thought. But lets not pretend everyone in that section is like that. You've got a bit of a followers crowd that are there to say they are there. It is great for you guys, I guess, but it gives part of the section (typically the top half) a feel of "we're cool cuz we stand here" vibe. It is not your responsibility to weed these people out, by any means. And really, the hope is they'll move on from being cool for being there to being cool because they actually are invested. But the annoyance isn't unfounded. This conversation comes up every year and it's fascinating to get perspectives of people very much in it (like you and some others on here) those on the outside (many on here) and those that straddle and piss both sides off (hey, that's me). There is no single right answer. There are a lot of wrong answers, though, and the current situation feels like one of them if we're being honest.
Out of curiosity, with the tight MLS security measures, how does one bring a drum into the stadium? I've got a djembe drum that I'm sure all the families in section 24 would just loooove me to bang on the entire game... On a less sarcastic note, my wife did bring a snare drum once during the Rice-Eccles Loyalist days and had a great time.
When I first started going to Columbus Crew games (after they moved into Mapfre) it was a similar vibe to what we have at RSL games. There were multiple SGs that inhabited the North End, each with their own section. One group would start something and another would do something else so eventually it just became a mess and no one chanted or banged drums. In essence the atmosphere sucked. Then came the stage. The North End was ripped out to make room for a stage and all the supporters were moved to the NE corner and the "Nordecke" was born. The atmosphere was 180 degrees from what it was before. Groups worked together and made games a lot more fun. I think RSL could learn a thing or two. First, as I've said, I'd put everyone in one area. Second, there needs to be a strong supporters council. I don't know, maybe there already is one but friends I've talked to that are in SGs in other cities swear by them. It really serves to get everyone on the same page. This could also be the catalyst for Capos to organize the entire supporters section rather than just one group. As for me, I was a member of the Royal Army a few years ago. I wanted to join a SG but my wife (who attends games with me) didn't want to stand the whole game so I joined RA because they didn't have a section. I tried to make some inroads with the group but realized it was really cliquey and decided that I didn't want to be in an SG any more. While some in Sec. 35 really seem to want to be a part of the experience, too often I just see the same group of cool kids all standing there like cool kids. Having sat in Sec. 33 it was really annoying as they'd block my view. I wouldn't have minded if they were chanting of banging drums but just standing? It also chapps my ass a little because they're standing around doing nothing in a prime seating area that I'd love to sit in but I can't because it's a "supporters" section. But I digress. It's also concerning to me that one of the go-to things that people bring up about supporters culture, or lack thereof, is La Barra. Maybe it's the way my ears work but I tend to just let the rhythmic drumming fade into the background. I can't do that when the Timbers Army or Seattle fans show up and do the same five chants for 90 minutes.
Thanks, and I agree with your second paragraph. The answer, to me, is getting more people more involved, like I said above. I don't give a shit about the people who are hang-arounds. There are 50-100 people in that section that really give it their all, spending their time and money to make 35 as good as we can be. I would love to replace that top half with people who are as dedicated as I am. All it takes is more people moving over. The south goal is going to be better this year and they've been better the last few. We're getting closer to unifying but to some extent it will always be fractured. I love where I sit and I'm not moving cause "i need to sit with other SGs." No thanks. I imagine a lot of people in 26 feel the same. The answer is building out from the current SG cores. It will take years. But the more people we get involved earlier the better. My big thing is if you want change, get involved.
I realize the topic of "banning" drums has already been chopped up... But it never ceases to amaze me how people jump to the idea of banning something because they don't like it. It's ridiculous and in no way justified. How about we ban people that don't have drums with them? An equally absurd suggestion. Bang the drum if that's how you engage with RSL to show your support. Wave a flag if that's how you show support. Ban yourself if you can't hang with the crowd, don't ruin it for other people.
And if the drums are ruining it for other people? What then? Even if they were something like half volume, you'd be able to hear and join in a lot easier. That's why I think the better course of action would be to get them to play an actual beat that goes along with the chants. With that, people over time will recognize which beat goes to the chant, and be able to easily join in. It also gives some variety, which I feel the drums are sorely lacking. I'd feel the same way if the SG's only ever chanted one thing all game. It gets stale.
I disagree. End of the day we're buying entertainment. Of course my feedback will be the seller stop doing/ban something that I dont like, and its my money so I'm completely justified in providing that feedback. If more people stop paying for the entertainment because drums are there than those that would stop paying if drums aren't, then there is strong justification to ban the drums. This is not specifically against the drums, I actually dont have a strong opinion on them staying or going. Just more the fact that if I buy a product I am justified in providing feedback on what I dont like on the the product (companies spend large amounts of money to get that feedback, here on BS we give it away for free), and others are fully justified by saying it adds value, not detracts.
Sure, you have the right to spend your money on what and where you want. No question there. However, you can provide all the feedback you want but you still won't be able to get 20K people to cheer how you'd like them to. You're far better off not spending your money because, well, drums.
It isn't about whether or not there are drums. The issue is you have a recalcitrant group who bangs really loud drums for 2/3 of the game and refuses to negotiate with the other SG's in a meaningful way. That being said, there has been increased cooperation over the last year or two. There have been a few coordinated chants, with the drums, but then it immediately reverts to "Da-le da-le da-le da-le da, BOOM BOOM!!!" for 10 mintues straight." Drums aren't the problem. It's in the implementation. It isn't like they are vuvuzelas or anything.... Ban that shit.