And to the contrary, if Vancouver goes up early and United doesn't play exciting, attack ball, without Barra drums and chants to pull us through, we will witness a wake for this team.
I find that I enjoy the game much more when I have a good bit of buffer distance between me and the endless repetitive drums of the supporter groups. But then I'm over 50. I get headaches easier than I used to.
If i had known so many people felt this way about the loud side and SG behavior I probably wouldve stopped going years ago I had no idea There are much more important things happening in the world but that's kinda depressing tbh
Well, there's a lot of pressure on the SEs to fill the void ... Most of us don't think they can based on the weak showing in March vs Houston when their drums were gone before Lucho tied it. Or their muted presence vs Columbus or their weak ass showing in the Open Cup vs NCFC or their non-existent showing in the Open Cup game vs Orlando City. But we will see. Its a long haul and lot of water to carry that they've thus far not demonstrated that they can. I'd like to see them do it, on their own, without the club buying paying for the tifo, but I don't think they can.
I'm not saying I dont want supporter groups there. I think they are awesome. What we are seeing is a disconnect between what the SGs are supposed to be versus what they actually are. Aren't they they there to support the team and express their fandom in their own unique way? A lot of posts I'm seeing here and around social media paint the picture that people in these groups feel like they ARE the entertainment and that people come out to see THEM. The attitude seems opposite. Arent we all at the game to cheer on DC United. Maybe I'm off base here idk.
Both great posts. Perhaps that's what the club is hoping for; a more British style of atmosphere where a well-timed chant/song can break out from anywhere in the stands and slowly grows its way round the stadium. It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as the sound gets louder as everyone joins in. The "casual" fans feel more invested in it, and subsequently more likely to become regulars. Contrary to above; a flat mood isn't always a bad thing - it's probably because the team isn't playing very well. FYI to those of you complaining about the squad or FO: things change when there's a restless crowd that makes themselves (not) heard. SGs singing the same, tired chants non-stop for 90 minutes regardless of the on-field product is all well and good, but the FO won't pay any attention if there are 20,000 bums in seats and the old song sheet is sung as per. Also why can't more chants begin based on what's happening on the pitch? It says it all that the "capos" are more interested in who's not singing than watching the actual match. How about we cheer to reflect the ebb and flow of the game, like getting behind the team when they're having a rough spell? I can't be the only one sick of the SG playlist stuck on "repeat all" whatever the score; I only join in when the team needs a lift, or is on the attack. The 34th rendition of "Vamos United" as the ball goes out for a DCU goal kick. As pr0ner says, the place has potential to be mental and intimidating if the team shows some good stuff. If not, then we can only someone gets the message because business as usual clearly hasn't worked for the past few years. As an aside, it'd also be great to have some creativity from the SGs! Why not come up with original songs about individual players (ours or the opposition), or the teams we're playing? Singing about the wings of an eagle and <insert city name here> is about as much as it changes from game to game. Have a laugh with it. FFS, even something like "Arriola wooaahh, Arriola wooaahh, his name sounds like a nipple, we love to watch him dribble" is a (woeful) start. Hopefully the SEs will be able to do something new and different without other SGs to take into account. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow and will be in full voice. I hope everyone else enjoys it and we can all come around to embracing a new start in our own place!
Good point -- I do remember one: Sin cojones, sin cojones, Sin cojones Donovan No tiene nada huevos Sin cojones Donovan Other than that -- not so much.
No, I definitely do get that feeling from a lot of the social media dragging and some of the quotes in the most recent media articles that some members of BB and DU think the team owes them and everyone else, non supporters group members included, can go pound sand until the hardcores get what they want.
Regardless of what the hardcores think, the shoe is on the other foot, at least until the stadium is empty on Wednesday nights or the sellouts on the weekends start dwindling. Its Jason Levien's ball, he can do what he wants with it. I can't say I am real happy with how the club has chosen to treat me and devalue my experience, but that's life. I look forward to new ownership and hopefully a new managing partner who will look past the thin veneer greasy polish put on this gem, because DCU can still be that juggernaut with good management better/some community relations.
When DC United built their marketing plans around their fabled support and featured the supporters groups prominently in their media packages, one might think that an invitation to be a part of the conversation would have been extended. From all accounts DC United shut off communication between itself and BB/DU in the fall. Before conversations even took place. Whatever narrative you'd like to spin, from "things were always going to change and it's sour grapes" to "the front office hates foreigners" and every notch in between, it's pretty obvious DC United wanted things to go down this way. They wanted to have control over the supporters groups. And they do. Thx, Jay!
Supporter group tickets are cheaper because the groups provide leadership in supporting the team in the stadium and provide advertising opportunities for the team. The front office calculation was that reducing the number of BB and DU fans in the stadium, they could raise revenue by selling the tickets to higher-paying fans. They managed to do that when they changed one section from supporters to regular seats. However, the opening game is tomorrow and they still have at least 400 seats that they didn't sell, even though they brought in a star player. If the product in the field improves, they might get the additional income. If it doesn't, they will lose money by not selling tickets through BB and DU.
and the team does owe us, and everyone else that fought for this stadium for 20 years to writing letters, to sitting in offices of council members, to talking at committee meetings and everypne that are involved in one way or another. I have not seen anything thanking all those folks cause they are the reason this happened NOT levien. What alot of people DONT know is that we could of had Buzzard years ago, but said no due to the limitations of the area. KP and all had a grander vision of this club, not a small 19k seat stadium with ZERO chance of expanding. He wanted THE US venue, one that could be used for national matches all the time, one that was built correct. yes we have a stadium, yes we wont be there in voice tomorrow, yes the SEs asked for the agreement as provn today, yes this is going to suck, BUT... the club is still in DC and things can change. See you all at the march.
I'm not on social media, so I don't know what you're talking about. But given the truly enormous amount of time I spent lobbying my DC council member on DCU's behalf, going to community meetings/ANC meetings/etc. to help portray DCU as a good community member, all trying to help get the stadium built, etc., not to mention the ridiculous amount of my money (and the money of newcomers I've brought to DCU games) that the team has . . .given all that, you're right, there is something I think the team owes me: basic decency and respect, rather than contempt and ridicule.
Good chant, but it didn't work. Donovan owned us and the more anti-Donovan chants the better he played.
That's what I've been saying. The SGs make the game more interesting than having a library-like atmosphere, for sure, but people buy tickets to see a soccer game. Or eat gourmet pupusas, I guess.
I knew things would not be the same for SGs in the new stadium. But nobody expected that one SG would get a good/decent deal and the others would be shut out. That is just a big FU from the team. If I had not already committed to buying tickets, I would not be going tomorrow. And I sure as hell won't be buying any more tickets. I have been told to fvck off, and fvck off I will.
James has brought this on the Eagles. The rank and file are paying for the errors in judgement of their leadership.
I was going to remain silent on this but you're wrong. You can look down on it but my feelings about the on-field product have ranged from passive disinterest to outright digust for the majority of the past decade. There have been scattered moments of brilliant play (for example the joy of Lewis Neal's playoff clincher) but when I went just for soccer?...it was to watch our opponent. The fun and relaxed fan experience spearheaded by all the SGs kept me interested enough to buy tickets and join my friends long after my enthusiasm for the team shriveled up.
I'm not sure whether I prefer this cover: Or this cover with its visual accompaniment (NSFW, music starts at 1:48):
He was on Jason Davis' show on SiriusXMFC today clearing up misconceptions, like they actually do have a tailgate space and he had to accept the best deal for his club. Thx, Jay!
I've been coming to DC United games for years, and for the Diplomats before them, which means I've seen good teams and bad teams. Right now, we have a bad team with some good parts; a team that I think could do well with more investment and better coaching. But I love the game itself so much that I will continue as a STH as long as I can hobble from Metro to Audi Field, and I will feel disappointed if they don't improve, but I won't feel personally insulted and threaten to stay home until the team meets my high minimum standards. I get the feeling that some of the SGs feel personally slighted by what is clearly poor customer relations, but staying home may not make the statement they are hoping for. I will miss the songs and (some of) the boisterousness, but that's not what I bought my ticket for. It's good entertainment, but what I come to see is on the pitch. I have hopes that the SGs will be mollified by the club, just as I have hopes that that wealthy LA doctor will breeze in, buy out our subpar current ownership, and put money and good management into the franchise. And if a large population of singing, chanting supporters is present to lead us on, more the better.
This ain’t the fisrt time Barra Brava threw a temper tantrum and it won’t be the last. I’ve seen this movie before.