Feel free to move this or delete it, I'm just being catty because I think it's hilarious. New USA Supporters Group StatesUnitedSG has already closed shop after massive backlash.
So this guy who believes in the Great Replacement Theory and has posted all this hateful shit - especially towards LGBTQ people, started a new Supporters Group where the purpose was "No Politics". In other words, only politics I agree with is allowed and ******** you if you have a pride flag or what not. People quickly saw through their BS and ratio'ed them into oblivion.
This guy, as obnoxious and ridiculous as he is/was, is really no different than many of the supporters groups around the league who insist on constantly pushing political crap in the stadium. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again, there's absolutely no reason to bring politics into the stadium. Walk your obnoxious self over to city hall or the statehouse and wave your political flag or banner. You aren't changing anyone's mind by doing that in the stadium. Nobody is going to vote differently. No politician is going to act differently. Just stop. If you can't show up to a entertainment event and spend 90 minutes not worrying about politics, you have issues.
Define "politics." I'm seriously asking. Because that's the core of the debate that I have with the FO every 30-45 days (though they've been quiet on that front lately - they have a new issue du jour with the northern end of the stadium).
I appreciate the question. This response will probably spark some obnoxious political bickering, but hopefully everyone can control themselves. I thought about responding to you in a private message, but I figured I'd do it publicly in the hope that others can respectfully chime in with some helpful points of view as well. Generally speaking, I would define "politics" as anything that would pretty easily spark a debate between two or more individuals over governance, policy, election decisions, etc. Some examples that I've commonly seen at our games and others around the league include: Pride flags/banners Trans rights flags/banners or "Protect Trans Kids" banners "Refugees Welcome" banners Antifa flags/banners ACAB flags/banners Abortion rights flags/banners Israel/Palestine flags (I have no issue if a player is from one of the nations) Ukraine flags (I have no issue if a player is from Ukraine) I know these largely point toward the same direction on the political spectrum, so please don't assume I'm opposing them from a political standpoint. Supporters groups, and especially their leadership, obviously skew heavily toward the left so the imagery is naturally going to follow that. Additionally, I think Pride imagery specifically would be a tricky one because it's something the league openly supports. I would prefer they don't do that because of my anti-politics stance, but if they insist on it then it doesn't make sense to ban it from supporters sections. I would similarly have issues with imagery more commonly associated with the right side of the political spectrum, such as: MAGA flags/banners "Thin Blue Line" flags/banners Anti-abortion flags/banners 2nd Amendment-related imagery Gadsen Flag, although I think it is appropriate for national team games Hometown Hero pregame ceremony (if it's geared only towards members of the military) Russian flags (I have no issue if a player is from Russia) Additionally, I think we would be wise to also keep anything related to religion away from the stadium. I've not seen much of anything before aside from Israel/Palestine flags which I've already listed, but religion tends to be heavily intertwined with politics and can result in conflicts that are just as bad, if not worse. I think the supporters section, and the stadium as a whole, should be solely geared toward supporting the team on the field. Any flag/banner should be directly related to supporting our team or opposing the opposing team. Any flag/banner that could in some way spark a debate regarding political, social, religious, or economic issues should not be permitted. That's the only kind of restriction that should be placed on flags/banners though. Supporters groups (or individual supporters) should be fully permitted to display imagery that conveys a negative message toward the FO, coaching staff, or players, but only if it's related to on field performance, coaching decisions, or management of the organization. Hope that helps!
I get what you're saying, but man, that is a really broad and sweeping standard that you make sound very simple, when it really isn't.
I understand there is gray area. That's unavoidable. But there's a lot flags and banners that I see in stadiums around the league, as well as our own, that are undeniably politically charged and completely unrelated to the team/game.
Stick to soccer in a soccer stadium during a soccer game? Yes. Waddle on over the statehouse after the game and drone on about whatever political issue you have. Doing so at a soccer game accomplishes nothing aside from annoying the majority of the people there.
No flags/banners/signs that have nothing to do with the club/game. I would include theme nights, so for example on pride night pride signs and flags are okay. On military whatever night, military stuff is okay (both examples within reason, obviously). National flags of players on the team are okay. And sign with a message specifically directed at the FO/coach/players/club is okay.
Genuine question I’m asking, does the national anthem playing before every non international match matter at all? Would you want that to continue, or if you could, would you get rid of that?
I know you didn't ask me, but if I were dictator for a day, I'd end it yesterday. But it IS just a part of the cultural background to such an extent, that I don't think it would fly to do so, and I don't think the average person even thinks about it at all, much less as a political statement. And I am not in favor of ending it necessarily because I perceive it as a political statement (I don't in about 99% of cases), but because it is SO pervasive that it has lost all meaning in that 99% of cases.
I've felt that way at times, but at the same time, Leo Welsh singing the anthem at CBJ games and the crowd shouting "LEO!!" is as much a part of the experience as sticks and pucks. It would feel like something was missing without it. Other than that, I generally wouldn't miss it. Hearing the anthem isn't special anymore because it's so commonplace. Acts of "patriotism" aren't really patriotic when they're done out of obligation.
One reason I secretly bristle at people who come up to returning or departing servicemembers in airports or other public places to make a show out of their thanking them or whatever obligatory thing is happening. The best thing you can do is treat them like regular people and let them get on with their jobs (most of which are terrible) and reunite with their families on their own terms. They didn't bargain for a rando romanticizing their dead-boring logistics assignment in Kuwait City where they were bored to the point of despair for 9 months. Or alternatively, their soul-killing "deployment" to Nellis or wherever they do drone shit these days to kill people by remote control halfway across the world.
Seeing where @bradd lives and my utter lack of following supporters group, I thought this thread would be about a Detroit supporters group. I was very, very wrong.
It's a fact that various groups of people are marginalized. It shouldn't be a political issue to ask ourselves "what can we do, as decent people with hearts and compassion, to end these issues of marginalization?" Unfortunately, it is a political thing for whatever reason(s). With that said, that's a very well thought-out post. I agree that any banner NOT related to the game is potentially taking up space from one that is. And yeah, a "fire the coach" or a giant-ass yellow card with a "card counter" dedicated to someone who gets booked with regularity *should* be allowed, but I think we all know the FO would never allow a negative banner.
Well said. There's people out there who think the anthem being played is some sort of law or national requirement or such. We all know it's not. And I even heard that it's being played before youth rec league games now. Odd. If it was up to me, national team games and games on national/state holiday weekends and the actual holiday would get the treatment. Maybe before other "games of importance" like Army-Navy, a championship game/series or where both teams agree to it being played. Hey, if the Brewers are playing the Rangers in August and the teams agree? Go for it. The Super Bowl? Yeah. But a random NFL game in October? Why?
Regarding your first paragraph, the left speaks about LGBT issues in that manner just as the right speaks about abortion in that manner. That’s why I strongly feel that we simply rid the stadium and supporter culture as a whole of politics. Incorporating politics is useless and will never result in anything positive. Think of it as a family get together. Most families have people on both sides of the aisle. The families who can manage to avoid political debates have no issue having fun together. The families who can’t help but argue about Biden or Trump or whatever political issue are more often than not a mess.
When I was a player back in high school and college, I absolutely hated the anthem. My hate had nothing to do with politics or anything, I just hated being forced to stand there for two minutes when all I wanted to do was get on with the game. When you have Adrenalin pumping through your veins, the last thing you want to do is stand still while you are forced to listen to an orchestral rendition of a song written 200 years ago. I’m sure it’s much different if you are playing for the national team, but I definitely wasn’t doing that. I can only imagine how annoying it is for the non-American players to have to put up with it before every game here.