I feel like I need to confess. For the first time in the last 12 NAT matches I've attended I did not stand in the Sams Army section. For some reason, I thought it would be fun to watch the team in my hometown from the $70 "VIP" section. Biggest mistake ever. The lack of passion was depressing. I didn't expect to stand and sing, but it was like I was in a bank. Just lifeless. You people were in good voice yesterday, I applaud you. (Which brings me to my only other complaint of the day, which I am actually a bit pissed about..) What has happened to the tradition of the team to come down to the SA section, clap their appreciation for all the work that goes into being a USA fan? We get a nod from midfield? Someone should remind the USSF of the way it was 10 years ago (I was there). Cheers.
I agree. My wife and I have been to many games with Sam's Army and we always hang out after the whistle and wait for the guys to come over. This is the first time that I can remember that they didn't come and recognize the efforts of Sam's Army. We had what, 120 folks there in a crowd of 17,000 who are trying to create a home field atmosphere without much support. The least they could do is come say thanks. Thanks at least to Kasey and Landon as they were the only ones I saw who even waved from midfield... but next time run your butts down to our side of the field! Brokejumper
Not that there isn't bigger things to worry about, but it's a trend that bothers me. It's actually happened at the last three matches. I wrote a quick letter today. It's just a question of class, and remembering what is was like without anybody caring. Say what you want, but Sampson always went out of his way to direct the players over. Cheers.
We were a little upset about it as we waited there and slowly realized that they were not coming. The only acknowledgement we got was Keller clapped for us because we were chanting his name. Noone else acknowledged us at all, except the security, which was all over us all day.
This is becoming a pattern with the National Team. They should take a page from England. How many times have we seen a player score a goal and rush over to the supporters and give cheer with them? David Beckham scoring a penalty against Argentina at the '02 WC comes to mind. We also see them raise their hands and clap the crowd, walk over to the touchline for a few seconds and say thanks to the fans? I shouted my voice raw all day to support and I get a half raised hand from mid-field? Thanks Kasey for the gesture, but let's see it from everyone.
It also seems to happen at the club level as well in this country.... And yeah, the security had a stick up their collective arses, I mean the streamers didn't even get on the pitch. Although the beer bottles should have stayed in the stands. No excuse for that.
Bottle should never be thrown, but they never would have been if they didn't start pushing people around for streamers.
imho I think you need to look at the sports that we all grew up watching on tv and the way those professionals treated the crowds. American football-Besides the Lambeau leap, do they ever salute the fans. Look at how dedicated the Green Bay fans are, staying till the end of every game in 30 below weather and still no thank you. Baseball-The only times I can remember the players showing any consideration for the fans is when they hit a home run and the crowd stays extremely loud until the player sticks one foot out and tips his hat. Hockey-The fans bring flags, bang on the glass, and chant all game long but are there any players saying thank you? I dont see it. Might be nothing but the nats watched the same thing we did on tv....
These are good points, but I think the relationship between Sams Army and the Nats is (or should be..) different. Just by the sheer level of popularity, there is more of an effort needed to follow the team. If you're in the SA section, you made an effort to coordinate your tickets, dress and cheer for the boys. What I mean is, there's effort put forth. In the end the team really "owes" us nothing. But I feel like they used to make more of an effort to thank us for our efforts. I mean, in addition to watching the sports you mentioned, everone of these guys has also watch countless Soccer matches from around the world. Cheers.
Come on guys, no offense to Sams Army who I have stood with on three occassions, but its not like 120 geeks are making a difference. Beckham and the English team applaud their supporters because those guys friggin make a difference. We don't, and not yet. Its not like a Kinko's banner and a couple third grade caliber flags inspire the boys on to bigger and better things. Sams Army is a good thing, but with the exception of a couple of matches, does very little support wise for the national team, and surely it can be easily overlooked. Sorry if that hurts, but its the truth.
You can't be serious. Going to a USMNT game and sitting with Sam's Army is no harder than going to a game and sitting elsewhere. Suggesting that Sam's Army people (And I was there in the SA section at the SafeCo Honduras) are more loyal, or 'better' fans is the silliest piece of self righteousness next to insisting that the team come and wave to you.
I stand corrected. Thanks. We don't fill the stadium, thus, we don't matter. It's a start. 150 Geeks! Cheers.......
I found out pretty fast that if you don't hang with the Sammies, you are going to be in the middle of a bunch of stiffs. The fact that so many USA supporters are souless suburbanites is unavoidable. However, keep in mind these are the same people who go to a WWE Show and scream and chant like sick puppies. They are not nearly as brain dead as NBA or NHL fans, but they need to understand that what they are watching is football, and it needs some voice to be complete. See you with the Army in July at Crew Stadium.
Thats the spirit........ But Sams Army has an inflated sense of self; I highly doubt that 150 fat, overweight guys banging thundersticks and plastic containers, wearing their Dockers and sporting nifty beards really influenced the match and created a true homefield advantage. Yeah, Sams Army in theory is a solid idea, but it often falls short. You didn't affect the outcome of the match on Saturday, they probably didn't even think that you were there after the match. Sorry, it sucks. Did you watch the Colombia-Korea match on Sunday? Thats what football culture is all about; you don't forget a crowd that performs like that. Sorry, but we have a long ways to go.
Hejduk saluted Sam's Army after the game, too (He always does)... Just my two cents, but the half dozen players who gave the SA section a nod and a clap as they were filing away from the field is about all a friendly with Venezuela that draws 18,000 in a mamouth stdium is gonna get. It's about what it deserved. When the game is for real and the qualifying starts, the crowd will be bigger. The atmosphere better and the supporters sections fuller and much more appreciated by the fans. (And, the game will be more exciting...I hope!). Bravo to all the Sammers in Seattle. You looked good and from across the stadium, you even sounded good a few times.
I take exception to the fat overweight thing. I"m not fat, don't have a beard, don't wear dockers. There's two points I wanted to make. Point #1 is that fan culture here in the United States is completely different from fan culture pretty much everywhere else. For example, I happened to catch a highlight of some Argentina vs Peru VOLLEYBALL game and the Argentines were acting the same way they do inside the Estadio Monumental. Singin the same "Ole Ole Ole, Ole Ole Ole Ola, Ole Ole Ole, Argentina te quiero mas, Soy de Argetina, es un sentimiento....etc." that i was hearin in Miami. The same goes for other countries as well. In the United States, however, sport isn't looked upon as passionately and those who have a passion don't show it in the ways that soccer fans do. I must say the most passionate fans in American sport are collegiate fans(football, basketball, sometimes hockey). Which brings me to my next point. I think when you have games in Seattle where the "hardcore" fanbase for their club team isn't as large as DC United's or The Metrostars, you're gonna be relying on alot of travelling support. The majority of that travelling support are probably the overweight "geeks with beards and dockers" that you're talkin about. I hate to say it but the only way Sam's Army is going to be what everyone wants it to be is if you get some youth into the group. I'm not talkin about 10 year olds, but the 18-30 age group who aren't afraid to let loose and, god forbid, get into a little bit of trouble. I'm not takin anything away from anyone who is older because there are probably exceptions but the majority of your 40 year olds won't display their passion the same way a 20 year old college kid will, it's just fact. If you want to describe passion as comin onto the bigsoccer boards and bein enveloped in everything that's going on with the game then that's cool, but passion inside the stadium is a completely different thing. That's just my two cents
I think that if a tradition was started it should be stuck with! if there are some devoted fans out there that spend thousands of dollars to travel and support the nats, thats awesome! It is tradition for those boys to find themselves in strange cities with strange people and it is good for the sport and the team. If the team has always made a point to come over and clap with SA than they should stick to it. I go to WSU football games and at the end of the game all the cougs go to the student section and sing the fight song, it happens win or lose, quiet or cranking, ITS TRADITION. I also wonder if you could ever get Arena or anyone else on the team to say a group of fans means nothing to the game. I doubt it!!! I also could use some advise from the guys who say we put no effort to get to these games, so i know how to do it easier in the future. i worked in getting a pretty big group of guys from all over to sit in seats that stood out as the supporter section i have no money, no voice, and no energy left to show for it. How come thats never the case when i show up at seahawks or M's game and sit in the club level with a waitress pouring beer down my throat all game? Just give us some love. You do love us dont you?
If any of you whiny chaps were actually at Japorea, you'd know the Nats came over and showed love before and after every game. I think y'all are missing the point that these friendlies just don't inspire the same amount of passion in the boys as do competion matches. They appreciate us. Didn't your mothers ever teach you that the point of doing something nice is not to expect a thank you. All they have to do to make me happy is win.
Maybe there are lots of fat geeks in Sam's Army, but at least they're there doing their thing. Better them than a stadium totally devoid of noise. And they may be geeks, but yeah, I do think they're better fans than the soccer families who watch a match the same way they would a video of "Remains of the Day." Fault them if you will, but SA showed up in some numbers at the game and made an effort. Imperfect, sure, and pales in comparison to the kind of effort you see in the rest of the world, but that's a reason to criticize anyone but SA. They deserve some love. The US team should give it to them. That kind of attention and support from the players is the kind of thing that can get broader fan support and traveling support for the team. I get the criticisms of SA, I really do, but I don't see it follows that they shoudl be ignored by teh players. That helps no one.
This is exactly correct. A low rated, last-minute squad after two cancellations by another team comes in and we see what happened. The game was a glorified scrimmage in all honesty. Japan would have been completely different, but they wussed out. When the US plays real opponents, they for the most part get much better crowds, and when the games mean something the Sam's Army section is much more vocal. For those crying about how a group of college punks (sorry, but the cheap-shot at Sam's Army needed a retaliation) would make the matches so much better, I'd suggest they pull thier lower lip over thier faces and swallow. When the real matches happen (WCQ) the atmosphere will be just as good as the USA has ever had. Let's just go to the matches we can, organize and support EACH OTHER as best we can and enjoy ourselves! I'll bet US stadiums will be charged for the qualifiers. Kevin
I was never taking credit away from Sam's Army. I give them mad props for traveling as much as they do and they are the main reason why there's a section of red at every game. It just kinda looked funny to me when i'm looking at pictures of a whole group of people standing with a beer in their left hand, their right hand in their pocket and their mouths closed. And I understand the part about it not being an important game, pretty much every sporting event is like that.
Alright, what did Sams Army do in the Venezuela match? Stand around with arms crossed, dusting soda spill off its Kinko's banner......Yeah, I am sure it was an amazing turnout. That Kasey Keller chant did alot to inspire the lads. And the one streamer that went three feet was another classic.
Sweeper- I'm not entirely sure where this hostility toward Sam's Army is steming from.... I was at the Mexican Qualifier in Columbus and saw first hand the impact Sam's Army has on the surrounding fans and the match itself. True our crowds are not quite as fanatical as some of their counterparts that support other National Teams (by any stretch of the imagination). Progess like this is a slow and steady thing. The point is even a small impact on the match is a impact on the match. My impression is the boys know we're there and appreciate that. Don't lose faith mate, you're making a difference!