I'm Getting Sick Of It

For one, right now there's mainly just V-Army, and if you don't want to join up with V-Army, and you're a hard-core fan, you're frankly, jack out of luck.

How would I have gotten my feelings hurt?
By the way, I think we're related. Seriously. No joke. I'm talking all truth here.

Yeah, but he backed up his supporting the entire season. He's got big dreams. Why do you folks continue to try to put a halt to them?

Nick, pay no attention to Eggy. The guy apparently feels the need to be a jerk off, even during the offseason.

Listen, I've had this "debate" with a few different people over the past couple years. I have come to realize that not everyone is true to who they are when they speak on message boards. Apparently, a lot of folks are like that.

But for me, I still find that a hard thing to realize most of the time, because, as I said, I am me. I can't just flip a switch off, sign on some message board, and type like I'm someone else. That's just lame. And when I hear: "Oh, this dude's not really a jerkoff, he just posts that way." ..Well, I just don't really care.


My whole thing is: Why don't people just post as themselves? You know..as they would talk..I've never understood "personas" or anything of the like.


We're Crew fans. We all go to the same stadium. Don't you think you're bound to run into someone along the ways that has read a post or two of yours? I'd bet you have or will. Why would you want them to think you're anything but what you type?

I'm going to use Zak as an example, I apologize, but he's been a pretty prominant figure in the Crew fan base community. When someone reads on here jerkish posts once too often, I'm sure, as many have, come to the conclusion that hey this dude is a real jerk.

When you put yourself out there, and people know who you are, because, hey you told everyone, then you MIGHT want to consider how you post and try to make it a good reflection of who you are.

Now, the folks who don't have their handles as their names, and are more private, well, they apparently don't want or have to be themselves all the time. That's probably why they choose handles that aren't like: "Bill Archer" or what not.


This is getting to a root of another problem, which is that the Crew forum on BS has very little activity at some points..Care to wager why some don't post here? Yeah, I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with the fact that some don't post as themselves and feel like they can be jerks whenever. But hey, that's not who they really are. I forgot.

 

You're not drinking the right caffine products.

 

I'm not suggesting that people all purposely develop personas for the bigsoccer community. I'm saying that these message boards magnify certain parts of people's personalities.

I think it's when you run into someone that you actually get to speak to them like a human being and get a more accurate idea of who they are and what they stand for. But if you have a preconceived belief that they're an a$$, then you might not approach them or even give them a chance. So what if some people come across as rude on a message board. It's happened to all of us, sometimes on purpose and sometimes not. It's so easy to just type away without even thinking about how something will be interpreted, or how it reads.

Well, the alternative is the matchnight crew board, which not only gets less action than bigsoccer, but features some pretty interesting characters of its own.

 

i saw this really awesome shirt at the store the other day, but i didnt buy it cause it was old navy and not ben sherman.

stupid old navy.

 

I never said you were. What I'm saying is that your big "Hurrah Hurrah" has already been done. Time and Time again.

 

I don't get how these companies make a shirt look "Vintage" and sell it for $40.

I'm obviously in the wrong business.

 

Sorta reminds me back when the Stadium opened. 137 was populated by The Northenders (I know, I was one of them) and was run by the likes of Matt B and company. Of course, a short 5 years later and you don't see any of that group around the section anymore.

And I can assure you that all these topics have been discussed before. At great length and to great frustration. The groups that populate 137 have always been chaotic and self-destructive. No one wants to listen to the leader. Splinter groups form. (V-Army and now Legion04 are both great examples)

As it has been stated, people get turned off by (amongst other things) the excessive profanity and lack of creativity (and general level of intoxication) of the current "guard". I had been a member in one form or another of the rambunctious cheering section since 1996. (When it was the original "Support Crew" before the FO took that name over, when it became the Contractors SC and eventually into The NorthEnders) Although after around 2001, I was just more content to watch from the upper deck than try to compete with the "new guard" who was, in my opinion, ruining 137.

But anyway, good luck with all that. Looks like you've got the right ideas at least.

 

easy. build a roof over it and give everyone bullhorns.




also... since my rather cryptic shirt comment was largely ignored and/or misunderstood, ill clarify.

in response to chelseys comment about how there are people who want to support the crew, are in the north end, but dont like V-Army (for whatever reason it may be), so they wont join.

that is pretty anti-productive.

if you look at groups in the MLS like section 8, or screaming eagles/barra brava, youll notice that they are hundreds strong. now, do you think that each and every person in those groups are friends? hell no! i know for a fact that there are MANY people in those groups who dont associate with those people at all outside of the stadium. theyll tailgate seperately, even travel to away matches seperately, but when it comes to supporting thier team, theyre united.

really, its that way with ALL large supporters groups, wordwide.

so, instead of factioning the overall crew supporters, why not join up, and try and fix the problems that you see.

you think that v-army is too drunk and vulgar? join up, and dont drink or swear.

think the chants are uncreative? join up, and get youre own chants going.


dont start youre own groups. by doing that, instead of one, large group, we have 5 groups of 10 people or so, none really working together, and it looks pretty bad.





and yes, i recognize the parallel between this situation and the one that occured several years ago with the NEnders and V-Army being formed from that. (granted, there were a few things that made THAT a different situation, but overall...)

 

I think that's part of the problem right here. Everytime one of these threads pops up it's all about how to get the North End louder and stronger. However, most people don't sit in the north end for whatever reason they have. Most of them because they don't like the view from there. Fighting that is like swimming up stream; alot of paddling, but not much results. The real question should be, how do we get the WHOLE stadium louder and stronger?

For that I refer you to my first post. Now I think everything should start from the North End, no doubt. They're the leaders in my book. I certainly wouldn't just up and make a song and cheer program without V-Army's consent and approval to everything on there. However, IMHO, the North End groups have to start thinking of ways to get the whole stadium involved and not how to get the north end more active. Conversely, I think if the groups did that, they would see more activity in the North End as a result.

 

That was exactly the point I was trying to point out. If one thinks someone is a jerk, they’re not going to go out of their way to try and be nice. And in Zak’s case, join their supporter group.

I post on MN, too. I didn’t say there weren’t any jerks on MN.

I just figured you shared the same dislike of Old Navy as I do. I really can’t stand to even step foot inside one of their stores.

Why is it anti-productive? Am I not allowed an opinion or a choice of not wanting to join a group that isn’t V-Army?

 

((Sorry to post twice, but I had so many quotes in my post, I had to split it up...ok, I have no clue why not all the quoting happened.))

I never said every San Jose sucked face with all the other SJ fans..(though, who knows over in free-loving California)…But honestly, are you going to join up with a group, who’s primary figure-heads, you can’t stand?

I doubt that my friend. I’m not saying that I want to be best friends with the people in a group, if I ever join one, BUT you should at least be able to STAND the people around you, and especially the leaders.

I have never had much trouble following a leader with whom I respect. I’m just someone if you have earned my respect, then I’ll follow you, because you’ve earned it. Going back to what Zak said with his analogy about 15 chefs in the kitchen. I don’t particularly want to be in the kitchen. I’d just like to show up with a group with whom I know will be doing a good job cheering and chanting for the full 90. I’m a full 90 supporter, and when I see people drowning out after a few losses, or a coach who is completely is worthless still in control, and the group starts to dwindle..well, I don’t think I’m really going to join up with them.

Personally, I am not affialiated with any supporters group. And I didn’t say I was going to be joining any or starting any new ones. I had thought about it, but, honestly, I’d just like to see V-Army shape itself back up into something great…And that’s the truth.

I’d love to see one big supporter’s group. It’s just the fact that first: V-Army doesn’t seem to cater to everyone; second: V-Army has alienated quite a few, hard-core fans in the past, and third: Well, I haven’t really thought up a third..it’d probably be the cursing and heavy drinking, but that’s been beat around like a dead horse…

How I agree with you completely.. I’ve been saying this for quite some time, too. The many Crew fans whom I’ve talked to, they like sitting in other areas, and wouldn’t want to move to the Northend. That’s fine. But, if we had some way of communication..I know this sounds lame, but walkie talkies, cell phones, the works..and had open communication throughout the stadium of chants..well that could work. I know when thing sreach sections I’ve sat in, many fans have joined in. Some of the main downsides of V-Army chants, is that for one, I couldn’t understand what the hell they were saying just over in 132..

And I still revert back to the whole couple of drummers going up and down sections in the stadium. I saw it in DC, and it got everyone involved. I’m sure it could do wonders at CCS, too.

 

this is why it will never work in columbus. its exactly why.



v-army CANT cater to everyone.

also, people get pissed off at others on a personal level, for whatever reason, and it gets to thier heads and so they refuse to associate.



its all this little nitpicky **************** from people which hinders any sort of real development when it comes to a real big, real solid group.

also, if you get discouraged by people who dont come to as many gmaes, or dont cheer as loudly when the team is playing like ********... look at the screaming eagles, the size of that section fluctuates in accordance with the teams performances... im sure you saw a better section from them later in the season than you did early on or in the middle.

 

Walkie Talkies, song sheets, crewzers leading chants.

What a load of shít.

 

dont forget the kool-aid.

 

This is the type of attitude that gets EVERYONE no where.

What the heck are your ideas to get the stadium louder? Huh?

Well, if you don't have any, why don't you just hush up.

You should stop being the kid in preschool that knocks down everyone's lego creations, just because it makes him feel good.

I'm so glad C-bus has already been predestined by you to never have a big supporter group..


I didn't say people would die out if the tough gets going, but ESPECIALLY now, what is going to happen to V-Army?

I don't know some of the facts, but you guys don't seem to have a leader right now, so what options do us fans have? And how do we know that your next leader won't get so withdrawn from the Crew scene?


While I'm up on this soapbox, I'd just like to say that my favorite times at Crew stadium are almost always when the US has come into town. NOT because I'm country over club, I'm not. But because it's just thoroughly enjoyable when the section is completely into the game. I know I'd like to be a part of a Crew group and I know many others who would like to, as well. But right now, we don't have any where to go BUT to make a new group.

 

I think one meeting a month might be a little overkill. For sure though, one between now and mid-january (it might be hard to do it in December because of holidays), and another one 2-3 weeks before the home opener.

We've discussed the problems your school's administration has with flyers on a bulletin board, but what about if you dropped them through the vents in people's lockers? Would they mind that?

 

Dude like totally chill man.

It's plain and simple. If people are too stupid (like you) to learn a song to sing, it will never be loud.

It's not that hard. People in England do it every week.

Having teens with cargo pants and Blink182 hoodies running around me with walkie talkies will be too much embarassment to take.

 

I was thinking of forming my own group for us old, peevish country folks who like to see a good soccer game...

Petulant
Rural
Independant
Crew
Supporters

We promise to add atmosphere by making noise whenever something upsets us; which should cover most of the 90 minutes subtracting time for beer refills.

 

I never said I couldn't learn a song. I wouldn't have to point out what I said, had you read my post correctly, and displayed your own level of intelligence.

I said that I couldn't hear what V-Army chants when I am over in 132. We all talk about the stadium being louder, but if a person just a few sections over can't understand or make out what the chant is, then it won't be chanted. So I agree, if folks don't know a song, it won't be loud. That's common sense, my friend.

Is this some sort of insult directed at me? I'd hope not, since you've already claimed that I was stupid.

Maybe I was off on the whole walkie talkies idea. But, hey, I was just throwing out ideas... Something that I don't see you doing, Eggy.

All you seem to want to do is knock down every idea someone has thrown out in this thread. Perhaps you are just a negative person in general, but I think, as a Crew supporter, you could try to be open to ideas that are possibly coming from outside the box of knowledge that you are accustomed to.

Oh, and trust me, we won't be running around you at anytime. Teens tend to stay the hell away from grumpy, old men.

 

The Terps are better. Come on dude.

But seriously, I'm going to be down in C-bus on Friday, anyway I could hit up that signatures list?