Hahaha, sorry man, not you guys. Never want to see United Knights go anywhere. No, I meant that the goatee guy is always trying to look tough in his black polo. UK needs to keep doing what they are doing, except one thing: teach us some chants in Bosnian. No, seriously, I'd love to learn some.
Hahahahahahahha ok. Well we are meeting tomorrow so we can get some things together like chants, and how we can unify all the groups.
Don't get me wrong, I have been a big supporter of our players from day one. But sometimes you have to draw a line of the sand. The idea of not chanting is to show the front office, other fans, and players how much we really bring to the game. I feel that sitting down for one half of the game and then screaming my head off for the second half work both ways. It shows everyone what we bring to the table and then in the second half we go crazy to support our boys. I'm making my stand cause we don't know if this is the end either. Where does it stop? First smoke bombs and then maybe next goes drums, horns, flags. I know i'm being dramatic but how do you know thats not their next step.
goatee guy, his name was John Anderson, right? Well, we need have a chant with his name in it. And we also need to chant the Imperial March song when he comes around!! Also, I second that motion to learn chants in the Bosnian language!!
First they came for the guys who threw smoke bombs, but I didn't throw smoke bombs, so I said nothing. Then they came for the guys who blew horns, but I didn't blow horns, so I said nothing. Then they came for the guys who waved flags, but I didn't wave flags, so I said nothing. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up. Okay, maybe not that dramatic. But it baffles me that your front office would issue those standards, and publish that asinine "Open Letter" that basically makes you out to be criminals. You've got a franchise that's already handicapped through this year. Why poke the bear of your most loyal fans? Boycotts do no good except cramp your players' spirits. Boycott concessions, boycott parking fees, but don't boycott your chants. The players need you as much as the front office does, and they didn't do this to you.
But if somebody got hit with a smokebomb that would be assault and battery. The simple fact is that members of our supporters army may have already committed criminal acts. I know for a fact that at the Cardinals and Blues games (which I know are in the City of St. Louis) if you are caught throwing something on to the field you are subject to arrest and prosecution. I would assume there is not much difference in the laws between the city and the county when it comes to this issue. In regards to drawing that line in the sand the organization has to do the same thing. Do we wait for a player or linesman to be hospitalized with a burn on the leg for "enough to have happened"? What about a little kid walking to their seat from the restroom? The simple fact is we are endangering other people when burning objects are thrown. If this situation kept continuing eventually somebody will get injured by these actions. The last thing our organization needs is a lawsuit against us due to somebody getting burned.
I don't think you understand what im protesting. I hate when anything gets throw not only on the field but in the stands too. I don't want anyone to get injuried. But I feel its ok for fans to put smoke on the back rails or hold them in the air away from people. I was there wednesday when the smoke was thrown and I was pissed off. I want the kid to get out because that is a no go in my book. As for drawing that line, the FO already did it. After one game where a lot of bad stuff happened they drew their line. And all the groups felt bad and cleaned up our acts. This was just a random kid who thought it was cool and learned a lesson. So i hate that the FO is coming down on us when it was a random. I'm all for sitting down with the FO and working things out but they wont respond to our request. So its time we drew our line.
A friend of mine that's in the Real Salt Lake supporter's group sent me an email. He said they had issues with smoke and they had a compromise with the front office of RSL. The front office purchased a smoke/fog machine and the supporters groups bring the fog juice to keep it flowing. I guess they turn it on during key moments during the game. Something we could ask about if the smoke bombs are truly outlawed.
I think we just need to meet them halfway. We could agree to a set number of smoke bombs for specific events. These bombs would be controlled by the more responsible members of our section and thus wouldn't end up being tossed on to the field and such.
Yeah man, nobody is advocating throwing shit on the field, we are advocating safe use of smoke, etc. Whoever said first the smoke, then the drums, etc. has it spot on. The front office would really love to sanitize Soccer Park and make it another Busch Stadium---people sitting quietly until told to clap by the organ or PA system. Don't think it can happen? Stewards in Europe are already trying to enforce no standing policies. Why don't we just tell them we're going to continue with the smoke, and will also continue getting rid of people who throw it on the field. It was some random high school kids this time anyway. I'm totally down with the boycotting the beer tent/food. If you need some beers, have them at the tailgate, or at half time (I presume that you can walk out and re-enter). Go to Schnucks beforehand and buy a packet of brats and we'll grill them It's cheaper, tastes better, and is a good way to show our displeasure. Oh, and banning beach balls is bullshit. Total bullshit. Watch them ban soccer balls next. p.s. there is no way that someone being hit by a smoke bomb is assault and battery. at the most it is disturbing the peace or criminal mischief. Assault requires serious intent to harm and also requires use of force to cause harm.
LOL! You silly Yid fan. AC already enforced what they called a "Rentry" policy--no, that isn't a typo...well, just not my typo--where you can only exit and "renter" the stadium at the south end towards the parking lot none of us park anywhere near.
Wait, is that the free lot across the street or the place we walked in after the tailgate. Because if we just park two cars there...
Not sure I follow...but no, the gate they allow you to leave and come back is the one at the other end of the stadium opposite the end we all come in.
I like that idea and I think it is something we could try and work out with the FO in the future. But that will never happen if we act like idiots. As I have same a hundred times in the past two days; I don't come for the smoke I come for the soccer. I like the smoke and I'm disappointed that the FO has banned it outright. But blatantly disregarding the rules they set, in their park will give them no reason to compromise with us in the future. Like it or not they hold all the cards, there is no "we don't back down". Although I have sat in sec 20 for every game since the KC game, if this is the way "supporters" are going to behave then I no longer wish to be counted as one. A supporter is there for the team, nothing else. All this whining and crying over smoke is only about us and what we want, not the team. It saddens me to see people that I have become friends with over the last few months act so childishly over a trivial matter like smoke bombs. There was a time when we weren't sure if we would have a team for much longer, but we still do and they're playing well. THAT I'll support. I hope to continue sharing that support with those in sections 19&20.
good points, Tim. I hope we can all continue to sit in 19 & 20 and have fun and support our team. Right now, the main issues seem to be smoke and the attitude of the security personnel. I think we can get somewhere on these issues but only if we don't go crazy. I'm worried now that the actions of a few could, again, result in the punishing of everyone. I have been told that the club does appreciate that we are trying to do our part in policing ourselves and they recognize that we do not condone the throwing of items onto the pitch. I have talked to two individuals in the front office and they are investigating the smoke machine option as a possible compromise.
I think we may have to work extra hard at policing ourselves right now if we want the team to compromise with us in the future. Although I don't know how much we can do other than shaming the wrongdoers and pointing them out to security. I guess we could try banishing people from the section?
It isn't about smoke--or it isn't to me, anyway. We could toss rubber duckies in the air when there's a goal, whatever--it's how the problems that are there have been handled and how we're all being "punished" by it. I mean if people are ready to just accept whatever and go "we brought it on ourselves", I'm sorry, not me. "We" didn't do anything wrong. A couple morons did. I'm not taking a fall for a few dumbasses. I'm not going to be treated like a degenerate. The FO has to do something, and I've wanted some sort of regulation to happen, but we went from one extreme to another, and neither have been right. If a smoke or fog machine helps solve the problem of atmosphere, awesome, but it'll be the FO actually wanting to do that for us that'll make me feel better. At least until they install a rubber ducky launcher.
I agree with you that we're all being punished for the actions of a few and that isn't fair, but as my wife always says; "Fairness is a concept for 2 year olds." I hate it when she says that (cuz it's probably directed at me). And I think you've made my point exactly, the FO showing the willingness to compromise will go a long way, and apparently according to denumb they're at least considering it. But you know we'll get a big FU from the FO if we "draw a line in the sand". We've got to show them that we can live by their rules and then work with them to come up with rules that we can both live with.
Oh yeah, getting all hardcore about it won't help anything. I mean that's exactly how I felt when this first came out but unless what some dipshits might think, the players do love us and I stay in close contact with a few of em, and the last thing I want to put above supporting the team is acting like a jackass.
Yeah my initial knee-jerk reaction was f 'em lets smoke it up. But thankfully I've let reason and sensibility rule. For those still with a lot of pent up anger, unleash it at Minnesota. Those guys are the real jerk-faces.
Hopefully in the next 24-48 hours (or sooner if we're lucky), I'll have some information to pass along from John Anderson...information that's not shitty. During the half time meeting with him, I asked if I could get some information from him to post on the blog to hopefully give some people some closure on this, and hopefully make it so where we can repair the damage that's been cause and move forward. Everyone believes there's going to be a next year, so that's kind of what this is about.