Wish granted. My turn for the list, but it may have a different sort of feel to it, since my memory of most Fire games comes it blurry ten minute blocks. 5 - KC road trip, early April. 3-2 come back win, MDSC's inaugural trip, lots and lots of beer. Photo ops with security guards, chanting in the concourse on the way out, and our CPD friend being ID'd as an assailant in an imaginary battery. 4 - The Great Breading of Aught 3. Weary old has-beens eat their words, or get hit in the head with them. I learned valuable lessons that day, including that a FOID card is a valid, state issued ID and Liam has bad aim. God Bless our Man on the Inside. 3 - The Troubles in Columbus. Not my most proud moment, but at least I can laugh about it. The aftermath may have been worthwhile though: meeting 4 stand up Ohians (maybe the only 4), the ensuing puke bus ride, and the nomination of three new MDSCers. 2 - Conference Semi, Game 1 watch party at Gingers. What's a bar full of drunk Fire fans sound like? Heaven on Earth my friend. Heaven on Earth. 1 - 1-0 Victory over NE for the fricking Cup berth! S8 has never been so good. Non-stop, loud as Satan's farts, flag-waving, balloon blowing(?!) insanity for 111 minutes. MDSC Meets Arsonists - Hell predicted to reign on Earth in 2004. Note: the composition and order of this list may change on Sunday, November 23rd.
Zach, This was supposed to be the best FIRE moments!!! You make me a little proud but c'mon! It seems that you need a little fun with this soccer. And this is what the great assembly of Section 8 provides! Marcin
We had a thread with best memories of the Fire 2003 Season not a long while ago where all the great incidents were mentioned: the Great Breading, Section 8 side switch, Re-opener and the game after, USOC Final with medal throwing, KC trip, puke bus, last game in Naperville with pre- and post game party, Fraser chants, etc. Here a few more matches are mentioned which leads me to this conclusion: the Fire games are no longer just soccer matches. These are incredible spectacles with a lot more happening than just two teams running after a ball. This all seems to head the way I was always dreaming about. My highlights are a little different and let me rephrase them here: 1. The incredible bond between the players and fans that has a strength totally beyond anything I could imagine and experienced anywhere else. Those people on the field really played for us in games that would otherwise be not really meaningful, like that 4-3 against Colorado (don't even argue with me on this one: the next game was vs. Columbus losers, almost a sure win) or last home game against LA Galaxy. An outcome is the enormous pride to be Fire players. Both of these emanate nearly any minute the magic of a Fire match is happening and, therefore, all these are my highlight moments. 2. The great times we have together as Fire fans no matter at or off the stadium. Section 8 is a great bunch and I love you all (maybe except for Liam but who likes him anyway ). The bonds within our group were greatly reinforced this year and many of us got to know each other much better than in previous seasons. I mean I know more than 150 of you by name (and I am astonishingly bad with names)! I know I will have great fun whenever I am together with Section 8 folks; therefore, all these are my highlight moments. 3. The best moments, however, are those that establish our genuine identity as Fire fans. Something that is exclusively ours; what we invented ourselves and not copied from anybody else. This would be the time when we first started serious singing of Don't Stop Living in the Red in the section; the first massive display of table rolls during the Soldier Field Re-Opener. P.S. 4. I like the quiet moments, too. When I wrote a congratulations letter to Peter Wilt describing the phenomena of the Fire player pride and player-fan bonds. When I prayed in the morning before the Conference Final, "God, please keep the Fire free from injuries and other mishaps, and let the better team win." Marcin P.P.S. Incredible season. Unimaginable what others, who don't attend Fire matches, are missing. These experiences are absolutely priceless. They may cure depressions; they create friendships. How could we not spread the word around?
Jake, he used to lead Section 8 in 2000 and 2001. USOC 2003 was his first Fire match in nearly two years (he never went to Naperville and then job relocated him to New York). You can see his picture at the bottom of page one of this thread. Marcin