Most of the ECS was still in the stadium, I think, so you guys didn't witness the scene in the concourse as the rest of us exited. Timbers fans had piled out of their section and into the concourse facing the throngs of exiting fans, then mixing with them and holding up their scarves ... all the while chanting "WE WANT A RIOT!! WE WANT A RIOT! WE WANT A RIOT!" There were women and children among all these fans, and maybe one or two Seattle fans with scarves. Is this tantamount to screaming "FIRE!" in a crowded theater? If Seattle people weren't by and large pretty relaxed and usually respond to stupidity by ignoring it, or if there were more Seattle hardcores there in the concourse, there would be have been a real riot in an enclosed space involving mostly families. I will admit this, and I am sure some macho men will find this reprehensible, but I will not wear my scarf or stand with ECS at Portland matches because their fans want to instigate violence. I won't stand with ECS in order to be a punching bag or play thing for others to dehumanize. It is not your guy's fault, though. One thing I SINCERELY hope that ECS isn't thinking is "we need to match the asshole factor of the TA". This kind of behavior is a disease. BTW, I am sick and tired of hearing from people who have never seen the TA up close call them the best fans in the country. They are by far the most dick-headed self-aggrandizing people I have ever met, and they do a distinct disservice to the city of Portland. They aren't soccer fans. They are mostly assholes who must hate their lives looking to take out their frustrations on innocent people; women and children FFS! I'm sure some TA asshole is reading this thread and feeling a sense of victory. What you did in the concourse has nothing to do with rivalry, and everything to do with idiots trying to incite violence for their own pleasure. It is wrong. The sad thing is the TA won't work with the Seattle supporters and they won't work with the stadium staff. Instead, they threaten lawsuits if they aren't treated "equally" like other fans, when it is clear just from reading their own message board that their main intent is to cause trouble when they come up to Seattle. Also, I noticed that yet another TA asshole came over to the ECS section and security had to get involved. What is it with these people? I was a supporter of Portland coming to MLS, but at this point I do not support them bringing their mental illnesses to MLS. Too many of their fans are animals. Sorry to all the civilized fans down there, but you have to fix your problems. - Paul
No, it's not at all like 'Fire' in a crowded theater. It's a soccer match; that type of thing ought to be expected. That's tamer than a lot of high school basketball games. Frankly, the Timber Army always shows up, and cheers throughout the entire game without any stopping. Yes, this is far and away more than any other fan group in the country. I'm not talking about the stupid viking horn or the 'karate kid' style drum sounds, actual people making noise with their voices. Really, grow up. Whatever your 3 year olds are watching on TV is a bigger threat to them than any foul language might come out of the TA.
Are you serious? It is expected that when I got to a soccer match that away fans try to incite violence in a crowded concourse filled with families? Little kids were yelling back and I am sure some of them would have liked to punch some of those dickheads. And I am sure they would have punched right back. - Paul
Since you weren't there, you should STFU with this "we" BS. It wasn't a chant in the stands. And it wasn't those words, either. It was "We want a riot! We want a riot!" among a large group of people all squeezed up against each other in a narrow concourse trying to get out of the stadium. I'd rather associate with regular people than with hooligans who know nothing about the sport just looking for a fight. Just because you wear a scarf at a soccer game doesn't give you the privilege to intimidate women and children and attempt to incite violence. I'm sick and tired of this crap. It's not funny. It's not cool. Supporters culture is looking more and more like a major ill. You will get your come-uppance, and unfortunately the rest of us will likely have to pay, too. - Paul
Two weeks ago when I was entering PGE Park an hour before the game, a group of Seattle fans were standing outside the gate chanting "F*ck off Portland, F*ck off". Mind you, they were surrounded by a large number of families and youth soccer teams also waiting to enter the game at the time. The Seattle supporters were drunk and they were eager to have someone confront them. I challenge you to defend how this isn't trying to "insight violence" as you say. Fortunately no one in Portland took the bait, let the sad creatures chant their vulgarities, and drowned them out for 90 minutes while in the stadium while watching the Timbers pound the Sounders. No riots occurred in either situation, no violence occurred, and no one was hurt. Perhaps the reason that Portland fans no longer want to "work with you" is because of posts like this one.
I believe you were mistaken. For the record the chant is NOT, "WE WANT A RIOT! WE WANT A RIOT!!!". It is "Over there, the're so quiet! Over here there is a riot!" Just a chant about being loud. Not yelling fire in a theater. Oh and thanks for the bloody face to one of our fans. Way to show the visitors a good time. You guys in Seattle never disappoint. http://www.soccercityusa.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1209781510/45 ~n
Mix alcohol and assholes.................. no matter what city they hail from and you'll get this sort of behavior. For many, the soccer experience has nothing to do with the game and everything to do with getting drunk and acting like fools.
Adair, there is a difference between standing in open space and chanting vulgarities (which I also think is wrong and shameful) and chanting "We want a riot!" among thongs of people pressed up against each other in an enclosed space. Some of the things I read on your board disgust me. It is like "hating Seattle" is a religion, and you are indoctrinating people left and right. Don't you see how that leads to incidents with your supporters instigating Seattle fans? I am not surprised that one of your supporters got beat up. I am sure that fan was innocent of anything, and was likely trying to be friendly, but when the TA acts as a single force of intense HATRED, you are only asking for it. This is not what supporting your soccer team should be about. It is turning into gang-style violence, and scarves are like gang insignia. You are ruining soccer culture. It is absolutely not to be tolerated. - Paul
Hey Bright, I really don't think you don't understand... Go get some sleep. And yes, that is what was being sung. ~n
Yes I will say we, it doesn't matter if I was there or not, your story is so full of crap as it is, especially the "women and children" crap you spew. I know your city is full of single mothers, so I'm sure there were plenty of "women and children", what did the ones that had husbands do at the time you were so offended? Did the husbands clench their wives purse that they were carrying?
Always the victims... We are not the pod. If you continually push the envelope and get in our faces, some of our guys are going to respond in kind. While I may not personally agree with this, that it the way it is. That guys tells a good story, but it is very one sided.
Paul you are full of crap it's scarey. Just stop, you are embarrasing yourself. We were chanting a very chill and normal chant "Over there it's so quiet, over here it's a riot, walking around, singing a song, walking in a Timbers wonderland" Maybe you should ask the large group of ECS guys hanging around our buses (plural thank you very much 300 strong) how "aggro" we were. Ummm.. hands were shaken. Intros were made. We talked about a joint US Nats TIFO. With all due respect YOU are the one trying to sow divisions here my friend. Take a deep breath and relax. Go talk to KoolKeith about our exchanges.
I had a good time at the game! LOL @ Bright, always bitching, he just had to rush home to post and complain. 10K was nice to see up there! I even had a nice exchange with Koolkeith! I think we might do something for the Nats.
Fighting in general is stupid, but fighting over a soccer match????? That's ********in insane! I would have to agree with Bright's analogy to gangsta wannabes flashin their "colors". This sort of mindless "support" of a soccer team is going to lead to some serious shit and for what?
That is a flat out bald faced LIE. We were never chanting that. Lendog mentiond the one chant we use that has the word "riot" and I don't remember using that outside the stadium. We were chanting "We'll be comming down the road."
We also have a "riot" chant, so I have no problems with you guys singing that at all. Ours is... I can't stand the peace and quiet! All I want is a blue and white riot! koolkeith got kicked out for the worst reason
Hello. I wasn't talking about you guys congregating outside the stadium and singing that song. I am talking about the spontaneous chant in the concourse among the packed people trying to get out of the stadium. That chant was NOT the "quiet/riot" chant. It was distinctly "We want a riot! We want a riot!" If your cohorts did it in jest, then fine. You seem to think aggro chest-puffing is always in jest, but then when something bad happens (either security coming down on you or someone getting upset about it) you act like a victim. But that's what the chant was, and it is not funny. That was asking for people in an enclosed area to start something with you. You people are the worst at ever owning up to your bullshit. Here, I'll talk your wanna-be macho-man language: grow a pair and own up to your actions. It's easy. "Yes, some of our members were chanting that. We are sorry. We understand that it could have caused an incident. We'll talk to them and make sure they understand, too, and that they aren't to do it again." And good on Keith for extending the olive branch. - Paul