Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Matthew Young35 said:Headline from The Daily:
Orbiko is demanding aggressive debt collection from Walmart, while the Prime Minister is pleading for calm.
I am actually dying. LOL

The political party: blah blah blah

Honestly, looking back at how much I actually thought that political group was going to be our big savior when they first hit the scene, I realize I was being about as naive as a kid playing with a toy train. 🤦

bluenomad2 said:I’m highlighting these two comments specifically to expose your hypocrisy. You call me out for generalizing about fans, yet you’re doing the exact same thing to me. You’re so lost in your own bubble that you group anyone who says violence and brawling aren't okay right in with the people backing Jerry Jones.

Like bluenomad2 said, there’s no need to repeat this a dozen times. You aren't being direct in your response; you refuse to condemn those groups on AT&T, yet you still complain. No, fighting isn't "normal." Normal people don't do that. My own moral compass won't allow me to support those groups, just like I can't support Jerry Jones. Just because those groups share my opposition to Jack Welch, Jerry Jones, and every other criminal in this country doesn't mean I'm automatically on your side.

Honestly, I couldn't care less about the "lesser of two evils" argument. Evil is evil. Figures like Jack Welch and Jerry Jones are the rot in this society. The hooligan groups and most of their followers are just part of that same decay. Like that guy who stormed the field with a stick—now everyone’s acting like we should support that behavior. The funniest part? You people aren't even against it; you're actually rooting for it.

I wasn't generalizing you, I was speaking generally. It just feels like everyone has something to say, some moral high ground to take, while most of them are doing way worse stuff in their private lives. I've noticed you always show up after some bullshit happens to play philosopher... which confuses me, because you leave a decent impression on other topics, but you're always around. I didn't think you were an idiot, just that everyone has an opinion, even if they don't really grasp what's happening.
It's not a problem that you're criticizing the brawl at AT&T. Anyone with half a brain would call that out. It's pure stupidity. They're putting drivers at risk, blocking traffic, someone could die... and worst of all, there's a real chance someone totally innocent gets killed in the crossfire.
I find all this sociological over-analyzing of two fan groups weird, as if our society is some kind of exception rather than the rule. We should be just as surprised by fights between small towns, neighborhoods, or people fighting over girls or politics.
In theory, no physical conflict is right, unless you're defending yourself, your family, or people nearby who are being threatened.

restlesssurfer97 said:With all due respect, I honestly think most people just couldn't care less about the fans. And let's be real, especially with everyone on this Reddit thread, we all know the league mafia is just using hooligans as a convenient scapegoat to distract us from their own shady business, but the idea that I'm going to start rooting for some guys brawling on the highway because of that just doesn't cross my mind. I really don't get where you guys get the notion that those types of people are actually going to take down the soccer mafia. Honestly, the sheep are the ones falling for those Trumpian emergency government sessions focused on "hooliganism" (which reminds me of that ridiculous chicken 😂😂), but the sheep are also the people who think we’re going to be saved from the Jerry Jones type of corruption by a bunch of guys fighting on the interstate. Or in stadiums. Or wherever else they feel like picking a fight.

The point isn't that they'll take down the soccer mafia; the point is that they are the only ones in the entire social system actually raising their voices against organized crime and taking some kind of action, however misguided it may be. It’s truly pathetic, though it makes it quite easy to spot when the moral panic kicks in—you know, when three different news segments and an emergency session of the government are suddenly organized around a single flare in a stadium, and everyone starts looking down their noses at everyone else.

restlesssurfer97 said:With all due respect, I honestly think most people just couldn't care less about the fans. And let's be real, especially with everyone on this Reddit thread, we all know the league mafia is just using hooligans as a convenient scapegoat to distract us from their own shady business, but the idea that I'm going to start rooting for some guys brawling on the highway because of that just doesn't cross my mind. I really don't get where you guys get the notion that those types of people are actually going to take down the soccer mafia. Honestly, the sheep are the ones falling for those Trumpian emergency government sessions focused on "hooliganism" (which reminds me of that ridiculous chicken 😂😂), but the sheep are also the people who think we’re going to be saved from the Jerry Jones type of corruption by a bunch of guys fighting on the interstate. Or in stadiums. Or wherever else they feel like picking a fight.

I agree, but you're wrong about the social impact part. We could have easily stayed focused on winning championships for America and ignored the protests over the 101. Or we could have just stayed out of those unknown projects altogether.
The USSF mafia would only fall if there was a critical mass of fans behind it. There's just too much money being funneled from soccer into other sectors to actually dismantle a mafia that's basically built into the system now. Doesn't matter how many AT&T brawls happen.

placidorca5 said:I wasn't generalizing you, I was speaking generally. It just feels like everyone has something to say, some moral high ground to take, while most of them are doing way worse stuff in their private lives. I've noticed you always show up after some bullshit happens to play philosopher... which confuses me, because you leave a decent impression on other topics, but you're always around. I didn't think you were an idiot, just that everyone has an opinion, even if they don't really grasp what's happening.
It's not a problem that you're criticizing the brawl at AT&T. Anyone with half a brain would call that out. It's pure stupidity. They're putting drivers at risk, blocking traffic, someone could die... and worst of all, there's a real chance someone totally innocent gets killed in the crossfire.
I find all this sociological over-analyzing of two fan groups weird, as if our society is some kind of exception rather than the rule. We should be just as surprised by fights between small towns, neighborhoods, or people fighting over girls or politics.
In theory, no physical conflict is right, unless you're defending yourself, your family, or people nearby who are being threatened.

You aren't an exception. It’s normal for there to be fights between neighborhoods or small towns. The only difference is that those things don't make the news, whereas fan violence does. That's why you'll always see more coverage of a brawl between Walmart fans and the Rangers than a clash between Brooklyn and Spain or Brooklyn and some unknown area. If there aren't fans involved, the media won't touch it.

placidorca5 said:I wasn't generalizing you, I was speaking generally. It just feels like everyone has something to say, some moral high ground to take, while most of them are doing way worse stuff in their private lives. I've noticed you always show up after some bullshit happens to play philosopher... which confuses me, because you leave a decent impression on other topics, but you're always around. I didn't think you were an idiot, just that everyone has an opinion, even if they don't really grasp what's happening.
It's not a problem that you're criticizing the brawl at AT&T. Anyone with half a brain would call that out. It's pure stupidity. They're putting drivers at risk, blocking traffic, someone could die... and worst of all, there's a real chance someone totally innocent gets killed in the crossfire.
I find all this sociological over-analyzing of two fan groups weird, as if our society is some kind of exception rather than the rule. We should be just as surprised by fights between small towns, neighborhoods, or people fighting over girls or politics.
In theory, no physical conflict is right, unless you're defending yourself, your family, or people nearby who are being threatened.

I agree.

bluenomad2 said:You aren't an exception. It’s normal for there to be fights between neighborhoods or small towns. The only difference is that those things don't make the news, whereas fan violence does. That's why you'll always see more coverage of a brawl between Walmart fans and the Rangers than a clash between Brooklyn and Spain or Brooklyn and some unknown area. If there aren't fans involved, the media won't touch it.

I agree.

I mean, you actually manage to connect the dots here—turns out it isn't as hard as people think, is it? 👍

bluenomad2 said:You aren't an exception. It’s normal for there to be fights between neighborhoods or small towns. The only difference is that those things don't make the news, whereas fan violence does. That's why you'll always see more coverage of a brawl between Walmart fans and the Rangers than a clash between Brooklyn and Spain or Brooklyn and some unknown area. If there aren't fans involved, the media won't touch it.

I agree.

When I said "us," I wasn't talking about me personally or just a small group... I meant society at large here in California. Anyway, I've always been more of an East Coast guy than a North Coast type. I've traveled enough to have seen my fair share of things (about 20 trips), but nothing ever turned into an ambush😁.

Noah Roberts46 said:Was he talking about general issues or specifically about the fans? Because if his whole point is just pointing fingers at other criminals, then yeah, fine.

Look, I’ve been right there in the stands. I know firsthand how much crap some people pull just because they love causing trouble, or because they have an inherent urge to steal and act like thugs. I’m not saying everyone is like that, but there are plenty of them. Is that "socially acceptable" behavior? Why aren't they being scrutinized just as heavily? It’s precisely because of these idiots that Mamić wins the battle. We all know who the bigger criminal is—we don't need to repeat it a hundred times—but the other side has the exact same flaws that should be ignored.

you've posted this three times in just a few hours

Please, since I'm clearly missing something, explain the cause-and-effect logic here regarding the country (I won't bother writing to the legal authorities or whoever—just the COUNTRY itself): how does institutional inaction toward someone's crimes lead to third-party hooliganism?

edit: looks like yet another user is bolding the same thing🙂

Jeffrey Ruiz3 said:I mean, you actually manage to connect the dots here—turns out it isn't as hard as people think, is it? 👍

This conversation would have taken a completely different turn if we hadn't started with all the fighting.

coastalheron12 said:you've posted this three times in just a few hours

Please, since I'm clearly missing something, explain the cause-and-effect logic here regarding the country (I won't bother writing to the legal authorities or whoever—just the COUNTRY itself): how does institutional inaction toward someone's crimes lead to third-party hooliganism?

edit: looks like yet another user is bolding the same thing🙂

Problem. Reaction. Solution. 😬

The core issue is the institutions that turn a blind eye to all this corruption. It’s people like Jerry Jones and Warren Buffett reacting to the mess they helped create. We need a third option.

Honestly, we should be the ones driving the solution, but most of the time, we're just reacting.

Charles Chase4 said:Without getting sidetracked by everything else, I just want to touch on this since you've already started pulling the thread.

The man manages several billion dollars over a fifteen-year span and hosts birthday parties for the highest officials in the country, yet somehow he's losing the PR war because certain fans decide to act out on a highway, much like they might anywhere else in the civilized world. 😁

Please. He isn't "losing" anything here, but he’ll definitely score more sympathy points from the sheep who don't get how things work by pointing fingers at those hooligans. Bad things happen all the time in the US, but that doesn't make that behavior acceptable. That's all we're trying to say.

Jeffrey Ruiz3 said:A true American will take a shot at the underdog—but they’ll still bow deep to anyone more powerful than themselves, offering a warm handshake with both hands to show some respect. 👍

Not really needed. 👍

Look, let me throw a question your way—you can always get back to me once the football game is over if that's easier...

Who actually got hit harder—Tomo Horvatinčić or that guy who ran onto the field during the Black and Gold Army match? I mean, 105 days in jail... you tell me. No need to explain.

I'm not entirely sure why you're asking me this, but I suppose I should give you my thoughts.

The entire situation involving Horvatinčić feels like a complete tragicomedy played out by the US Department of Justice; it is such a disgrace that one has to wonder why someone would even bother pursuing an education if their ultimate goal was to hand down such shameful rulings. In fact, for purely moral reasons, perhaps that individual should just shred their diploma, given how much they've tarnished its reputation and stripped it of all value.

As for the man who stormed the pitch during the Hajduk-Rijeka game, I find his sentencing to be quite nonsensical. Technically, he could have faced a maximum of 120 days for those four infractions—30 days each—yet receiving 105 days feels like a peak of absurdity in its own right. In my view, it's simply far too much.

However, I fail to see why this comparison matters in the context of our discussion, because it seems clear to me that we are living in a world akin to Animal Farm—where all animals are equal, yet some are somehow more equal than others. Just because there are scandalous judicial rulings doesn't mean we should justify or overlook instances of hate speech, even if that behavior is confined to social media.

Furthermore, you mentioned somewhere that "we" don't like "you people." That isn't quite accurate; I personally have absolutely nothing against fans as supporters. My issue lies perhaps with those individuals who feel perfectly comfortable engaging in theft, acting with violence, or jeopardizing the safety and health of others. Quite simply, I believe none of that constitutes normal human behavior.

By the way, the topics I find myself gravitating toward most often on these forums are simple things like "What's on the menu for dinner tonight?" or "What did you all have for breakfast?" 🤣

Honestly, seeing the kind of food people consume these days is enough to make anyone shudder. 🙏

Carol Lewis said:just bringing this back up to the top of the feed...

By all means, continue your bumping if you find it necessary.

I guess I’m only answering to my own conscience ☕

thickly

Amanda Evans2 said:thickly

signature

I guess that works perfectly

Help me out, I need some serious backup here

Come on now, why don't you try shaking things up with a rotation from this bloated roster? What are our actual options at the moment? 😁

restlesssurfer97 said:Help me out, I need some serious backup here

Those who choose the premium stuff are the ones who truly know how to live.