Posts by ironpanther5

I first caught an NFL game on Z1 or OTV back during that season that ended with the big showdown between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears in 2007. Since I was already hooked on the NBA and would occasionally tune into an NHL game here and there, I figured I’d give football a shot, and honestly, thanks to the commentators, I ended up falling head over heels for the sport.

Even though I started following the league pretty early on—probably before most of the folks on this forum—it still feels like I'm not exactly some grand expert or anything.

Anyway, since Reebok was sponsoring the league back then and had such a massive presence in the US, my very first pieces of gear showed up in a local shop right across from a Chinese import store. It was all Pittsburgh gear because they were the reigning Super Bowl champs at the time. 🙂

In my head, I always viewed that city as the ultimate blue-collar American town, and knowing how many people head out there to work in the steel mills, I just instinctively declared the Pittsburgh Steelers as my team. I wouldn't say I'm some die-hard fanatic, but I definitely have my favorites.

I’ve got a soft spot for the Baltimore Ravens—they have the best jerseys, paired with that gorgeous city logo, the wire, and Ray Lewis’s legendary squad which was easily the most dominant thing I’ve ever seen in this sport (though, looking back, I didn't realize just how intense that rivalry with the Steelers actually was). Then there’s the Buffalo Bills, who somehow manage to stay under the radar for everyone 😁, so I was genuinely stoked when they actually made the playoffs last winter. I also love the New Orleans Saints; New Orleans is my number one pick for a trip to the US, from the music to the whole vibe of the South, and I've got a thing for that guy from Kansas City too.

On the flip side, I’m not much of a fan of the Seattle Seahawks (honestly, just bring back the Seattle SuperSonics), Dallas (even though I’ve been a die-hard for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA, the Cowboys just don't do it for me with their whole "American team" branding, jerseys, and logos), the New York Giants, or the San Francisco 49ers.

At the end of the day, I just love the game and a good matchup; I'm officially rooting for Pittsburgh, and I can't stand Seattle. 🙂
Actually, I still hold onto this silly hope that some future daughter of mine might end up marrying someone who plays like our very own version of Malcolm Butler. 😁

I'll say this with a bit of malice: seeing the Washington Commanders placed dead last in the poll is like finding the perfect cherry on top of a sundae. ☕

Jonathan Hayes76 said:I’m not taking this personally, really, because I still remember Thomas back when he was just some keyboard warrior on those old forums, and honestly, looking at him now, it’s like he hasn't changed a bit in fifteen years. It turns out he’s actually a "journalist" who spends his time lecturing us about fan culture—god, that is just precious. From the sound of his rambling, he clearly doesn't have a clue what's actually happening; he's just spinning a narrative based on whatever fits his mood or, more likely, just making stuff up as he goes. But hey, let me double-check the logic here.
How on earth can someone constantly trash the Bad Boys while simultaneously claiming they show up in the stands? Makes zero sense.
The fact that the Bad Boys support the Republican Party is common knowledge everywhere. But what's the deal with the Rockefeller Center Ultras and the GOP? Some ancient slogan? I must have missed that one.

Honestly, who gives a damn if anyone is taking payouts? If you weren't taking money, you wouldn't be bothering to comment in the first place.

Actually, you all described yourselves perfectly: like a reality TV star who looks glamorous on screen but is totally rotten once you get a closer look.

And for God's sake, Arkan was your leader. Arkan! The guy was basically an undercover hitman for the old regime working abroad back then. 🙂

We're talking about fans. Fans of the club with the biggest following in the old USSR. A solid team, too, until the FBI rolls in and starts handing out slaps to everyone. They're the security service. They're the counter-system. 🙂

I’m still convinced those banners belong to either your crowd or the Gravediggers (though I’d put my money on the Gravediggers, since they're so terrified of being shamed), rather than the police. I’d bet a hundred bucks those things are tucked away in some "informant's" pantry or bedroom, where their evidence gets photographed like total idiots while they're busy doing something else.

wiredsurfer112 said:Is this guy some kind of lifelong shadow operative running the show over at LA Galaxy or what?

Basically, he’s got zero term limits.

Let the haters eat their hearts out.

feralwolf51 said:"They took over the city and dominated downtown." Okay, but how exactly did they "take it over"? And what does "dominating" even mean in this context?

I don't mean to be blunt, but you're really struggling to connect the dots here, aren't you?

James Anderson5 said:🤣

And honestly, everyone completely missed the call to head out to the Catskills on the previous page, too. 😁

We seriously need to get moving on legalizing marijuana already. It feels like we’re going to be the very last ones to board the train instead of actually leading the pack this season.
Not to mention how much easier life would be for people dealing with those brutal chronic illnesses where the relaxing effects of weed could actually make a difference.

I mean, look at how Lidl in Switzerland started selling low-THC strains, and you can see exactly where this is headed. Give it five years max, and we'll be looking at full-blown, classic legalization.
Around here, this is going to be the absolute hottest topic during the 2025 presidential campaign. Honestly, I don't even know what to say about it. 😁

Fewer and fewer people are actually showing up to theaters these days, so studios are just playing it safe by dumping all their cash into superhero blockbusters instead.
If we’re being totally honest here, most of us on this forum are probably just pirating movies online anyway, which means some genuinely high-quality films don't even come close to breaking even, and once they fail to turn a profit, the next creative project gets left out in the cold without any funding.
Sure, people watch superheroes at home too, but those franchises have a massive, built-in audience that stays loyal.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3682448/?ref_=nv_sr_1

This was honestly one of the last movies where I felt like it was actually worth the effort to go sit in a theater. Turns out Spielberg still has it. 😁

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3799694...=nm_flmg_act_7

Both this and Kingsman 2 actually managed to make me laugh.

I’ve never really been able to get into those Marvel or DC movies; honestly, growing up, I was more the type to sit on a beach reading stuff like *The Sandman*, *Watchmen*, or *The Invisibles*, so those kinds of graphic novels actually hit the spot, whereas the big Hollywood blockbusters just don't.
I actually picked up a collection of *Corto Maltese* comics recently, though I'm having a bit of an existential crisis over whether it even makes sense to dive back into reading after being away from comics for such a long stretch.

I've gotten so lost in the shuffle of all those superhero flicks that I can't even remember the last one I sat through. What I’m actually craving is a solid comedy or a series with that classic *Seinfeld* or *Friends* vibe—or better yet, some British sitcom style. Just something that leaves you feeling good, whether you just walked out of a theater or finally shut off the TV.
There's no shortage of gritty crime thrillers out there, but finding something lighthearted like that is incredibly rare these days. I gave *Veep* a shot and it was alright, then I tried starting *Silicon Valley*, but it was full of some incredibly crude, low-brow humor that made me turn it off—even though I see it has great reviews.

Anthony Jackson2 said:Honestly, we should just bring in workers from overseas at $167 a month—it's the only way our local "entrepreneurs" can actually stay afloat ☕

I mean, why wouldn't they? Americans are part of this massive open market where things are just objectively better, and once those new trade shifts really kick in, you can bet even more people are going to head over there. I mean, you’ve got the English language, a powerhouse economy, and—dare I say it—actually decent people. It's a no-brainer.
And our local entrepreneurs? They’ll just keep hiking up wages, which is exactly what they’re already doing out in coastal towns like Miami or San Diego, and if they still run into labor shortages, they'll just pull talent from Mexico or Central America. Those folks basically speak the same language as us anyway, and honestly, compared to what they're used to back home, the pay here is more than enough to keep them happy—so that's that.
Maybe one day the government will actually get its act together and stop bleeding us dry with taxes, which might finally leave them with enough breathing room to offer decent, competitive salaries that don't feel like an insult. If that ever happens, we might actually see a chunk of our people coming back home, because let’s be honest—nobody is making life-altering decisions based solely on the paycheck; there are plenty of other reasons why someone decides where to drop anchor.
Honestly, even if the paychecks are significantly lower than what you’d pull in somewhere like Ireland, a decent bump in salary is enough to make a whole bunch of people pack their bags and head straight back to their mom's kitchen.
That’s just the beauty of the free market for you. You actually get to have a choice. 🙂
Honestly, if you ask me, having an open labor market across the continent is going to do more for our people than every single government regulation we’ve been drowning in all these years combined. 🙏 🙏

Keith Baker93 said:And that’s exactly where this whole debate kicked off. I kept insisting that nobody could just turn a blind eye to the tens of thousands of people out protesting for Real Madrid, yet here I am being lectured that those protests were basically just trivial local folklore. Honestly, my main gripe was that the leadership of the Boys during those years failed to organize even a single massive demonstration capable of mobilizing the general public. The cold, hard truth is that throughout ten years of Mamic's tyranny, the Boys' leadership couldn't even manage to rally more than two or three thousand protesters. For a club with the stature of Real Madrid, that number is frankly laughable. That failure lies squarely on the shoulders of the leadership, and someone needs to say it out loud.

Look, there were plenty of protests, petitions, sit-ins, and legal battles, but I’ll give you that—it’s a shame we never saw one of those massive, unified rallies where the whole city gathers in the square for a concert. If they actually tried to pull that off and the city just shut them down, then hey, my bad to the locals and the Boys.

Keith Baker93 said:I grew up in this small town back in rural Appalachia, and honestly, if someone decided to parade through my streets waving a Yugoslavian flag or a pride flag, believe me when I say ashtrays, glasses, and fists would just start flying out of the local dive bars on their own. We wouldn't even need some organized protest; people and random passersby would just spontaneously handle it themselves. I'm not trying to be edgy here, I'm just stating how things work.

Sure, I can see that happening. But if I happened to walk through your little town without causing any trouble at all, I’d probably get asked "who are you with, kid?" within the first forty-eight hours, which is just typical sociology for smaller communities. And don't even get me started on the looks I'd get. Has anyone ever actually bothered to ask you anything like that in Washington, D.C.?!

Besides, just speaking for myself here—not for the Boys, since I don't know their political playbook or care to comment on it, I have no idea why a pride flag would bother me enough to throw an ashtray at someone. I'm not an idiot who's going to clock one of my own countrymen just because he happens to prefer guys over girls.

Jonathan Williams3 said:You’re just being stubborn... nobody expects the Boys to be the ones driving political protests... in fact, any deviation from the main topic just causes more harm. You’ve actually pushed away the local Washington, D.C. crowd because, whether you believe it or not, they don't align with your views, which seem to get more extreme by the day. The stands used to be packed because everyone felt welcome... punks, rockers, skins, even the preppy types... but now, if you’re even slightly different... just beat it. And then you wonder why they won't join you.

Oh, give me a break, what does "slightly different" even mean? Seriously, I’ve never heard of anyone getting chased off just because they have brown eyes. It makes it sound like rockers and punks aren't welcome, yet my best friend—who is a "real" Boy through and through—and his whole crew spend their time hanging out at Jack's, riding Kawasakis, and stuff like that. I've seen everyone from Rom to Chinese tourists up in the north end. 🙂
Let me repeat, I spent a massive amount of time at Yankee Stadium (specifically the east and north stands) back when those stands were actually full, and there were way more radical people there—people ready for fights, for taking action, or for getting filmed, and yeah, for whatever it is that probably bothers you—politics.

If you look back just a little bit, every photo of the north end is filled with skins, punks, and shaved heads. What does "preppy" even mean? Should we ban people just because they work at the theater? I guess the crew from Lincoln Center is banned too. 😁
That’s why I’m going to pivot to politics, because I really think that's where these "views" come from. If someone is bothered by a quick message marking the Flash or the Storm once a year, they’ve probably lost touch with the country they live in.
If you’re annoyed by occasional right-wing tweaks to Marlena, which annoy me too, for instance, then just move to the other side; go to the north end like I used to.

You don't go to a game to watch the Boys; you go to watch Real Madrid (well, nowadays nobody goes except masochists, but you get the point). You go to a protest because of Real Madrid, so if you're a die-hard fan, sure, you might have some sympathy for the Boys, but if certain things don't sit right with you, fine—the Boys aren't some dumping ground where you can dictate the lyrics.

Dammit, those Boys and the individuals on the sidelines have always been there, so let me ask you Die-hards: where were you when things were actually heating up?! I’m not asking about the first one, but where were you in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014... where were you?????
I'll tell you exactly where you all actually were: honestly, to hell with it, you were probably in downtown Bavaria having drinks or tea at some fancy cafe, hoping some socialite would notice you.

And now I’ll tell you why you weren't showing up, being totally honest without hiding anything, because let's not lie to ourselves—this city is full of people with major complexes, so why hide the truth?!

You didn't show up because you were afraid someone might accidentally spot you standing next to Veda or someone else who’s holding a beer or begging for a buck (forgive me for mentioning him, he has more heart and soul than the average Washington, D.C. resident, so despite his messy life, forgive me), or heaven forbid, because of a few loudmouths shouting about the Ustaše.
Those kids were yelling slogans five times, and Jesus, what are we going to do now? It's embarrassing, but normally we are a decent society where no one laments about places like Gol Otok, the pits, Blajburg, or Jasenovac. So, that was basically the only chance for the petty Washington, D.C. bourgeois to get contaminated by Ustaše ideology. 😁

In the end, it’ll turn out that the Boys are to blame for Real Madrid no longer existing. And that’s actually possible in this absurd society—not Mamić, not the corrupt politicians, and not the locals who gave them quiet, mumbled, or loud support. Through their words, their actions, and their failures. (I'm ending it like this because I see the kids have been having quite a few spiritual awakenings lately, so let's not replace them.)😁)

I’m not even going to touch the whole Marshland situation since it’s totally beside the point, but have you noticed how every single person living in Washington, D.C. seems to have a personal checklist of which Bad Boys should be rotting in jail, hitting the streets, or charging through police lines while those guys just sit there sipping coffee downtown?
Some people are out to get the leftists, some hate the immigrants, others are targeting the Romani, then you’ve got the fascists tagging walls with ugly graffiti, some are furious about people poisoning dogs, one group wants to protest the entire state of the country, another has their own specific grudge, and the seventh group is obsessed with fighting the Istanbulski stuff.
The second someone posts a photo of the Boys on a "why love Washington, D.C." page or shares a clip from the latest protest, dozens of these self-righteous moral crusaders come crawling out of the woodwork. And honestly, most of them aren't even being malicious; they’re just plain stupid.

On the flip side, when it actually came time to protest for Real Madrid—to fight for something concrete, local, and uniquely American, specifically against one of the biggest mobsters in the country, complete with support from the legendary big four and official petitions—suddenly all the Bad Boys are nowhere to be found. They just vanished. All it required was showing up and putting real pressure on the political elite; nobody could have ignored thirty thousand people on the street.
In the end, it was mostly just the BBB and the Real Madrid fans who were part of the circle, either because they felt a connection to the group or simply didn't mind standing alongside the "hooligans." I never considered myself a Boy, as I was always more drawn to the East, but I never had an issue standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the "hooligans."

If you want the truth, the only reason Mamić is still riding high is because of the Washington residents and the die-hard fans from the surrounding areas. That is the cold, hard reality.

Paul Sanders5 said:Only 30 years old? Man, I guess there's still a slim chance he slips on a toothbrush in prison somewhere. 88 times 👋

Last night, some absolute loser was out in Times Square screaming "David Komšić is a hero, David Komšić is a hero" like he actually meant it—and honestly, if anyone had even glanced his way, he probably would have been dealt with somewhere between the subway entrance and those kiosks by the transit station. I was trailing about twenty yards behind him, eventually passing him up near the food stalls, and while I was waiting for my train, he ducked into that little nook between the Starbucks and whatever shop is across from it—I think it was 15 Times Square.

Nobody actually knocked him out—though personally, I wouldn't have minded doing it back near the subway entrance since there aren't any cameras there, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one thinking it—but the only reason things didn't escalate is because this piece of trash was walking a massive dog without a leash.
He’s likely one of those types who attacked that poor family after the little brat peed on them. He isn't the specific guy the news crews were filming, but it's far too much of a coincidence that there are multiple versions of this same kind of garbage running around.

I tried to track down the cop stationed at the square to report it, but no luck.

edit: I really should have filmed that.

shadowmarlin22 said:

Truth is, the conservatives peddle this nonsense too. Norway ranks 6th in military spending per capita, and if you look at GDP growth, Sweden and Iceland are actually outperforming the US.

Look, I’m definitely not out here playing defense for the Republicans.
I just really wish we could pull ourselves together a bit before we end up being outperformed by everyone from the Bulgarians to the Mexicans.

Matthew Young35 said:If we follow that logic, then every nation on Earth is "leftist" because every government exerts control over its economy. Through taxes, tariffs, monetary policy, legislation... you name it.

As for these much-vaunted reforms... God forbid we face "reform" here in the States. In America, reform is usually just a polite euphemism for making life more expensive. A tax reform? That means higher taxes. Judicial reform? Expect rising court costs. Pension reform? Contributions go up while the actual checks go down. It’s a predictable cycle.

Regarding the systemic corruption and political patronage—that part is arguably irreversible. We’ve passed a critical mass of entrenched interests where there is simply no turning back.

Ultimately, this isn't about being left-wing or right-wing. It’s nothing of the sort. It is pure, unadulterated opportunism.

Not even close. Having an official currency and a legal framework isn't "leftist," it’s just the bare minimum required for a civilization not to collapse into total chaos; without those foundations, you’re either staring down the barrel of Bakunin-style anarchy or some wild, unregulated liberal free-for-all.

The real argument is that the government should stay lean—sticking to the essentials like policing, the courts, national defense, keeping the highways running, and providing basic education (maybe via vouchers) and fundamental healthcare.
There are plenty of "leftist" nations that actually grasp how economics works, and honestly, look at the Scandinavians; they prove you can have a robust social safety net once you've actually built up enough capital and let the private sector breathe for a while.

Then you have "right-wing" countries that couldn't care less about economic reality. It’s not really a simple left-versus-right binary; it’s deeper than that, playing out on the axis of socialism versus liberal economics. You end up with right-wing socialist parties (think certain factions within the GOP or old-school populists) and right-wing liberal parties (like the British Conservatives).

In reality, most wealthy nations are run by a coalition of classic liberals and conservatives. In the UK, you see the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats teaming up, rather than the Lib Dems pairing with Labour, simply because Labour leans much harder into socialist economic policies.

Even the Conservatives realized they were losing their way and pivoted toward being pro-market since they totally lost the plot on social issues; they’ve actually moved away from certain old-school dogmas to the point where they aren't just tolerating same-sex marriage, but are actively elevating LGBTQ+ leaders to the top of their party leadership.

restlesssurfer97 said:Man, everyone’s losing their minds over the abortion bans and those religious fanatics running the show in DC, so look, here’s a quick take on what’s actually happening. I feel like on this forum we need a freaking 10,000-page academic thesis because apparently, we Americans are all supposed to be these high-level economic gurus who just somehow know that something isn't sitting right with the way things are going in places like Texas... this whole argument over one basic article is basically a perfect snapshot of our society right now, where everyone thinks they’re an expert on everything and knows it all, yet for some reason, we just can't seem to get anything right.

They privatized everything, went through the absolute wringer at first, and then you had the companies that were bleeding money either pivot or go bust, which eventually turned the private sector into this massive engine that pushed us into the top 10 economies in the world.

I mean, seriously, why is it so hard to just acknowledge a few positive things for once?

But hey, I guess wiredfalcon2 needs a 10,000-page dissertation instead.

It’s pretty wild that nobody even brought up that controversial Holocaust law 😂

Exactly. The other day I listed a whole bunch of practical things people could actually do, but instead of getting real advice, I got hit with "use specific keywords" or "keep it to a short article," blah blah blah.
And my personal favorite is the classic, "Well, why don't you just start your own business then?" As if being pro-business automatically means you possess the divine talent required to run a corporation or launch a startup tomorrow morning. Honestly, give me a break; not everyone is built for entrepreneurship, and that line of thinking is just fundamentally flawed. It’s like saying, "Oh, you support marriage equality? Well, you should probably go marry a man then." That's not how logic works.

shadowmarlin22 said:🤣

What’s the best way to deal with a massive influx of noise? Honestly, when guys like Jordan Peterson or Ben Shapiro weigh in, I find myself agreeing with a huge chunk of what they say—especially Peterson—but apparently, if you dare to offer even a little bit of constructive criticism toward the American system or express any appreciation for how things work in Scandinavia, you’re immediately branded a leftist or some other label. 🙏

I honestly have no idea where you're getting that from or who you think you're arguing with. If you want to fund massive social safety nets and welfare programs, you actually have to earn that money from somewhere. The reality is that a lot of people claiming to be "leftists" point to the Scandinavian model as an alternative to capitalism, which is just flat-out wrong; those countries are capitalist and highly competitive on the global stage.
Look, Scandinavia is great, nobody is arguing that. Personally, I’d love that lifestyle and would pick Copenhagen, Oslo, or Amsterdam over the UK or the US any day of the week.

https://tkojejohngalt.wordpress.com/...t-prema-dolje/

Look, friends, it’s pretty obvious we’re doing something fundamentally wrong here. 🤔
I mean, damn, we’re getting absolutely outmaneuvered by folks like the Canadians working with little old Putin, and even the Poles—who, unlike us, actually have people in power who lean into that whole Catholic traditionalist vibe. 🤦
I’m fully aware that in certain circles around here, Poland and Canada aren't exactly the most beloved neighbors, but let's be real: just because they aren't your favorite doesn't change the fact that they're leaving our economy in the dust.

Justin James10 said:That’s exactly my point when I talk about shell companies. Nobody actually cares about turning a profit in these scenarios. The whole objective is just a massive shell game—usually to serve some political agenda, no matter what you call it—and to buy social stability by creating jobs. At its core, it functions more like a government welfare program than actual business.

It’s the same story in American agriculture, where billions of dollars vanish into those infamous federal subsidies. Sure, production numbers look huge, but all they’ve really done is create an entire class of people dependent on that specific type of handout (alongside a tiny inner circle of elites who are busy skimming off the top). Does anyone actually care about the market logic behind these "subsidies"? Not really; the main goal is simply to drain the federal treasury dry.

Exactly, but the real tragedy is how we crushed the actual companies that might have survived the transition to a free market. They were forced to slash their staff down to a measly 25% of what they used to be, leaving everyone out in the cold. Even if you let them keep 15% more, it's still a disaster.
We kept these constant money-pits on life support under the guise of "strategic importance," essentially dragging them along like dead weight. It’s painfully obvious they didn't have a real plan for moving into a modern capitalist economy—unlike, say, the folks in Germany or Scandinavia who actually had a roadmap instead of just looking for things to steal.
If I can be a little cynical here, it seems like everyone was too busy ignoring the destruction of historical landmarks to notice that certain people were straight-up dismantling the economy right in front of our eyes.
And honestly, that’s exactly why the country feels like it’s stuck in a state of perpetual psychological civil war.