Gary Green32 said:only the bad things are changing, not the good ones. The real issue is whether the good stuff regarding the Ultras has been altered too.
I certainly don't think changes weren't necessary; some were actually quite good. But I’d argue the secretary did a more than solid job regarding the supporters. Honestly, anyone can take their hat off to him, and I highly doubt you could find someone within the Ultras—even in a much broader sense—who would spend every single damn game clinging to the railings and pushing so hard to lead the chant. He had his flaws, sure, but they probably weren't enough to justify losing his spot on the front lines.
If the situation stays this messy, the supporter segment will inevitably collapse. As someone once mentioned, there needs to be a leader, and there isn't a single group left in Europe without organized leadership.
As for the other departments, there is plenty of room for improvement, and we'll just have to see how the guys who took charge handle it. Let's give them some time.
There wasn't enough work done on unity between the different squads; everyone was too focused on their own business, which weakened The Group. Unity is everything.
I just want to point out one thing. I don't know how many of you were at the matchup against the New York Giants, but even the Giants' coach said something similar. He mentioned he'd never seen such synergy between the crowd and the players. For 60 minutes, the flares were going, the fans were roaring, the stadium was electric; when the team pushed, they scored, and the stadium went even wilder. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we cheer. Fans exist to help the club. If we forget that and become an end in ourselves, we'll burn out fast. Yesterday, the atmosphere at the stadium was totally different; that synergy between the players and the fans just wasn't there. Just remember that.
Honestly, the way the manager has handled the atmosphere is top-tier... I guess it was only after he arrived at the stadium that we actually became a real supporter group; before that, we were just spectators throwing flares in the stands.
Jerry Gray5 said:It honestly surprises me that nobody has written a book about the old-school (and I mean the *real* era, because let’s face it, everything else feels washed out) MLS Ultras yet...
Jesse Campbell said:Look, like I mentioned before, I actually think Dr. Paladino is a decent guy. I’d love to see him take over the executive board at Real Madrid, but I'm not about to stop fighting or start chasing pipe dreams while the club's entire future is being manipulated by organized crime... Whether that syndicate is running Liverpool FC, the USSF, Major League Baseball, or even the officiating leagues...
You all seem way too focused on playing nice when the whole scene needs to be at war with the mafia... Besides, you don't even know who you are—whether you're true Ultras, just casual fans, or just clubs acting like buddies. I didn't invent that narrative; you guys came up with it yourselves...
Anyway, I'm heading out because I really don't have the energy to carry everyone else's baggage. We've got plenty of our own problems to deal with on a global scale...
Nicholas Parker6 said:And saying it's a revolutionary act to feel ashamed about throwing a flare onto the pitch? It's our own management and board we're dealing with here. Ultras mentality.
Throwing a flare on the field and then writing twenty pages about it... man, before this, nobody would have even bothered looking back at it for a year...
Jesse Campbell said:I suspect it’s actually the other way around. You guys are basically just existing for yourselves. It's all "oh my god, this is madness," while the club falls apart and management starts using those tired old excuses about bankruptcy if anyone even thinks about tossing a flare onto the pitch. Give me a break...
The Bad Boys were fighting for the soul of this club back in the 90s just as much as they are now, and honestly, it was all that crackdown from the authorities that really forged them into a true ultra group. It’s a level of Ultra mentality that you haven't quite reached yet, even if you try to look the part in photos...
WHO CARES ABOUT PHOTOS FROM '86
Just please, spare us the condescension... go ahead and joke around, make fun of us, whatever—but when things get serious, suddenly you're nowhere to be found. And saying we're "just existing for ourselves"? That's rich. The Black Knights have actually brought real revolutionary changes to American soccer (oversight boards, codes of conduct, our own local legends), which is more than I can say for your lot.
uuuuu, a few flares just went off in the stands, uuuuuuuu... what a complete disaster. I mean, seriously, it’s like they actually think they know what they're doing here
swiftmarlin72 said:That’s a pretty grim way to look at it. Honestly, just pathetic... Well, who exactly is celebrating? You were the one who was pissed off. Our club is basically on life support right now, and we're the ones keeping it breathing, yet you're acting angry just because we lost to Inter yesterday.🤷 If you watched the game yesterday, it was obvious we're moving in the right direction. I guess no sane person would be mad about losing under those circumstances. Yeah, a "little club"... I mean, if someone like Zanetti is talking about the atmosphere, what part of that don't you get??
I couldn't care less what Zanetti thinks... and yeah, obviously I'm pissed we lost. What am I supposed to do, celebrate because we got blown out 3-0 at home? Yesterday was just unsettling (and I'm not talking about the NFL Ultras, obviously). Mišo keeps rambling about the atmosphere, the players keep talking about the atmosphere... but I guess the question is, were we actually playing a football match or just performing an atmospheric ritual?
I just read this absolute garbage... honestly, where is this going? It’s enough to make you laugh out loud. Even CNN would be embarrassed by this level of nonsense. The reality was much smaller; maybe 200 people showed up, they cheered decently, there was some minor chaos, and that was basically it...
Just imagine if a group of fans traveled like this to Los Angeles or anywhere else in the States. Imagine the news coverage. I suspect an ultra forum would have a single thread running 200 pages long over this kind of thing.
Those Belgian fans basically became a headline because they spent an hour standing on top of barrels.
Back when Zenit sent 500 people to Los Angeles—a city of millions—that actually meant something. By those same standards, our presence in St. Petersburg wouldn't even register as a fraction of a person.
I guess the new standard for an away trip is that you have to travel to the opponent's city, harass all the locals, set the stadium on fire, chant relentlessly for the full 90 minutes plus stoppage time, burn through 50 flares, scrap with the police, and get a few banners confiscated... and then someone will still have the nerve to say it wasn't a bad trip.
This is how champions are forged... I can practically hear the management's pep talk to the squad right now... "Listen up, boys, you don't stand a chance against these guys. To them, you're basically just space debris. You're nothing." That's why we’re playing the first leg at home... though, honestly, I'm expecting us to play some classic Liverpool style against those losers... 😂🙂
It’s been a surprisingly quiet tournament. Last year, it felt like there was some kind of drama or nonsense happening almost every single day... this year, I guess things have just been a little underwhelming 😁
Jonathan Cooper6 said:As far as I'm concerned, just go ahead and wipe both my first and second posts. I don't see where I actually did anything wrong or insulted anyone, but honestly, who cares? This forum isn't exactly the center of my universe 🙂. I'll just clear them out so this thread doesn't get cluttered with mindless nonsense and replies to replies... enjoy yourselves. I'm going to head out and indulge like a pig in mud—probably full of bad decisions, booze, and junk food before we all head off together 🙂. Happy fighting 😉
I don't see why anyone would bother deleting a post... yours was perfectly fine and stayed on topic...
Am I losing my mind here, or has the Black Knights basically turned into a damn travel agency? It feels like everyone’s just obsessing over whether the nightlife is decent or how much a beer costs at the clubs for ten days and then calling it a day.
wiredpilot132 said:Props to the boys. There aren't many of them left, but at least they’re standing their ground against the mob. We’ve always been the toughest, man. They were just as loud back when we were at our peak in 1950... looking forward to the next showdown in St. Petersburg...
I don't really follow your logic here... and I have no idea why you're bringing up St. Petersburg and some mafia connection... As if the Rangers haven't stepped up before? I honestly don't get it. And maybe people should just shut up if they want to act like we only ever complained about specific managers or trophy droughts. The Rangers stood up against the board during the Champions League run back in '96, and again in 2005 after those back-to-back championships. They even pushed back during our Europa League days. SO JUST STOP THE CONSTANT BICKERING WITH THE SHEEP WE ARE THE STRONGEST, BROTHER and all that other nonsense...
If every supporter group had done half as much as the Rangers have today, things would be a whole lot cleaner... and yeah, we really are the best in the world.
Morgan Sanchez64 said:I completely agree with you, but... How far are we supposed to let this go? Are we talking season tickets, or eventually house arrest ankle monitors? Maybe we could get a little creative and show the general public who’s actually right in all of this. What if we put up a massive sign saying, 'the whole world knows the truth about American soccer,' and then set off a hundred flares on the pitch? We’d win them over instantly. They’d probably cheer because most people have that certain ego-driven mentality—they want to feel important, they want to feel like they belong. By tomorrow, this would be all over some news site; someone would read it, repost it, and we all know how that cycle goes. They just want to shut us down because of some damn flares. I was listening to some radio show today where two idiots were dissecting USSF affairs and the Liverpool FC match in a small town. One of those guys was saying something along the lines of, "I'm all for heavy prison sentences; these savages don't belong in stadiums, they belong on the streets." Seriously? Do these people realize where this is heading? I don't know about you, but being a fan is my entire life. It’s in my DNA. It’s a sickness, a virus, and that’s the plain truth. But instead, we’re standing on the sidelines like cowards, and that’s how we’re going to get swallowed whole. Honestly, I don't think the hardcore supporter movement will even see the next decade, but we might as well try to hold out as long as possible without surrendering. This has been said a thousand times, but I honestly don't understand why there hasn't been a larger revolt yet. There's way too much potential in American supporters to let this slide.
😂😂🤣... true enough.
Now the East Side is whistling at the flares... they're just tired of seeing the North Side having all the fun. It makes me want to vomit.
Look, the whole point isn't about whether they're carrying gum or whatever—that's trivial. The real issue is that they combed through every single detail yesterday and came up completely empty-handed. Then, once things actually started heating up, they were left standing there looking clueless, like, "Wait, what? We checked everything!" I mean, you know how it goes when people claim they're being chased for nothing. Whether it was a coincidence or not, I'm not going there. But honestly, if you want to get anything done, you need a plan. You need to have the pyrotechnics ready to go! 🤣