...you could watch this video a hundred times if you really wanted to, but I think you should just watch it once and come to your own conclusions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm-P3eMUyyc
...everything happens in its own time, bringing both the beautiful moments and the brutal ones. People die, people are born; some grow past the chaos, while others are just finding their footing. Some react this way, some react that way, and honestly, it’s all just NATURAL. Nothing about it is strange... the real question is how an individual processes it—how someone cries liters upon liters of tears, or breaks a sweat, or burns through their nerves, or whatever else... Making SACRIFICES during times like this is the hardest part, regardless of how much I participate in knowing the work of the Red Army as a whole... ...and please, don't even bring up the 80s to me. I think I know well enough, and I can still feel the pulse of that era, as well as the pulse of other eras too... In my opinion, being a fan is incomparably harder now than it was back then. There is just so much more PRESSURE coming from every possible direction... Back in the day, you had a tight-knit circle of maybe a hundred people, mostly from Miami, (AND I'M NOT DISMISSING THE OTHER BRANCHES, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE), but things felt "healthier" (though not in the full sense of the word🙂). Nowadays, time flies by, and most people only know each other through cell phones, forums, and secondhand info. Basically, mass appeal has brought a massive surge in problems; "everyone" has, quite simply, become part of the Red Army overnight, and in those huge numbers, quality got lost. Here's a nice little memory, what I consider the start of something new... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgcno49ewiw
John Perez13 said:I’ve been hearing this more and more lately, so I’m genuinely curious—when exactly were we supposed to be a cohesive group? Which season were we actually that organized unit you’re talking about, rather than just a bunch of people having a loud, disorganized party?
Cheers
...for instance, I’ve never felt more proud of being part of this than I did during that one season, even though I was serving a ban at the time... and honestly, I could probably come up with hundreds more examples like that.🤷 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH8JM...eature=related
steeltrucker said:What are these guys even doing, man? These dudes in their black Adidas tracksuits... What are these clowns thinking? What are these ultras up to? What are these drunks doing? What are these losers trying to pull? Where were they when I was running this scene? What are these kids doing? We're the ones who started it all. And so the days just drift by in the bars and neighborhoods, just like they have since the 50s. It’s always the same, and honestly, they'll never touch us.😁
Benjamin Cruz29 said:Look, I get what you're saying, but I have one question: where exactly did quality drop off compared to the numbers? Is it the choreographies? The chanting? Showing up at away games? The atmosphere on the streets or during the big flares? When did the Black Knights actually have that level of quality that just blew everyone else out of the water compared to today... back in the 80s? Maybe you just don't remember...
...YOU HAVE A POINT. It all really comes down to how people interact with each other; it doesn't actually matter how many years have passed or which specific era we're talking about. Still, I think you have to draw a parallel there. More people means more egos, more people trying to stand out, more voices, more "complexes," and more responsibility to manage... there are these new unwritten rules in play now. You've got one group wanting to chant, another wanting to light flares, a third just waiting around, a fourth drifting aimlessly, and a fifth who couldn't care less. Try pulling all of that together into one cohesive unit—that's the real issue.🤷
...it wasn't exactly difficult to state my position, even if things got a little heated toward the end🙂 ...but, regardless of how it all went down, what you have is yours... just remember that. Nobody can take that away from you unless they actually challenge you with solid arguments. And even then, being able to own your truth plays a massive role, which I know isn't always easy. Some people will go their whole lives without ever speaking up; they'll just bottle everything up and defend their views without ever looking in a mirror, standing inches away from someone they secretly blame for how they feel... I don't know, maybe sometimes it's better that way, though most of the time, it probably isn't... ...I'm worried about us splitting apart, but there's no gray area here—it's either black or white, and it’s on all of us to stop this. Are we actually learning anything from our mistakes? Or are we just repeating them? ...even though I tried to lay out the situation without making it a whole thing, and I probably didn't say anything particularly groundbreaking... well, if you get it, you get it... ...I'll be the first to step up and take the blame for how things turned out. Honestly, it's on me!
John Perez13 said:We definitely have the raw strength, but the real question is, do we actually have anyone capable of taking that power and putting it under control? 🙂
...that's a tricky one. I guess people should just answer that for themselves... ...and once they finally figure it out, they can either present it to the world or just live it; honestly, it doesn't much matter to me.🤷
John Perez13 said:What are we actually even talking about here? If you’re trying to bring up that specific era under Stipa Lekić—who was moved out for a whole bunch of reasons (which I really don't want to get into right now)—then you can't just throw this video or that footage from San Francisco 2009 at me as an example of what a group should look like. In your video, Stipe was basically just getting started, and it was that kind of energy that actually kickstarted everything. That's when the group finally started to gel, and from that game onward, we absolutely crushed the Boyse in terms of atmosphere at every single home game. Seriously, we dominated them. That San Francisco clip, or the one from our 2009 anniversary celebration, represents the absolute peak of the Stipe and Jean era. If that leadership has fallen, then we should be aiming for something even better than that, shouldn't we? Am I missing the point? 🤷
Having a huge crowd is just raw potential for the group; you have to learn how to harness it and channel it—basically, you have to make everyone move as one. 😉
Keith Brown80 said:That’s exactly what we need—no more splitting up the stands into north-west sections, middle blocks, or whatever else. We need unity!
ALL TOGETHER NOW!
...I just want to emphasize that this involves most of us, not just some lone individual. We can't keep letting ourselves fall back into this state—which is honestly pretty pathetic—just because of petty ego trips or feeling like our voices don't matter... AND IF WE ALL SHARE THE BLAME—GOD KNOWS WE DO! ...so, I guess the question is how we move forward from here. It really comes down to whether we stay stubbornly stuck in our ways or if we actually start reaching out and shaking hands with one another... I don't know. Maybe I'm being an optimist, maybe a pessimist, but if we're supposedly celebrating something like the Avant-Garde, maybe we could try approaching things from that perspective instead.🤷 ...do we even have the strength to do it?😕
Casey Gomez3 said:Honestly, this is peak entertainment. Some guy lets you stick a camera wherever you want. You buy one, and the fun begins.
...congrats, man. This might actually be one of the most useful things ever written on these forums.👍 ...but then again, you know how some people are—they'd rather blow their money on total nonsense than anything practical.☕ p.s. I'm looking to buy lasers, hit me up with serious offers via DM.☕
Matthew Foster8 said:First off, those guys in Miami back in '89... I mean, you'd have to be incredibly bold—or just plain crazy—to pull something like that off... And secondly... at least on the North Side, there’s a massive crowd of people backing the cause, including the hardcore ultras... I guess if someone wants to step up, they find a way, but if they don't, they always find an excuse. And if nothing else works, we can always fall back on the good old Gandhi method.😛
...you know what one group once did in a certain former country when they were trying to start a fight?...well, they went ahead and put razor blades in their mouths. Some of them actually ended up cutting themselves, but the police could do nothing but watch from a distance...not to mention those bloody syringes, just imagine that...there are a thousand ways to do it. Now, whether you think those people are actual Ultras or just complete idiots, I guess that's for you to decide...
...and now the cop is talking back to us. Honestly, if anyone reading this is actually bothered by it, why don't you just report it yourself? 😳 ...I mean, that’s not my job, it’s his! It’s just one more way they try to apply pressure on the fans. I remember when they tried to semi-legalize flares a few years ago. Those officials were basically offering a "solution" where they said, "Sure, you can bring them in and light them, but you have to label every single flare with a number and your full name so we know who stands behind which number..." BUT IF EVEN ONE EXTRA FLARE GOT LIT, THEN EVERYONE WITH A NUMBER WAS HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WHOLE MESS...
Mark Carter10 said:Most of the time they’re just doing their jobs, sure, but they’re targeting the fans. Nobody is complaining or crying about it—well, at least not I am. They strictly follow one specific part of the law that needs enforcement, while completely ignoring the rest....
They target us because we are considered the weakest link in the country and because we’ve already been judged in advance (by both the public and the justice system).
Ehhh, so you gave me a partial answer there. 🙂 😉
...that's exactly what they're trying to do to us—make us look like some exaggerated caricature of a problem. I mean, if we weren't their easiest target, they wouldn't bother with us. But everyone knows where revolutions actually start, and it's definitely not coming from bikers, ravers, or residents in nursing homes. The thing is, we need a more CONCRETE column or topic to emerge, something where people actually demand evidence instead of this pattern in the US where maybe five, or even zero, fans have the guts to bring actual charges against INDIVIDUALS within their own ranks. And believe me, the evidence is there. As for solutions? There are plenty, but I'm not going to go public with them; I'm keeping them up my sleeve for now. Grab your cameras, grab your phones, and start filming... where are all those lawyers they promised would be at the games now? Honestly, fine, if you catch me holding a flare, whatever, that's on me. But if you target someone else just to get to me, someone who didn't even do anything, then there HAS to be consequences...
reddrifter24 said:I can't really tell the age range with those lights censored, but I'm guessing it’s a younger crowd. Maybe I'm off base though... Are those shurikens or just yellow ants?
...from some forum☕☕ Anyway, regarding this Saturday's derby... I honestly think Madoff and the cops are doing everything they can to trigger a massive clash between the NFL Ultras and the BBB just to distract everyone from their own shady business. It’s pretty obvious what’s happening here. Since the BBB are supposed to be in the east section, they've moved all the ticket sales for the tunnel stands to the south entrance before 3 PM, and after that, you have to go to the Jakić location—which is basically the south gate for the east stands. I mean, I guess it might be a first in history that you can't actually buy tickets for the east side at any of the east, north, or west booths. It feels super suspicious. 🤷