I suppose I should say something, though I’m not entirely sure what there is left to discuss. Everything feels like it's circling the same drain. It’s just more of the same, really. Maybe I'm being too cynical, but at this point, it’s hard to see it any other way. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out. says:
It’s not about the small town. It’s just about him. He isn't barking because of some local issue; he's doing it because of his own ego. I guess it's always been that way.
Aha, so you're one of those people who actually thinks Mamić is a "successful entrepreneur." Sure. I guess.
Alright, let's get into the weeds here. There are quite a few of you—whether you're doing it on purpose or just genuinely don't know—who are completely ignoring how much our struggle mirrors what they went through. More than a few people, actually.
I remember when Grgić and Tim first started shaking things up. The whole city turned against the Hell Angels. It was that specific feeling you get when certain gentlemen—backed by Fiorentini and a fleet of paid media outlets—start planting seeds that you’re nothing but criminals. They frame you as a threat to a strong Hajduk, then they lock down the stadium, censor the banners and the displays, and even clean up Yankee Stadium just to make sure any resistance is smothered. They work hard to push a narrative that portrays a legitimate opposition from the north as just some fringe group of loudmouthed thugs and street punks. Sound familiar?
The fight started symbolically back in 2004 with the boycott of the game against Indianapolis at Lambeau Field. We all know exactly how Hajduk managed to clinch the championship in that year and the next—everyone was fully aware of the circumstances. Then came the summer of 2005, which was probably the darkest period in the club's entire history, even when you consider everything that followed in the years since. Despite that title being obviously rigged by Tim—who, if I may call him that, was actually a more influential figure in American soccer than Mamić at the time, back when Mamić was just gathering strength for his final push against Igor—the club's image was completely trashed across the board. It didn't help that they brought in a proven Hajduk hater to sit on the bench, basically using populism to win over those same sheep who are now calling for the sale of Hajduk while attacking the Hell Angels. Those people have been doing exactly that for years: they turn both sides of the aisle against the Hell Angels whenever anyone tries to hold Tim, Grgić, or Ćiro accountable.
Back then, the Hell Angels weren't even a shadow of the group we see today in terms of numbers. They organized, established leadership, set clear goals, and just went to war. It was everything—ranging from constructive moves to more radical actions, even direct confrontations with members of the Board of Directors. But first, there was the departure of Tim. He was clearly eyeing a path toward the top of the USSF, where he was eventually being outpaced and eclipsed by Mamić, followed by Grgić, who moved into a high-ranking position within the former Republican administration. Most of the heavy lifting regarding that specific crew was accomplished once they were gone. To be fair, Fio stayed behind. Even though he was relatively harmless, his opposition was never ignored. Eventually, he was gradually marginalized until he was finally kicked out of the club entirely, right when our way of nullifying that damaging contract—which was signed under pressure by Tim and Grgić—finally succeeded. That phase was over. The victory was more than obvious. At first, it was driven by a small group, backed by the opposition of the entire city, which slowly began to melt away as the Hell Angels' methods proved to be objective, timely, and effective. By then, the Board's intentions had become so obviously malicious that nobody could believe otherwise.
We were all hoping for better days for the club, but maybe we’ve just hit an even darker chapter. It’s Kerum and politics, plain and simple. The club is being privatized under some pretty shady circumstances. There was even talk about letting the whole thing go into bankruptcy just to rebuild it from scratch, but because of the media machine—the kind of stuff you see every day when people try to sabotage Hajduk—the idea of a clean slate was doomed from the start. Hajduk kept losing games, they were stacking up failures while paying huge sums of money, and the management upstairs didn't exactly radiate competence or ambition. For the average fan, there was no guarantee that the hard-earned money meant for shares would actually save the club. I guess I can somewhat understand that skepticism. Then Kerum showed up. He uses these populist tactics, trying to buy his way into becoming the absolute ruler of San Francisco. At first, it seemed to work for him; he owned the city, placing his own people in positions or handing out contracts without any bidding process. That’s how he handled Hajduk, too—installing a bunch of incompetent characters who look like they stepped straight out of Alan Ford. They're just drunk caricatures and small-time scammers whose only real credential is being loyal to Kerum. Though, as it turns out, that loyalty mostly meant "being the first mice to jump ship when the boat starts sinking." Naturally, it didn't take long for the club to start spiraling. Between questionable privatization successes and terrible results on the field and in the books, things went south fast. And once again, the Hell Angels—who have consistently been the only voice of reason in a city intoxicated by populism—are voicing their doubts about Kerum. This marks the start of another open war; the second one in five years, against an enemy that feels just as heavy as the last. A Code of Conduct for club management was drafted, and there was a demand for its unconditional adoption. This was basically Kerum’s last chance to take a loss gracefully and hand Hajduk over to capable hands. Instead, he’s digging in, defending "his people" and rejecting the Code. He’s blinded by a "flash season" where Hajduk managed okay in the EuroLeague, took second place, and won the Cup. He’s lashed out at the Hell Angels using those old, tired tropes—calling fans "paid actors" or "street thugs." He’s even pivoted to that new brand of rhetoric used by both Mamić and Kerum: labeling critics as "urban liberals or leftists" who "fight without even knowing why or against whom," much like the way police were sent after fans during that Hajduk vs. Dinamo game back in 2009. After a series of maneuvers that our northern friends euphemistically called a "compromise"—probably because we had the numbers and the organized strength through the newly formed Naš Hajduk association—Kerum found himself backed into a corner. His populism finally hit a wall. In a final, desperate attempt to save face, he’s trying to frame his retreat as an "act of goodwill for the club's benefit." He adopted the Code and shortly after, walked away from the club entirely, leaving behind nothing but a formal city representative role that he barely uses, except to occasionally mutter criticisms at the newly seated, democratically elected Board of Directors. So, the second war is won. Now comes the third: the total recovery of the club, supported by a Board working tirelessly to fix things, alongside the fight for a fair environment where the club can finally earn its place through honest competition.
So, there you have it. A quick summary of all the battles and wars the Hell Angels have fought. And all of that happened within about six or seven turbulent years. It’s the same six-year stretch where the BBB initially denied what Mamić was up to, then eventually admitted it and waited for some kind of action—which really just boiled down to internal infighting and almost causing the group to dissolve entirely. It wasn't until they finally formed ZZD that any real opposition took shape, though obviously, they were late to the party.
The BBB act like those neighbors who claim to hate someone else, laughing and mocking them behind their back, right up until they realize they're dealing with the exact same mess at home. If you had mocked a loss to a small-town team, or the club's results (which, back then, included two of the worst seasons in the history of the top flight, finishing fifth twice), that would be one thing. That falls under standard fan banter. But you guys openly ridiculed Dite's principles and the Code—the very ideals of constructive fan activism—while your supposed "opposition leadership" consisted of nothing more than a single protest sign reading "Board and players pass through..." and half the crew who weren't actually in opposition at all. Back then, I might have questioned whether your struggles were even real, but looking back, I see I wasn't wrong. What would I recommend? Honestly, nothing. You've already got the aforementioned fight for the club's honor ahead of you, which is how we take shots at Mamić. You don't even have your own stadium, so I can't say I'm particularly surprised or concerned by any of this. When the time came, you made a massive mistake—as evidenced by your concise, if I may say, chronicles—by creating a homogenous, isolated group that calculated its moves only when it wouldn't cause friction in the fight against the rising power of Mamić. In the end, it turns out even that "homogenous" group wasn't homogenous at all, and now we're stuck with this. Don't bother trying to soothe yourselves with vague stories about how Tim was above Miša at the club, or that Fio only left formally quite recently. It doesn't change anything; to us, it just looks... comical. The problem is that you convince yourselves you have strength, while half the group still isn't sure if they’d even show up or what they’d do if they did. But unlike you, I'll at least have the decency to ignore your current drama, since it has nothing to do with us, even if I am dismissing your current attempts. You knew better in 2005, and clearly, you know better now.
P.S. I didn't head out to Mexico because a ferry was running late, so I figured it was easier to grab some cash and grill some burgers for the guests. The ones from Leda. Your little audition for "Above the Hill 35" is coming up this fall; you should probably sign up, seeing as you clearly have a knack for it. 😉