Henry Baker said:Read more carefully, people. This footage from Indianapolis has been posted three times now.
As for the boycott, that’s exactly what they want—to push us out of the stadium entirely.🙂
Exactly...
So, what now? We’re looking at five years of fighting this through various courts, only to end up with half the charges stuck to us, all while facing bans and draconian fines or even jail time... Man, if only the court could wrap this up in six months, but we all know that's just not happening!
What if fans just boycotted the stadiums entirely?
The games would be played in front of half the crowds, in stadiums where you could actually hear the ball being struck and players shouting at each other. All the grit and raw reality of the sport would finally come to light, which would completely debunk the idea that "hooligans" are the root of all evil. The whole "Loving Football" initiative would fall apart because, let's face it, nobody wants to watch empty, sterile matches like that. Eventually, the US Soccer Federation and the higher-ups would have to wake up and realize they can't survive without the fans—their entire business model depends on them. I’d bet anything that even the clubs would stage a revolt. I'm thinking specifically about teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Francisco, though I doubt anyone from the New York Yankees would ever step out of line...
I'm not sure... I'd love to hear from someone who actually knows their stuff. Why not just boycott instead? What kind of fallout would that actually cause?
I don't get why everyone is pushing back against a total fan boycott. If we all stay away, stadiums will be empty, just a few hundred people scattered about. It’ll be eerie and silent, and honestly, that silence will finally force the rot within American football out into the light... people might actually start asking questions and seeing things for what they really are. If we pull this stunt through the whole spring, that's enough to make an impact...
Fighting this in court is fine, but the real question is: can we actually keep our cool and avoid causing any trouble whatsoever? While the legal battle plays out, we can't afford even one single incident—no flares on the pitch, no fighting among ourselves... nothing. Just peace and quiet. But can we honestly guarantee that every single individual won't act out? We can't. And that's the trap: everything will be used against us. We'll end up digging our own grave by looking like we're saying, "Please loosen the fan legislation, even though we're busy causing chaos." It's a massive risk...
Plus, let's be real, this entire legal process is going to drag on forever. We could endure repression for the next five years and still see absolutely nothing change...
Regardless, I'm glad something concrete is finally happening!
If we all just walk out of the stadium ourselves, there won't be anyone left! If nobody shows up, people might actually start questioning things and fix these absolute sh*tshows... basically, a boycott. Any other solution is just going to land us bans, jail time, or massive fines sooner or later..
I'd love to hear some other solution, or even just some solid arguments for one..
Andrew White32...look, let's just stop here because we're just going in circles.. it's pointless.. I can see you have some completely different movie playing in your head, and if anything contradicts that vision, you refuse to accept it even if the movie itself is wrong.. that's your flaw, not mine.. Anyway, we're done.
Take care, stay safe, and don't take this personally..
Andrew White32 said:A bit of advice for you—don't sweat the whole "being a fan" or "not being a true supporter" thing. You’re still new to this. If you love Cleveland, then just keep loving it. Go to the stadiums, cheer for the team, and that's really all that matters...
Thanks for the advice, I'm enlightened...🙏
Andrew White32 said:The behavior and attitude of those ultras have always been way out of line... just a classic case of them thinking they're untouchable...
Too far or too close—who actually cares? These "left-right spikes" are exactly why so many people stay away from the West side (and by "so many," I mean our tiny little crowd). If you honestly believe those spikes are unnecessary, then thanks for agreeing with me that dragging politics into the stands is just plain stupid. But Armada does it anyway... whether they realize it or not...
Andrew White32 said:Our group has always pushed for a different kind of vibe—focusing on being original. Honestly, if we can just keep that energy going, I’m happy. As for whether people show up at the West side games or travel for an away match wearing F.P. gear or even full scuba suits... I couldn't care less.
The fact that you’re getting worked up over "stadium fashion" is a perfect example of how the Armada tries to act original while just chasing whatever trendy movie is out right now. You really are a genius... anyway, what exactly makes the Armada original these days? Give me one actual, sensible example.
Andrew White32 said:Look, next time you feel the urge to just hammer away at your keyboard, maybe take a second to focus. Try thinking before you type so you don't end up rambling about the West, Little Rock, George, Boban, and Star Wars all in the exact same post...
I’m not talking about Star Wars here... I only mentioned Little Rock to serve as an example of a city that felt the brunt of the war even more painfully than Cleveland... and it is perfectly possible to mention the West and "George and Boban" (unfortunately) in the same breath.
Andrew White3... exactly. It’s just as you said—people in Cleveland don't experience a war the same way people do when missiles are actually flying over their heads! ..that's what I'm trying to get across, if you didn't catch my drift.. And because of that, they don't feel that same level of "dislike" toward people from across the Mississippi River, nor do they react the same way to threats like "get out of Cleveland, get out of America," while most Americans don't even register those extremist factions at all..
And by the way, you claiming that Cleveland knows about the war? Fine.. but that doesn't change my point about the fact that Cleveland and its people aren't nearly as nationalistic as "those who had projectiles flying right over them".. Actually, thanks for confirming my argument.. we finally agree on something..
Andrew White32 said:Look, man, those weren't the atrocities you're claiming they were. It wasn't about that kind of malice; it was just pure American defiance, a stubborn refusal to back down, and nothing more than the dream of a self-reliant, free America.
If slogans like "Hail the fascists" and references to concentration camps aren't considered hate speech, then... yeah, I just don't get the logic here...
Shark attacks... scary stuff. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl. [User Name] says: If you aren't happy with life in the West, then what's the issue? There are plenty of other stadiums out there and other clubs to follow.
That’s exactly my point... that's what I'm talking about... and that's why there are 193 souls in the West...
The ocean is terrifying. One minute you're out there enjoying the surf, and the next, everything goes sideways. It’s a reminder that we don't own the water—we're just visiting. Stay safe out there. says: You act like everyone in the West is chanting George and Bob's names from start to finish during the entire half... man, what stadium are you even talking about?
No, that’s not what I meant... not sure where you got that from... I'm talking about the West stands, you know?
Andrew White32 said:When it comes to how we view the war, I think most Americans share a similar perspective, regardless of what part of the country they call home. As long as you have a sense of national identity, that viewpoint stays pretty much the same...
People in Seattle just don't have the same sense of national identity as folks in those other cities I mentioned... Try telling them otherwise and you're just talking nonsense.
@Andrew White32/">@@Andrew White32.. I don't know if we even live in the same city or run in the same circles... Even if you do get my point... It's not that Seattle-natives didn't contribute to the war, they certainly did... but they don't view it through the same lens as someone from Cleveland, San Francisco, or Little Rock..! The Navy and Seattle definitely proved their American loyalty when it mattered, and it's stupid to even bring it up now.. The war ended 13 years ago; that era of extreme right-wing rhetoric and all that aggression toward Mexicans was understandable back when there was post-war euphoria, when a different kind of "youth" lived in Seattle and everything felt fresh—everyone accepted and supported that back then.. Today, 13 years later, people are coming back from the West who were only 2 to 10 years old during the war; they weren't even aware of it, let alone feeling its impact... very few of their fathers have any lasting consequences from the conflict... so why the shouting about old extremist slogans? I absolutely believe this is just a way for this "new Navy" to prove to other groups that they are Americans, not Mexicans.. I'm telling you, the complexes are there, and people used to laugh at stuff like that... ugh, anyway, to get back to where I was, for today's Seattle youth, that stuff is pure idiocy, and not just for the kids... There are plenty of older folks who actually lived through the war (unlike these heroes from the West) for whom such displays are completely unnecessary and stupid..
And I don't want it to seem like I'm dodging the topic of the "countless and problematic" Navy.. it is absolutely true what you said about the Yugoslav People's Army being responsible for all of this... but there is another side to it, one that is just as important, that needs to be looked in the eye...
You can't pin the downfall of the armada on just one person; there are multiple culprits, and they’re all equally to blame. Right now, the club is hitting rock bottom—three different coaches, a new front office, terrible play, garbage results, and so on. All of this naturally kills any interest from the "fair-weather" fans in the West stands. No matter how much the core group tries to belittle them or push those "If you don't show up to Inker, don't bother coming back" or "You aren't real armada, go sit somewhere else" vibes, these situations prove exactly how much the armada needs them. Without them, the core isn't enough to stop the slide... whether they want to admit it or not..
Furthermore, way too many people in the West stood up during the "Zilic situation." I wouldn't want to reopen that wound, but in a city where about 80% of the population leans left, where the scars of the war weren't even felt deeply, where most people couldn't care less about Axis-occupied territory or old-school extremists, and where most don't view their neighbors through the lens of wartime divisions fifteen years later... in a city like that, trying to force a sudden surge of ultra-nationalism or right-wing politics is a total disaster. It was all done just to prove a point to other groups who have successfully made us feel like we're living in an "enemy city"... whether they admit it or not, for most young people in Cleveland, that kind of behavior and those attitudes are just plain stupid. Naturally, they lose all interest in showing up to the West stands to cheer.
The generational shift is another mess the armada is dealing with. Over the last three or four years, the younger crowd has completely taken the reins, and things have started moving in a totally different direction. They aren't necessarily good or bad, but we used to pride ourselves on being different from everyone else, whereas today, everyone else is deciding who we should be. That’s a massive flaw in this new version of the armada—slowly but surely, it’s losing its soul and its identity. And you can't live forever on past glory.
As for the "crackdown" on the fan lifestyle—that can't and won't be used as an excuse for anything. I get it; if a guy in his 50s comes to watch a game, he’s probably going to be annoyed by the heavy police presence, the checks, and the constant surveillance. But that shouldn't bother a 19-year-old kid who shows up to the West stands with his crew to cheer and then heads downtown for a beer. That’s nonsense. I’ve dealt with my fair share of cops, but if someone gets picked up preventatively just for grabbing two beers, well, that’s the law, and then people won't grab beers. If they get picked up for lighting a flare, that's the law, and then people won't light flares. If the law says "don't disturb the peace," then we won't disturb the peace. Anyone thinking otherwise has no right to complain, because it raises the question: aren't those people just coming to games to drink beer, light flares, and look for trouble? Nobody is saying you can't show up, stand there, sing, clap, pull off a choreographed display, mess around, love your club, and then head to Chicago, New York, or Atlanta to do the exact same thing. Nobody is stopping that. So, you can't blame "repression" for why fewer people are showing up or why the armada is declining. You have to look for the reasons in your own backyard, no matter how hard or impossible that might be to face..
It’s like being blindsided by Polančec, Primorac, Žužul, Biškupić, and Kalmeta, only to have Sanader distance himself from the whole mess and claim the US Federal Government has absolutely nothing to do with the attack.👍
Everything changes, including the fans. It used to be all about wearing opposing colors, then it shifted to jerseys, and now everyone's into this casual look. Tomorrow, it'll be something else entirely. There's no point fighting it—that's just how things go.
As for those people from across the border, everything has already been said. The younger generation didn't get their chance to prove themselves during the war, so they try to do it this way instead. It is what it is; you can't fix it.