Lawrence Kim4 said:I think I know the answer, and honestly, there's no need to overexplain—but please, let's drop the comments about where we’ve been or why we aren't around more often. To those who show up every single time, hats off to you—it's basically masochism at this point. As for the rest of us—the ones who just pop in occasionally for some local soccer games or whatever—and those who never come at all, we don't really need a lecture; we all know how things actually stand. There are plenty of us just laying low—if the local league turnout is any indication—and I guess if things ever shift, we'll have that strong, large group back together again.
Until then, hopefully there won't be any divisions—you know, none of that gloominess, constant credit-taking, or ego trips. That kind of stuff really belongs in the past—I guess we haven't seen much of it since around 2008.
Look, you know what you bring to the table, and I know what I'm putting in—it’s all relative, I guess. Honestly, I don't really care about the drama—it doesn't affect me one bit—but if you want respect, you've gotta earn it.
You’re like my brother out there—in the stands, in the trenches, and on the road toward the same goal... which is our Dinamo.
🙂
Nice work—I wanted to quote this specific part of your post, even though I actually liked the whole thing. To me, this bit is the most important part... people just talk trash for no reason. It's like that Omerta guy—he's acting like such a brat, yet he's still out there calling everyone out.
Whenever we organize some kind of protest, we’re always calling for people to show up—but then we turn around and push them away once they actually arrive. Now we've finally got a crowd together at the local soccer match, but somehow even that isn't good enough. It's like, why are you showing up here instead of joining us down in San Francisco? Or what can you even say to someone like that? "Where were you when the group was first starting? You weren't even born yet." Honestly, that's just such silly rhetoric—people acting like you had to be there in 1983 or something.
Some guy is claiming I shouldn't have even been looking for a fight in his post—which, honestly, isn't really my style. I don't get why people bother with all that unnecessary nonsense. At the next protest or whatever, are we just going to go after everyone who wasn't in San Francisco? Or maybe everyone who didn't show up in Romania or Lithuania? If we keep this up, we'll end up fighting everybody. It’s kind of ridiculous—it's not like the folks down by the pier were out there trying to pick fights with anyone who wasn't part of the movement. They actually handled the rally quite well, and maybe that’s exactly what we need right now. At the end of the day, the government only seems to care about street protests, especially when an election is looming. We veterans saw that firsthand—look at how much funding finally got allocated to us. It takes real presence and pressure from the crowds to make things move. A protest with maybe 200 or 300 of us dressed in black casual gear, lighting torches in a city that never really had our back—except during the war—just doesn't carry enough weight. Not really. And then they try to fix things by pushing some local futsal project to bring back old faces... I guess that kind of approach is just totally missing the mark.
I guess it would've been nice if they'd actually said something when that MNK-Dinamo project started moving—it felt like futsal could have been a cool way for us to hang out, grab some food, and just cheer together. Personally, I’ve only ever shown up to the occasional local pickup game, but I think I'll make an appearance today. Just a heads-up though—futsal isn't a replacement for the big stadium, so let's stop the constant complaining about that already. With the timing of this upcoming game against the big city rivals, it seems like a good chance to shut down all that talk about league corruption and just show everyone how things are done at the highest level.
And one more thing about that whole code of silence—you only really respect the people who’ve earned it. But honestly, some of you kids today—not all of you, obviously, but some—just don't seem to have any respect for those who actually deserve it. For the ones who stayed true and didn't sell out or get their hands dirty for the wrong reasons. You guys are always talking about "the masses" or whatever, but I guess in a few years, you'll be the older guy looking at some kid thinking the same thing. I think you know exactly what I'm getting at. Nobody's asking for medals—I got plenty of those during my service—and I'm not looking for a pat on the back, either. But if we don't respect certain things, then what's the point? I mean, without a past, there's just no future.
If you guys are going to act like such extremists in these threads—I mean, really—then maybe you should actually try being extreme about solving things. Right now, you aren't really changing anything at all. So, if that's the vibe, go ahead and be extreme. Forget about guns for a second—just grab a wooden bat or something and start breaking legs... specifically the ones belonging to people who truly deserve it. You know, go be a hero—not some James Bond type secret agent, though.😵Just go extreme with it—really stand up for your crew. Forget the stories. Back when I was 21, out on the front lines, I was fending off a shotgun charge when my AK jammed. Man, my friend... he took a bullet from a guy at that game against the Yankees. He charged at some punk, told him to hold his fire, but the guy wouldn't stop and shot him. And honestly, he wasn't even a die-hard fanatic. He didn't go on those massive away trips like you see in San Francisco today. Not long ago, he even caught a case right in front of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Damir Čakanic—he's a street hero. So, maybe don't underestimate the people who aren't fully immersed in the fan culture—you know, the ones who are more like half-fans or just sympathizers. You never really know with them. If you act like them and strike where it hurts most—right at the top—then I guess you'll be my personal hero of silence.
It’s funny how people don't respect those who aren't totally obsessed, or how certain core groups get ignored—I suppose that's just how things are here. Because of those aggressive urban guerilla types, we've lost so many supporters and local chapters across the US over the years. Some places in the Midwest that used to be ours? They belong to the rival crews now. People from the smaller towns tend to look down on these guys for no reason, even though they poured blood and sweat into this group. I've written about the old-school crew from the outskirts a hundred times before. Honestly, they deserve more credit for starting this whole thing than all those self-promoting leaders from the late 80s and early 90s. I'm only saying this so we don't keep making the same mistakes—don't underestimate anyone. We all know who the real backbone of the group is. I used to follow them back in the day, too. But anyone who shows up to the stadium today, bringing their kids, their spouse, or a friend who's never heard of us—they are more than welcome. I personally tip my hat to them. Come on, guys, our group almost died out once; let's respect everyone, regardless of where they're from. Of course, if they haven't sat at the table and shared a drink with the inner circle, there's no excuse for them.
