The Armada

stormyseal9 said:What exactly needs translating? I know these people. They’re practically at my house every single day because my brother is their friend and produces their music. Gimba went to high school here—is that still not clear enough for you? I'm not the one to blame if someone from the rural Midwest can't understand anything besides a local dialect.

Welcome to the club, buddy...😁...the show is about to begin...🤣😂

And hey, don't go acting all suspicious or you're gonna look like a total snitch, alright? Anyway, were you actually at the game? I feel like you're holding back a bit, just like me. Honestly, those Cleveland fans know how to stay wide awake, and man, the heart attacks they're gonna have from all those crazy turnarounds... Cagi is absolutely ruthless.

Under the Microscope: Interesting Times
24.11.2008.

We’ve really had quite the stretch lately. There’s a massive amount to unpack here: from that local brawl in a Small town in rural America, to the latest outbursts in a Small town in rural America, the erratic performance of the Seattle team, and the chronic dysfunction bleeding through our club's politics. Once again, I'm reminded that justice isn't blind—it just picks favorites. Apparently, some people get their freedom of movement restricted within the US, while the big shots enjoy the uninhibulated right to pose for photos at tables overflowing with booze. Honestly, you can't blame folks for reaching for a drink after a great BBQ; even if someone gets a little rowdy, it’s basically a celebration of the sport. At least, that’s how the great reformer of American soccer, none other than "I. Š.", explained it to us. On the flip side, we have a club president whose antics are so predictable they barely register anymore, yet he manages to find something new to screw up every single week. Right now, the only person who can even attempt to push back is the mayor of his city. I truly wonder how much more time and how many more people it will take before his high-ranking associates actually face consequences in our league. It’s hard to explain why some fans end up in "detention" over a single beer or being a bit too loud in the stands, while others can use the media to threaten people with their livelihoods. The irony is thick: this is a guy who was practically in lockstep with the man he used to answer to, but the moment that same person decided to actually do his job properly, he was suddenly tossed to the top of the hit list. Still, he knows how to spin a yarn, even taking shots at "I. Š." and his grand TV project. His rhetoric sounds exactly like a disgruntled fan complaining about why soccer on television is such a joke. Most of what we’re talking about is currently being weighed by the HTR Board, where a few members seem to finally realize where this is all headed. It’s becoming painfully obvious to them that "Loving Football" is mostly just a front for sponsors and certain interests that definitely aren't focused on growing the game. Stadium attendance is cratering, so there's zero chance of seeing the crowds return anytime soon. Meanwhile, I suppose CBS still considers itself a public broadcaster that should represent the interests of other sports too.
For those in the dark, the draft for the amendments to the popular "fan law" is finished. From what I’m hearing, it’s utterly nonsensical and impossible to enforce. Honestly, I wouldn't have expected anything better. Once they shove this through Congress, they’ll claim they gave fan groups a seat at the table during the drafting process, but it’s already clear our suggestions were ignored. Now that we’re about to get a "copy-paste" version of English fan legislation, we’re set to repeat the same old patterns we see in America. We have excellent laws on paper; we just have no clue how to actually apply them. Then we’ll just sit around waiting for special regulations to be passed, and then wait indefinitely for someone to adopt them. One of the "brilliant" provisions includes sanctions for hiding your identity with a hat or a scarf! I’d love to know how the authorities plan to "discretionarily" interpret that when the wind starts howling in the Coastal neighborhood and we all bundle up to stay warm.
Finally, a quick word on the Seattle team. I usually make a point to avoid writing about the state of our club because, frankly, everyone already knows the score. The results speak for themselves, and I don't have much to add beyond what’s already been said a thousand times. I’m not going to lecture the leadership; they’ve seen a revolving door of directors, presidents, and coaches, not to mention the players—whoever they are. I just want to point out that the club lacks any long-term sustainability plan, and that needs to be the starting point for everything moving forward. You can't spend one year fighting for championships and the next fighting to avoid relegation. A club needs to decide to start and finish a season with the same coach and squad, without constant improvisation mid-season. Sometimes, it wouldn't hurt to just be honest with the public instead of dropping bombshell statements every summer before the season kicks off. Maybe then we’d actually have some empathy for what we're watching down there in the Coastal neighborhood.

And finally, I should probably say a few words about Seattle Sounders FC... Honestly, I try to stay away from dissecting our club's situation in my writing because, let's be real, everyone already knows what's going on, and the scoreboard usually says enough for me, so there isn't much intelligent insight left to add beyond what's already been said... It always feels like we're just circling the same old grievances. I don't want to act like a know-it-all to those running the show, especially since I've seen enough directors, owners, and coaches come and go through my years as a fan—not to mention the players, who honestly, who can even keep track of them all anymore? I just want to point out that the club seems to lack any kind of long-term sustainability plan, and if you ask me, that’s the fundamental issue behind everything else they do. You just can't have a team fighting for the championship and the cup one year, only to find themselves scraping by at the bottom of the standings the next... A club really needs to commit to starting and finishing a season with the same coach and the same roster, instead of this constant improvisation mid-season. Sometimes, I think it wouldn't hurt if they were just honest with the public for once, rather than dropping these massive, bombastic statements every single summer right before the season kicks off... maybe then people would actually have a bit more empathy for what we're witnessing down at Wrigley Field...

That's pretty much it 🙏🙏

http://www.hnkhajduk.com/galerija/al...j-rij-0019.jpg

The 02/03 season matchup at Wrigley Field. Seeing this photo for the first time. Nothing special.😉

Andrew White32 said:http://www.hnkhajduk.com/galerija/al...j-rij-0019.jpg

That 02/03 season match between Seattle Sounders FC and Hajduk... seeing this photo for the first time. Nothing special about it, really.😉

I think that was actually the game from this clip...😉

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt-K_wscLI0

The absolute madness of the sixties...😁

Terry Lee3 said:I think this was that specific game...😉

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt-K_wscLI0

That’s it. Pure madness during that match. Pitch invasions twice, 60th minute, chaos with the police. Unforgettable sight: the riot squad forming a line across the entire center of the field—the papers even ran a photo titled "Saturday's Starting Lineup" or something similar. West gate doors breached, fences torn down in several spots. One guy charging at a cop had guts, I'll give him that. After the players exchanged hugs with the 😁 crew, they headed toward the East stands. Those brave fans didn't even bite on the provocations; they just stayed rooted to their seats. It wasn't the first time at the stadium where the heavy hitters from the opposing city wouldn't budge from their spots while the other side walked right past them to taunt them. I don't believe we'll ever see scenes like that in an American stadium again.

P.S. Found another old photo from back then, showing the whole West stand:

http://www.hnkhajduk.com/galerija/al...j-rij-0020.jpg

Man, Cleveland really couldn't help themselves, had to go with their signature style again, right? And honestly, thank God I'm not part of the Armada because my heart just wouldn't take the stress, seriously. But hey buddy, what happened to you heading down to Chicago? Now you're even following along with my other rants, huh? At this rate, I'm gonna have to recruit you into our squad since there's been such a massive hole left ever since Cherokee left to go play piano everywhere.🤣

What a load of nonsense... On November 2, 2002, maybe five or ten people rushed the pitch, and they did it individually. There’s actually footage from that round of the MLS match. That last photo isn't even from the big rivalry game—you can clearly see the graveyard behind the supporters' section, and back then, you guys didn't have banners hanging off the fences. In 2002, there were clashes with the police on both sides of the stadium; we were busy holding up your four banners while the cops tried to snatch them back, but honestly, there weren't any massive pitch invasions...

As for '98, I can't really weigh in because I wasn't even there.

Ethan Moore56 said:What a load of crap... back on November 2, 2002, maybe five or ten guys rushed the field, but they did it one by one. There’s actual footage from that MLS match. That last photo isn't even from the big rivalry game; you can clearly see the fans behind the fence, and back then, you guys didn't have banners hanging off the railings like that. In 2002, we were clashing with the cops on both sides of the stadium—we actually grabbed four of your banners, and when the police tried to get them back, well, things happened. But honestly, there weren't any massive pitch invasions back then...

As for '98, I can't really weigh in because I wasn't even around yet.

Which last photo are you talking about??

The last one out of these four

Ethan Moore56 said:the last one out of those four

Great... so there were more games like this and more of these total collapses... mission accomplished, I guess...👍

the good old days
back when you guys used to run circles around everyone in the Midwest😁

Man, speaking of those legendary games... I still remember this one drunk guy from the South who just kept getting absolutely leveled all over the field, but he’d just pick himself back up, covered in boot prints, and keep putting on his little show...🤣🤣 👍

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/3720/neredi54bc8.jpg

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/9391/neredi42us2.jpg

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/6237/neredi40kt3.jpg

I think that's the game where everyone stormed the barricades they set up right at midfield...🤷

...and in one of those entries, they actually stripped you of two transparencies—apparently, because you weren't placing them over the center point before now.😍

Auuu, I still remember this 😁

But I didn't actually make the trip myself... it was more one of my buddies who used to go, you know? The kind of guy who’s always nowhere to be found right when you actually need someone to hit up a game with 🤣

Terry Lee3, impressive photo reportage here. 😁 👍 Just one correction regarding this image:

Terry Lee3 said:http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/7282/neredi52ei3.jpg

That was at the Lakers game when the White supporters held up their banner. My club, my city.

Ethan Moore56 said:What lies. On November 2, 2002, maybe 5 to 10 people rushed the field, and they were acting alone. There is footage from that round of the MLS. That last picture isn't from that derby; you can see the cemetery in the background, and back then you didn't have banners on the fence. In 2002, there were clashes with police on both sides of the stands. We held up four of your banners, and while the police tried to take them back, there weren't really any major pitch invasions...

Can't speak on '98. Wasn't there.

I don't know if that was 2002. It wasn't 5 or 10 people. Three or two were detained immediately, and the third is the shirtless guy in these shots. He had a rough time on the track; I couldn't believe it when I saw him after he was picked up—the kid took about 15 kicks. You don't need to say anything about '98; the photos show everything. As for those banners, I have no idea what you're talking about. By the way, one more detail from that same '98 game:

Hard to believe. Along the entire west stand, the group held up the confiscated banners. I think this is the most opposing banners ever seized and burned at a single game in our history.