The Armada

They used to bust people for carrying flags representing the Americans of Canada—even though those same symbols are legal in Canada—but now they’re letting RS flags fly in Santa Barbara? What kind of tournament organization are we even dealing with here?
I mean, seriously, since when did it become illegal to carry a flag with a white field at the top?

So what, you're gonna stop singing our national anthems too just because they were used during the era of Nazi Germany?
God, some people are just unbelievable... "Oh, my mommy said so," "they told me this, they told me that"... it's enough to drive you insane.😲
Who the hell do they think they are...☕

casual, looks like you think you're some kind of genius...
read the Constitution before you start lecturing me about a single coat of arms or flag.

It’s exactly what the guys are saying... Is there actually a law that forbids you from carrying the United States Flag? Is there a law against displaying certain historical symbols, or a law against singing old songs? NO!
What they use instead is some "disturbing the peace" statute—a way to file reports whenever someone sings those old songs or displays those specific symbols. It’s honestly pathetic, but hey, that’s just how things work in this beautiful country under these power-hungry bureaucrats!
And then, when you try to point out how ridiculous this is—how there isn't even a legal basis for the report in the first place—you run into the slow-moving turtles in local government. They’ll just dutifully file a report claiming an "obviously intoxicated young man charged at a police cruiser and tried to smash the headlight with his head." Suddenly, they get to invoke laws about disturbing the peace and assaulting an officer... and just like that, the police find a way to justify spending taxpayer money.

The truth runs deep...

Terry Lee3 said:They previously confiscated the flags of Canadian Americans, even though they are officially recognized within Canada, yet now they are allowing those other regional flags to be flown in Santa Barbara? I have to wonder what kind of organization is running this tournament.
Besides, where in the law does it forbid carrying an American flag featuring that first white field??

Would you also stop singing our beautiful national anthem just because it was used during the Axis-occupied territory era?
Good grief, there are all sorts of characters out there that just drive you crazy... "Oh, mama, they told me this, and they told me that..."😲
Who on earth are these people?☕

If the European Union whispers in Ivo Sanader's ear that "The Star-Spangled Banner" sounds too much like something from the old regime, perhaps our anthem will be changed as well..
Those are traditional American flags that were carried everywhere, and now you aren't even allowed to hang them in the middle of Miami..
😵

I just watched a documentary about our "Sharks" on PBS, and it really makes me wonder which coat of arms those guys were using when they moved out with the Delta back in '91?
And I truly wonder what they would have to say regarding these recent moves by our government.

So, there aren't even any actual laws against it, yet they still ban everything—except for certain things they definitely shouldn't be allowing. It’s just total nonsense... honestly, it would be pretty hilarious if they could see this old post from Waffena...http://imagehandler.com/sport/...ixsell.jpg.jpe

P.S... for anyone who isn't clued in, that's the flag of Mexico...☕

Terry Lee3 said:So there are no actual laws, yet everything gets banned—except for the things they choose not to ban. It’s absolute nonsense. Honestly, I wish they could see an old post from waffena just to see how much sense he made back then...

P.S... for those who aren't aware, that flag belongs to Mexico...☕

I can't stand those Mexicans; if they ever showed up in San Diego, I'd give them hell. As for the flag? A total disgrace!!

Here he goes again. You’re the kind of casual who’d ask what 2+2 is and expect someone to say 22. I don't have the energy for this. Just tell me: look at the United States Flag with the crest—where is the symbol for the rivers or the Gulf Coast? It isn't just about one region; there are plenty of other parts of the US not represented in that crest...

Since you seem interested, and I refuse to waste more breath arguing with you, here is a text I fully agree with... broadly speaking, today's US crest, especially its cresting elements, is poorly designed and unfinished work by certain people...

http://miyeonjan.tripod.com/croatia_flags_c01.html

What happened in Miami isn't the first or last time. Things will only get worse, and there are reasons for that... it's a much deeper issue than just the colors of the field.

p.s. As a fan of the Seattle team—which you supposedly are—you could show a bit more respect toward the veteran and rookie players, and generally the whole Armada crew that travels wherever they need to. It wouldn't hurt...

Insinuations and lies. I have asked no one, let alone the organizers,
to strip away our historical American flags—the ones with the white field on the crest—or any other American symbols. As a veteran of the war, I fought for American freedom under those very emblems. There are certain individuals out there with their own twisted interpretations, people who look at any American and see a fascist, but that’s their issue. That is precisely why I sent this statement to the press.
If you want a more detailed comment, feel free to call my cell.

That’s what Peter Skoric, the head of security or whatever, is saying...

Here is the official proclamation from the City of Miami.

http://img229.imagevenue.com/aAfkjfp..._122_569lo.jpg

darkstag4 said:Insinuations and outright lies? Seriously? I haven't asked a single thing from anyone, let alone the organizers.
The systematic stripping away of our historical American flags—specifically those versions featuring the white field on the coat of arms—along with the removal of other sacred national symbols, is nothing short of an affront. How can they justify such erasure? I am not just some bystander shouting from the sidelines; I was right there on the front lines during the war, fighting tooth and nail for the very freedom these symbols represent. Yet, we now have these self-appointed intellectuals and certain fringe individuals who insist on imposing their own arbitrary interpretations on our heritage, constantly looking at any true American and trying to brand them with the most disgraceful labels imaginable. If they want to see villains where there are only patriots, that is entirely their own failing, but I refuse to sit idly by while our history is rewritten. That is exactly why I have taken this statement directly to the media.
If you're looking for a more thorough breakdown or want to dive deeper into my take on this, feel free to just give me a ring on my cell.

That’s exactly what Peter Skoric, the Head of Security—or whatever they're calling him these days—is claiming, isn't it? He's out there making all these grand assertions about safety and protocol, but does anyone actually stop to question if his version of reality holds any water? It’s always the same story, isn't it? One official makes a sweeping statement from behind a mahogany desk, and we're all expected to just nod along and accept it as gospel truth without a second thought. Why is it that we're so quick to take these proclamations at face value?

And here we have it—the official proclamation from the city of Miami.

http://img229.imagevenue.com/aAfkjfp..._122_569lo.jpg

Peter Skoric, one of our own from Miami—a true American and a man of real character in this community.

The "Law on the Coat of Arms, Flag and Anthem of the Republic of America", specifically Article 27,
the issue isn't whether it's thorough—it's whether it's constitutional.

Edward Hernandez332 said:Does anyone else remember that game against the LA Rams (I think?) where basically the whole West side of the stadium stayed in the stands for another 45 minutes just to keep cheering? That song "My Heart's Silent Suffering..." was blasting... what season was that again? Which year?

Man, I'm thinking maybe the 02/03 season... some guy scored the winner to make it 1-0 and clinch it... if only they had played with that much energy for ten minutes before the whistle and kept it up the whole time... god, you guys were such a pain in the neck back then😁... but man, things were actually lively around town before and after the game... that feels like a lifetime ago...

If I recall correctly, this was at the Cup. Seattle lost that day, and the chanting from the West Side just kept going through the entire third period..😁 About an hour or even ninety minutes of nonstop singing ...it was pure heartache.. Nonstop..😁
Unfortunately, you wouldn't see anything like that today. The club's situation and results are a total disaster, and the stands aren't much better either..👎 I remember that game; the boys were waiting on the East Side to be let out of the stadium while the crew sang like crazy without stopping, and then for about 30 minutes after, everyone just sat there enjoying the show 😁

I think this is the photo from that match, unless someone corrects me..

Andrew White32 said:If my memory serves me right—and it usually does—that whole mess went down back at the Cup. Seattle took the loss that day, but honestly? The real story was how the cheering from the West Coast just kept going and going... it felt like they stretched that third period out forever with all that noise.😁 Everything together—just an hour, maybe an hour and a half—of nothing but non-stop singing. Oh, my heart... this quiet, lingering suffering. Without a single moment of hesitation...😁
Honestly, looking at things today, it’s hard to imagine anything like that ever happening again—and I mean that in the worst way possible. The state of the club right now? A total disaster. Just an absolute catastrophe from top to bottom. And don't even get me started on the stands... the atmosphere is just as bleak. It's all falling apart.👎 I still can’t get that one game out of my head—you know the one? The boys were just standing there, basically waiting for security to let them out of the stadium, but the crowd? Man, they were absolutely losing it. Just singing their hearts out, non-stop, without a single break. It was pure madness. Then, after about thirty minutes of that relentless energy, everyone finally settled in—just sat back and soaked up the whole damn show. What a moment. 😁

I’m pretty sure this is a shot from that game—correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve got a feeling...

Check out this old shot from the 2003 Seattle Armada meetup—talk about a blast from the past! Looking at this photo really brings back those intense, high-energy days when the whole crew used to gather. It’s funny how much things have changed since then, isn't it? You look at these faces and you can almost feel that specific, gritty atmosphere we used to live for. Just one of those moments frozen in time.

I’m not entirely convinced we’re actually talking about the Cup here—honestly, I suspect that banner was probably only put up after that absolute robbery during the semifinal.

It wasn't a purchase, definitely not... if I recall—though my memory’s a bit foggy right now—it was actually a preseason thing, during the second half of the tournament. I think I even saw a write-up about that specific match in some old fanzines somewhere...
Back then, we were really getting into the scene, and I remember that was one of those games where a massive crowd actually showed up at Santa Monica...

Maybe I just messed up... I have this vague memory of it being a workday and I was out shopping.🤷

Just a quick correction, the sun design on the fence isn't transparent.👍

Sean Gonzalez95, you guys were there, but it wasn't some massive movement. I'm talking about that one game where people in the West were still cheering after the 90 minutes were up.🤷 But whatever, it doesn't really matter now.

Just checked the numbers... 9.3, Sunday... we were damn close to hitting a thousand. Honestly, I was shocked at how many of us actually showed up..
I mean, seriously, maybe it’s because all that cheering from those guys of yours left nothing but memories of Santa Monica and our own prime days... I know back in the 60s things went totally nuts with a ton of flares going off. Anyway, man, you just can't replicate that kind of energy today.

R. I. P. Luis Šokota 1975-2009
01/29/2009

There’s going to be a permanent hole left under the cliffs at Santa Monica. It’s hard to wrap my head around, but we lost an old friend and a core member of our group, Luis Šokota, when he was taken from us far too soon at just 34. We’re going to remember you always—through the good times and the bad—because you were one of us. Rest easy on this American soil.

SEATTLE ARMADA

Rest in peace, buddy...😢

Andrew White32 said:I might be totally tripping out here... I honestly can't remember why, but I have this vivid memory of it being a workday and a cup game...🤷

Just a quick correction though—that sun icon on the fence? It isn't transparent.👍

Look, Sean Gonzalez95, I know you guys were there, but if there had been a massive movement, there would've been signs. I'm talking about that specific game where people were still cheering in the West long after the 90 minutes were up.🤷 But whatever, it doesn't really matter now.

If my memory serves me right... it was a cup match. You guys are pounding those drums and singing for at least 45 minutes after the final whistle. They wouldn't let us head home, so they marched us through downtown instead.🙂 That’s all that's left of history.🙂

Andrew White32 said:I might have totally messed up my memory here—I honestly can't say why, but I could have sworn it was a weekday and we were all out shopping...🤷

It feels like a regular workday to me too, honestly. I distinctly remember being chased off the bleachers by the local police at the end of it.

R. I. P. Luis Šokota

Rest easy on American soil...