The Armada

Your whole routine of rooting against Cibao was fine and all, but one thing really rubbed me the wrong way. Down in the stands, you’ve got about a hundred people—mostly just kids and twenty-somethings who are actually putting in the work and giving it their all. But then you look around and see this crowd of thirty-plus types—people I recognize as the supposed "leaders"—just loitering to the left of the section. There's maybe twenty or thirty of them, and they don't do a damn thing except stand there watching the game. If anyone dares to cheer without their permission, they just start throwing these menacing glares...
Shouldn't those guys be setting an actual example for the younger generation?

Edward Hernandez332 said:You guys had no problem rooting against Cibao, but one thing really bugged me. In the main supporter section, you’ve got about a hundred kids—mostly slackers and twenty-somethings who are actually putting in the work. But then there’s this crowd of 30-plus types I recognize as the supposed "leaders." They just hang out to the left of the main group, maybe twenty or thirty of them, doing absolutely nothing but watching the game. And if anyone doesn't cheer loud enough, they just shoot them these threatening looks...
Shouldn't those guys be setting an example for the younger generation?

Those looks are basically just them saying, "Hey kid, I've put in my time with the Ultras over the years, now it's your turn." Honestly, I can't even blame them. They’ve done their part for the group (and yeah, they still show up), and just being present in the stands instead of sitting elsewhere earns them some respect. But trust me, the old guard still brings way more passion than all those posers and wannabe Ultras combined.

Keep it civil, please. No provocations. ☕

-so, anyone grabbing a bus down to Washington, D.C. for the celebration this Saturday? what's the word, Ultras? ...or is it too pricey for you guys again? .... look, Steven Ross74 is gonna help you out with the costs, you just gotta show up.
-....well, I'm not footing the bill for a bus, too. if you guys can actually act decent and civilized while we're in our beautiful capital (meaning, no acting tough or trying way too hard to prove yourselves), then maybe we can talk. you guys are celebrating the band's anniversary, we're getting the title—so it's all on you whether this whole thing works out or not. i've been hearing some things...
just make a decision already regarding those two troublemakers of yours (a.m. and r.o.)
man, seriously. I told them straight: if they show up peaceful (maybe even playing "Greetings, Washington, D.C.")—that song is a classic—then your chances of heading home in one piece are actually pretty good. besides, the local dockworker's taking the day off anyway.😁

Steven Ross74 said:-So, is there a bus heading to Washington, D.C. for the celebration this Saturday? Any word, Ultras? ...Or is it too expensive again? ...Look, Steven Ross74 will cover the costs if you guys just show up.
-...Well, I'm not paying for a bus just yet. If you can actually behave yourselves and act civilized once we hit the capital—meaning no outbursts or desperate attempts to prove how much fun you're having—then maybe we can talk. You're the ones celebrating the band's anniversary, and we're just holding the title, so whether this whole thing works out depends entirely on you. I've heard enough rumors to be skeptical.
And make up your minds about those two troublemakers of yours (a.m. and r.o.)
Give me a break. I told them straight: if they arrive peacefully (maybe even playing "Greetings, Washington, D.C.")—which is a song I actually like—then they might actually get to leave in one piece. Even a dockworker takes a day off sometimes.😁

You must have been writing this while drunk.
If not, then you've managed to be an idiot for your entire thirty years, because provoking people like this is child's play.

Samuel Morgan6 said:Any sane person can see that picture is a total joke... just like how ridiculous it was seeing those old-school fans hanging out with the rival crew and chanting for the New York Yankees instead...

-So, what you're saying is that back in the 80s, a chunk of the fanbase wasn't even tight with the rivals when it came to getting fireworks or whatever... they were actually rooting against the home team during that big matchup against the Red Sox?

-But honestly, that kind of proves the point... since back then, that city was basically just full of transplants from out of state anyway...

darkstag8 said:either you wrote this while hammered
or if you weren't, then you're just an idiot for your age... I mean, trolling like this is some middle school stuff...

you hit the nail on the head🤣(seriously, I'd bet my life on it), so why wouldn't I grab a drink after such a long time? (not like it was too much anyway) and now I've been pretty buzzed for a few days straight...
-if you thought I was trying to provoke you, I really wasn't, it just got away from me a bit, honestly (just saw how it came across) y'know how it goes. it's not like you've never had a drink before, right? look, I'm done drinking, okay. first it hits you, then it takes you away, and finally it just wipes you out 😁 that's just the magic of it, man... nothing crazy about it...😉

Steven Ross74 said:Spot on.🤣You could probably even justify a round of drinks on me. Honestly, why wouldn't you have a cocktail after all this time? It’s certainly not a bad way to go—not that I've been anything else lately. Besides, I've been nursing a few drinks myself for the past couple of days.
Look, if that came off as a provocation, it wasn't my intention—it was meant to be good-natured. I just got a little carried away, and honestly, I'm realizing how it looked now. You know how it goes. And before you ask, no, I haven't lost my edge; I just let things get the better of me once in a while. It hits me, sweeps me up, and then leaves me in pieces. Not my finest moment. 😁 That's just part of the charm—all the magic, none of the hooligans.😉

Doesn't bother me.
I'm Steven Ross74. I have absolutely nothing to do with the fleet; I just found that sudden shift in your attitude a bit strange. Regardless, it doesn't matter. ☕

ST! Seriously though, how many clones do you actually have running around here???? You might want to lay a little lower, there's some danger out there... and regarding the fleet today... man, what a disaster. Please don't take this as me trying to start something because I really don't like doing that and I respect everyone's right to their own views, but you're celebrating a 21st anniversary and barely even 100 of you showed up to cheer? It’s like showing up to a Super Bowl party when the game is already over. Sure, the results on the field were absolutely brutal, but still...

-No changes to my usual routine, just ended up getting way more wasted than I intended—those spontaneous, out-of-control nights are always my worst, especially since I really shouldn't be drinking at all right now... and somehow I woke up feeling all philosophical, thinking I actually had something worth writing down (not that I needed to, though they say there's no room for regret after a good night's sleep)... I thought I’d reach out and give a friendly shout-out to some old friends from back in the day—we go way back to our service days together—but then I read what I wrote and realized I was completely off base, just some nonsense scribbled by a drunk brain.
-Anyway, three of my buddies just dropped by... we're hanging out at my place, grabbing some lamb to reminisce about the good old days. You remember those classic local spots? Like that little BBQ joint or the old diner?...

Eric Turner said:ST! seriously, how many clones do you have running around???? don't stick your neck out too far... it's risky... regarding the fleet today... total disaster. look, I'm not trying to start anything because I respect everyone here, but you guys are celebrating 21 years and barely 100 people show up? you only show up when it's convenient... and performance-wise, you guys got absolutely demolished, but still...

-there were a few more older ones out West... though I know some who used to go to the bigger games, like those big European matchups or the Miami games...

Hypocrisy is easily the single most loathsome trait a human being can possess
don't you think?

It’s the final round.
Was the fleet celebrating some kind of birthday or what?
How many Seattle residents actually made it out to NYC? If anyone has photos, drop them here. I was stuck at work and couldn't keep up, so if you were there, give me the rundown.

John Perez13 said:It was the final round.
The fleet was celebrating some birthday or something?
How many Seattle residents actually made it out to the city, if anyone caught any photos... I was stuck at work and missed everything, so if someone was there, give me the lowdown...

Maybe 100 people max, nothing more... the results just killed the vibe... honestly, a pretty lackluster turnout... they were fighting for a spot in the Europa League until yesterday and couldn't even pull 300 people together...

Cheering during the game isn't the issue, and you can certainly vent about the score afterward
but since they were celebrating an anniversary and fighting for a spot in the Champions League, THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE SCORE before kickoff. In my opinion, that’s just poorly handled. ☕

Yeah...
The fleet tends to fluctuate wildly.
One minute there are 1,000 people, the next it’s barely 100.
It’s a strange group. I know they have the ability to recruit or just stir up their own fanaticism, so you'd occasionally see them show up at a big game with 1,000 strong or even a full trainload in St. Louis.
Back during the cup final in Chicago, there were about 1,500 of them out there.

But mostly, those are just isolated bursts. For the most part, they stay home.
Every now and then you'll see a hundred of them charge out for an away game, but nothing worth noting.

Our crowd was pretty pathetic, but honestly? Theirs was even worse... I mean, seriously, it felt like the whole thing was wrapped up in just 20 minutes... It was basically the same nightmare scenario we went through back in Seattle when we pulled ahead in like three minutes flat...

And hey, shout out to that one guy in the Stone Island shirt... 😁... hahaha... someone should ask him if he had a blast hanging out over by the West Side...

Nicholas Moore9 said:Our support was lackluster, but theirs was even worse. Still, it felt over within twenty minutes—pretty much the same scenario we saw back in Seattle when we surged ahead in three minutes flat...

And my regards to that guy in the Stone Island shirt... hahaha... he should tell us if the nightlife out West lived up to the hype.😁...

What did you expect from your crowd when the entire North Stand was filled with random tourists?
The curse of the big games.🤷

ST!

It’s not about the players; it’s about how the fan base is structured.
It’s the exact same pattern we saw back in the day here.

Look at the facts. A few days ago, there were 1,500 people at the cup match and the atmosphere was absolute garbage.
Then they claim the energy sucked because the turnout was low.
In the penultimate derby, the hardcore supporters absolutely dominated the stands, but suddenly everyone complained because the section was filled with casual fans who didn't know how to cheer.
Now the north end is packed again, and once more, people are complaining it isn't good enough.

The issue isn't attendance.
The real problem is the lack of effort put into educating the fans.
Think about how much time it took for the pros to fix the mess on the north side—cleaning up those ridiculous manifestos, the "voice of the stands" nonsense, distributing flyers before games, and organizing public supporter sections.
They’ve gone quiet on all of that lately. They need to wake up because their influence is slipping.
If they don't, they might end up facing a massive collapse like our 2000 season.

Later.