Here’s the transcript of the emails exchanged between me and the head of security at the Dodgers regarding the ban on buying tickets for the Red Bull game.
Listen, folks,
My name is xxx, and I just got off the phone with the box office, and they basically told me straight to my face that I’m not even allowed to buy a ticket for the Red Bull game.
So, I went down to the office and asked one of the staff members to explain why they made that call. He basically just brushed me off. He told me it was straight from the front office instructions and that his computer system was flagging it that way. Then he had the nerve to tell me I should just go talk to the board myself. Typical.
Can someone please walk me through the logic behind this decision? I need an explanation.
Thanks.
So, here’s the deal regarding that Sunday game back on October 26, 2014. We’re talking about the matchup at Yankee Stadium between Dinamo Chicago and the Portland Timbers. It was a mess. A group of fans from the Bad Boys, specifically those holding down the north stand, started acting out in ways that totally violate Article 4 of the riot control act. I mean, we’re talking everything from setting off pyrotechnics and smashing stadium property to shouting racist slurs and making actual direct threats. It wasn't even up for debate—everything was caught on camera, both by the stadium's security feed and the live TV broadcast. Because of how those fans behaved in the north section, the USSF disciplinary judge stepped in and slapped Dinamo Chicago with a penalty.
Look, we’ve pointed this out over and over again: because of this kind of behavior over the last few years, Dinamo Chicago has been slapped with fines from UEFA and the USSF dozens of times. Just last year alone, we had to cough up a massive fine—we're talking hundreds of thousands of dollars—and we even had to play in an empty stadium with zero fans in the stands. Right now, the club is basically on probation. If this illegal stuff keeps happening, that probation kicks in, and honestly, the fallout for the club could be absolutely devastating. I guess we just have to face the music.
Look, Dinamo Chicago does personalized ticket sales for their games, which basically means you have to show some ID when you buy them. We set up our own database just to make it easier for us to handle our responsibilities as organizers under the Riot Control Act. This database shows exactly who was at a specific game and even which section they were sitting in. See, Article 32 of the Riot Control Act lays out what we’re required to do regarding ticket distribution. According to paragraph 7 of that article, we actually have a duty to refuse to sell or assign a ticket for a match if we have knowledge of someone's prior unlawful behavior. On top of that, we're obligated to take steps to prevent that person from getting into the stadium at all. And just to be clear, the whole idea of "having knowledge of prior unlawful behavior" isn't just about whether someone has a formal restraining order or a specific legal precaution against them—that stuff is handled separately under paragraphs 5 and 6 of the same article. Our sources for this info don't have to be limited to just the police or the courts, and it doesn't matter if there's an active indictment filed against someone for a violation. As organizers, we can come to these conclusions ourselves, mostly through the stadium's video surveillance system or by using the legal powers held by the security services on-site. When we apply this rule, we act independently. We don't need to wait for any prior approval from the police.
Just so everyone is clear on how this works: under Section 32, Subsection 4 of the Riot Control Act, if a court issues a ruling banning someone from attending sporting events, that info goes straight to the USSF. From there, the federation is required to pass that along to the tournament organizers. All that data on banned individuals is kept in a strictly confidential file, used solely for one purpose—to deny ticket sales or entry. That’s it.
Look, based on everything that’s gone down, we’ve made a call. In full compliance with US laws and both USSF and UEFA regulations, we are officially banning the sale of tickets to those specific individuals who engaged in illegal group behavior over on the north stands at Yankee Stadium during our match against the Portland Timbers. I guess it's pretty straightforward. We want to be clear: this decision isn't some massive crackdown on everyone. It’s strictly targeted at the specific people whose actions are causing direct harm to the very club they claim to support. Honestly, their behavior does zero favors for the players out on the field—that's where the real support should be going. At the end of the day, we have a responsibility—and frankly, a desire—to make sure everyone in our stadium feels safe. We want people to be able to just relax and cheer for Dinamo without all the chaos.
Dear Mr. Antolić,
In the official reasoning behind the decision to ban ticket purchases for the Red Bull match, you guys stated that a group of fans in the north stands was acting illegally, specifically violating Section 4 of the Riot Control Act regarding sports competitions.
Look, personally, I haven't broken a single rule under that riot control act. Not one. So, I really don't see any justification for banning me from the game just because of some collective guilt nonsense without an actual court ruling. It makes zero sense to me.
So, you’re citing Article 32 of that Riot Control Act, specifically paragraph 7. Fine. But seriously, I need you to explain where on earth you're getting your information. What exactly makes you think I’ve done anything illegal before? I want to know what specific "unlawful actions" you're talking about that are suddenly giving you grounds to ban me from entering Yankee Stadium.
Look, Article 32, Section 4 is pretty damn clear on this: a court has to issue a final ruling and then actually pass that measure along. I definitely haven't been served with any kind of court order like that. So, honestly, I have no idea where you're getting your info, or what exactly makes you think you know anything about my past behavior. It's all nonsense, I guess.
Look, there is absolutely no way to link me to items 5 and 6 of Article 32. It’s just not happening. Based on that, they have zero grounds to ban me from attending any sporting events. Period.
Look, according to Section 7 of Article 32—and yeah, you actually pointed this out too—it’s pretty clear: the club is legally obligated to refuse any ticket sales or even just handing out passes to anyone we know has been engaging in unlawful behavior. It's right there in the rules.
Look, I’m asking you please—when that time comes, just apply that exact same decision to CEO Zdravko Mamić. Unlike me, he’s actually facing actual evidence and much more concrete proof regarding his illegal conduct.
Look, everyone knows Zdravko Mamić was actually banned from showing up to any games played down in Miami, but as for me? I’ve never had a single ban from any stadium in the country. Not once.
Look, at this point, I’m asking you to give it to me straight. No canned responses, no corporate scripts, no nothing. Just tell me exactly what the hell the basis was for banning me from the Red Bull game.
I’m sitting here waiting for a response that actually makes sense, so I’ll just leave you with this: I really hope we all get a club soon that we won't be embarrassed by. You know? A club we can actually cheer for with some damn pride—a club that belongs to every single one of its members and fans. We need an organization that lives up to the great American sporting tradition. But more than anything, we need a democratic club and a legitimate sports institution that fans all over the world can actually respect.
Dear Mr. xxx,
Look, we didn't issue some arbitrary ban here, because that’s simply not within our jurisdiction. We just applied the rule that gives us both the right and the obligation to refuse ticket sales or allocations to anyone we know has a history of unlawful behavior. Regarding the upcoming match against Red Bull, the conduct seen during the Dinamo Chicago vs. Portland Timbers game falls squarely into that category of prior misconduct. The behavior from the group over in the north stands, and since stadium surveillance caught them red-handed, it’s more than enough reason to deny those individuals the chance to buy tickets. My response isn't some canned, cookie-cutter excuse either; it’s based on a legitimate interpretation of the law.
Look, I really hope you guys get that I just don't have the bandwidth to keep going back and forth on this. My schedule is absolutely slammed with work right now, so I'm moving on. Honestly, I don't care much for your personal takes on the whole situation anyway.
Look, I’m honestly just hoping that we can get back to a place where the stands are actually filled with real fans. You know, the kind who don't spend their entire time shouting at club management or acting out in ways that force the club to pay millions in fines. It's exhausting. I just want to see supporters who actually show up to celebrate our goals and wins instead of obsessing over what the other teams are doing. We need people who care about the game, not people making us look like a joke to the rest of the world.
Mr. Antolić,
Still haven't gotten an answer to my question, by the way. I’m asking again—why exactly was I barred from the Red Bull game? What "illegal activities" am I supposedly guilty of? And more importantly, how do you guys even know about these supposed actions if the court hasn't handed over any files to you? Collective guilt isn't a thing in this country. You can't just deny me entry to Yankee Stadium based on what everyone else did. It doesn't work that way.
Look, I don't care what anyone says, having some surveillance footage showing one section of the stands acting out isn't enough to justify banning every single person there from the game. It’s just not right. Maybe it seems like an easy fix to some people, but I guess banning an entire crowd because of a few bad actors is way over the line.
Look, your job responsibilities hit right where I live because the exact same security team you’re running is the one that blocked me. Or, if we're going by your version of events, they "applied a regulation" to deny me entry to the game. I’m asking you again—since this falls under your professional remit—just give it to me straight. Why was I actually prevented from buying a ticket, and how long am I supposed to be sitting on the sidelines because of this decision?
I’m sending my best wishes here, hoping we finally see some better days for this club and its fans, and maybe—just maybe—that the democratically elected leadership won't embarrass us on the big stage across the US
But after that, I didn't hear a single word back from them
