New fan laws: What do we think?

...maybe
there won't be any more false testimonies, huh?

This was already addressed on the BBB forums today. I’m talking about the whole situation involving Bill Skansi, Vrba, and the rest of them.

Tickets are being distributed strictly through the clubs now, and matches get halted at the first sign of a flare. At this point, some people will just ignore the rules whenever they feel like it, while others will follow the ticket protocols exactly where and when they should... As far as the BBB is concerned, there isn't much room left to maneuver.

Regardless, at least we didn't settle for compromises. This was bound to happen sooner or later, wasn't it?

Daniel Carter9 said:Today is basically an end of an era for BBB. I’m talking about this whole situation involving Bill Skansi, Vrba, and the rest of them.

Tickets being distributed strictly through the clubs—matches getting halted the second a single flare goes off. Look, damn it, some people will still find ways to do whatever they want, but others? They'll follow the rules and grab their tickets exactly where and when they're supposed to. As far as BBB is concerned, there just isn't much room left to play games here.

And honestly, it doesn't matter—at least we didn't settle for compromises. This was bound to happen sooner or later.

home stands 😍

Douglas Lopez94 said:local fans 😍

What do you think the actual role of the referee regarding infractions during a match should be?

Daniel Carter9 said:What do you think the actual job of a referee at a game even is?

To pass judgment on behalf of the people, I guess.🧐

Blindness right in front of healthy eyes:

The most important side quests in the world.

Some middle-aged guy—built like a tank, a real powerhouse at first glance—managed to turn into a total wimp in seconds right in the middle of The Daily News coverage. On one side, he’s being hauled along by some girl—maybe a sister, who knows—someone easily forty pounds lighter than him; on the other, there's an older gentleman, looks like his dad. They’re both lugging him around while he just hangs his head and cries, barely managing to blurt out "Tear!" at a sports reporter. Honestly, that outburst is going to be used as proof of how things actually went down at Santa Monica. God, those ignorant thugs in the stands... they're sending such a garbage message about America and the American people. Shame on them.

Just thinking out loud here—I find it hard to believe the same "hooligans" (using the term loosely, because if we let that label stick publicly, they basically lose their identity as anything else) who were throwing flares onto the pitch were also the ones facing tear gas. Maybe they were, but before that happened, our proud boys from Real Madrid were practically begging to blind those hooligans just so they could get close enough to arrest them and put them behind bars where they belong... blah blah blah. On one hand, you’ve got a handful of individuals displaying the absolute worst kind of deviant behavior, tossing sporadic flares into a crowd filled with retirees and kids who didn't do a thing. On the other hand, you have highly trained DOJ officers charging straight into that same crowd and deploying tear gas—so, who's actually targeting whom? Is there any single institution in this whole mess worth citing as a model of good conduct, or is the label "hooligan" only reserved for those who don't wear a DOJ badge? You can't justify treating the exact same behavior differently just because one group finished a year-long training course in a suburban neighborhood and suddenly they're "the state." Besides, the obvious question remains for anyone paying attention: where was all that authority when it was actually time to step up and control the situation?

We’re always comparing ourselves to Scandinavians or Americans—everyone we assume knows how to actually fix this mess. Vrbanović says, "We only have turnstiles and cameras at one single stadium. That's our reality. We need to focus on stadium licensing and work with the FBI to train security." Seriously? Where did all those millions go—the ones floating around both the political and sports systems? Apparently, there's no money for surveillance, but somehow there's enough to let some guy in a beat-up building on the north side film everything on a Sony from '95. The poor guy just zooms in on every "hooligan" from the north stands—all hyped up, just waiting for someone to stand on a chair and ask if that's how they behave back home at Yankee Stadium.

Sports executives clearly have the will, the time, and—obviously—the cash, seeing as they keep inventing new positions just to shuffle the same old faces around. Now they’re claiming they’ve formed this National Committee Against Violence. They’ve gathered some "legitimate" big names to do one simple task: condemn the only people left actually standing up and showing what real passion for the game looks like. I’m not talking about those paid actors who showed up at Santa Monica to throw flares at kids just so the government has an excuse to declare war on the "hooligans" again—you know, just to distract the masses because our local leadership is getting too cocky and the administration has already lost its grip. It's all just theater to make it look like this government is actually doing something for the people. Let's show Europe and the East that we’re just these civilized, sophisticated types with zero tolerance for violence. Yeah, right—it’s like how Americans spread democracy across the globe by killing anyone in their way; total fairy tales.

In the end, it won't be those three or four nobodies tossing flares because they were told to—it'll be everyone who brought them into the stands right under the nose of our highly trained, all-powerful police. I mean, thousands of us have been bringing them in for years, yet somehow my gear gets flagged as "hazardous materials" every time I head to a game just so Joe doesn't take a flare to the head in the 38th minute. Let's be real here—either our "hooligans" all suddenly earned PhDs in philosophy and decided to bring flares as an intellectual statement (I wouldn't rule it out), or someone on the other side of the aisle is being incredibly dense. Most likely? They're playing dumb because that's what they've been ordered to do.

And just like that—there goes that primal love for sports. Just kill it off completely. It’s like back in the old days when you wanted to step foot in a church and they basically told you "no way." Go ahead, obsess over Real Madrid, or follow the underdog teams, whatever—it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, the big shots won't end up behind bars for breaking any actual laws meant to protect Americans... instead, it'll be a handful of "hooligans"—a label slapped on by those self-proclaimed journalists who sold their souls for a single Rolex. Look, I get it, I’m judging—maybe it's because I don't have a hungry kid at home wondering how much a Rolex would actually help. But hey, who am I to judge? Still, I'm not interested in playing the part of the perfect patriot. I'm not having kids just to see what's left for them once these money-grubbing machines tear down the last bit of humanity we have left.

The only real fix is sticking to home stands; there isn't any other way. But, moving away from that for a second, does anyone actually know how this works? Does a ban expire exactly one year after the verdict is handed down, or is it something else?

While everyone is busy talking about the coaching changes, this is the real news happening behind the scenes!

Implementing the conclusions from the National Committee Against Violence along with additional emergency measures from the USSF to prevent riots at soccer matches.

The decisions made by the National Committee Against Violence on September 30, 2013, are strictly binding for the soccer organization. This includes the USSF Action Plan approved by the Executive Committee. These specific measures must be enforced during all MLS 2013/2014 and US Open Cup matches:

1.- Per point 2 of the USSF Executive Committee’s action plan, we are activating the ban on away fans and dedicated away sections for all MLS and US Open Cup matches through the end of the 2013/2014 season.

2.- In accordance with the National Committee Against Violence findings and recommendations from the Department of Justice, this ban won't apply to clubs that take full responsibility for managing their fans' travel to away games, as outlined in Articles 14 and 15 of the Sports Riot Prevention Act.

3.- To qualify as having "full responsibility" for organizing away fan travel, the following criteria must be met:

- The club must actively participate in and assist with organizing the trip, including collecting transport data to ensure fans arrive safely in the host city.

- Ticket distribution must be organized such that personal data is collected via a "voucher" system or a fan list, which must include:

- Full legal name
- ID/Driver's License number

- This list of away fans and their required info must be handed over to the home club 24 hours before kickoff. Furthermore, the number of fans must stay within the "secure capacity" limits for the away section, as confirmed by the club/stadium licenses for the 2013/2014 season and approved by the Department of Justice.

4.- The home club will only allow ticket purchases for away fans who hold a voucher issued by the visiting club or are on the official list provided by them. No other away fans will be allowed to buy tickets.

For the purposes of these rules, "away fans" refers to any spectators supporting the visiting team.

If a club fails to implement this specific level of organization for traveling supporters, the home club for any MLS or US Open Cup 2013/2014 match is prohibited from selling tickets to away fans and is under no obligation to provide an away section.

5.- Until the end of this competitive year, the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited at all MLS matches and remaining US Open Cup 2013/2014 matches.

6.- These measures take effect immediately. All MLS clubs, US Open Cup participants, the Competition Commissioner, the Security Commissioner, and all match officials—including delegates and referees—are responsible for enforcing them.

Eric Hernandez said:While everyone is distracted by the coaching changes, this is actually happening...

When I was writing just two or three months ago that we’d be facing this within a year, I thought I was being paranoid...

What’s next?! In my opinion—if you'll indulge a paranoid mind—prison sentences will start being handed out like candy to anyone who violates the Sports Fan Law. God, what have they actually done...

So, am I really supposed to reach out to the club just to let them know I’m planning on showing up to the game? I mean, is there anywhere else in Europe where you have to deal with this kind of thing?
They could have just shut down all the stands entirely, and then we wouldn't even have to worry about hooligans, I guess.☕

This whole thing is unconstitutional on several different levels.

The decision needs to be taken straight to the Supreme Court.

Until then, I’ll just be busy growing out a beard, letting my hair go wild, and cheering for the American Volunteer, Johnson & Johnson, the local news outlet, and whatnot while hanging out in the stands at the local stadium.🤷

Tyler Thomas15 said:Honestly, this whole thing feels unconstitutional on several different levels.

The decision really needs to go to the Supreme Court.

Until then, I guess I’ll just be hanging out, letting my beard grow, and maybe just being a lifelong supporter of the American Volunteer, Johnson & Johnson, the local news outlet, and all that. I'll just stick to the home stands for now. 🤷

Everyone should probably go like these clubs' Facebook pages, because they'll probably check our profiles to see if we follow them. 🤣

So what’s our move here? People are out there mocking each other, saying stuff like "tough luck on the away trip"... Meanwhile, we're just getting absolutely wrecked. No fluff, just straight up getting screwed over.

Noah Price2 said:So, what are we actually going to do about this? We're just sitting here making jabs at each other, saying stuff like, "Oh, you guys really showed up for the away game, didn't you?" It’s pathetic. Meanwhile, we're all getting screwed over—just getting absolutely rolled by the system without any real fight...

I mean, we're stronger than this... as fans, we should be better...😉>

It’s an easy thing to mess up, but a lot of people would have to swallow their pride first.
I mean, imagine a non-aggression pact where the ultras can roam free through Chicago, or the guys from LA can take over Split—wait, let's say they take over a city like Miami. Basically, everyone just heads to the home stands.
It sounds like a total pipe dream, but it’s doable if there's actual will. I won't even get into how much that would rattle them. It would be just like when they tried to push through those away-fan bans.

Jesse Doyle3 said:This could all go sideways incredibly easily, but honestly? A lot of people are going to have to swallow their pride if we want this to work.
So, we're talking about a non-aggression pact? The Torcida fans can roam around Chicago all they want, and the Boys can take over Split—wait, let me rephrase that—the Boys can rule their own turf, but it doesn't matter. When the game is on the line, you head straight for the home stands. That's where the real energy is.
It sounds like a total pipe dream, but honestly? It could happen if they actually had the willpower. I can’t even begin to describe the impact that would have on the league. It would be just like when they tried to push through those travel bans.

Look, we have to get the paperwork sorted before we even think about heading to the opposite coast. What if the feds decide to run a voucher audit down in Austin, while back here in Chicago, they’re just cracking down on us left and right with those heavy fines? ☕

Tyler Thomas15 said:Honestly, this thing violates the Constitution on several different levels.

The decision needs to be taken to the Supreme Court.

Until then, I suppose I'll just lean into the chaos—grow out the beard, let the hair go wild, and spend my time cheering for the American Volunteer, Johnson & Johnson, the local news outlet, and whatnot while haunting the local stands. 🤷

I don't even wash myself regularly as it is, so what's a little more mess?☕ ☕

The fifth column is going to settle things on November 30th, 2013. ☕

Look, we are neck-deep in this mess, and if we don’t actually do something about it, there won't be much of us left in a year or two. What should we do? Honestly, I have no clue—and since I’ve got zero intention of playing expert, I’m not trying to lecture anyone here—but I will say this: it is high time we put our petty personal grudges aside and try to pull something together... because this current proposal—this whole "incognito" home stands nonsense—is absolute garbage. Are we really going to pretend it's a win just because 17, 45, or 97 of us managed to sneak ourselves into Kranjčević, Apartments, or Aldo Drosina without being noticed? Are we going to post photos just to prove we were even there, acting like we just attended some massive blowout at Yankee Stadium instead of a pathetic excuse for an American league game? I'll say it again: I don't know what the solution is, but it has to be something—even if it means having opposing fans standing right next to me in the North Stand...

Jesse Doyle3 said:It’s easy to screw this up, but honestly, some people just need to swallow their pride for once.
I mean, think about it—a non-aggression pact where the away fans can roam through Chicago, the guys from LA can hit Split, whatever... basically, everyone stays on the home stands.
It sounds like some total pipe dream, I know, but it could actually work if people stop being so stubborn... Not to mention how much of a gut punch that would be to the status quo. Kind of like when they tried to push those travel bans back in the day.

If you ask me, it’ll end up being just like the 80s all over again. Fans showing up in Chicago totally unorganized, flying under the radar, just drifting through the streets... then suddenly you run into a small group and—bam—everything goes south because "our side" doesn't play by those rules.🙂