Bad Boys - Part IV

Lawrence Kern60 said:maybe you and your prehistoric buddies should actually show up to the stands and help out that kid of yours... or are you just gonna keep acting smart about how cops are bringing eggs to the stadium... little kids from 1986...

🙄

I missed maybe two MLS away games last season, just like most of my crew... I was at pretty much every home game.

Not going much this month because I've got some personal stuff going on, but it's just temporary...

Some people actually got hauled off and cited this Wednesday just because they weren't staying in their assigned seats.

stormybison9 said:We really need to get real here and just admit that the flares were being thrown whenever they felt like it—whether it was appropriate or not. I mean, look at Dinamo. They’re the most watched club in the league, playing in major European competitions every single year, and... I wonder which club actually pulls in the most cash these days. Whether we’re talking about the sponsors, the local government, player sales, or even UEFA—none of that works for us. It just doesn't fit. Because they really ought to pay those fines...
If they really wanted to scale that back or stop it from happening, they’d just go after the culture directly. They’ve spent years trying to demonize anything involving flares or the Bad Boys, basically painting us as villains. It feels like a calculated, systemic effort over time to push us into this corner we're currently stuck in. I guess that's just how they play the game.

I wonder about one thing. One day, when this whole struggle finally reaches its end, what happens then? Will we still be throwing flares onto the pitch—maybe as some sort of protest against UEFA and the way modern soccer is being ruined—or will we finally just stand on the ball and learn our lesson? I guess it’s hard to say. Maybe we'll never stop, or maybe we'll actually grow up. It’s a toss-up, really.
We probably don't stand a chance in a fight against UEFA. I mean, look at the math—we’re talking about hundreds, maybe even a few thousand people at most, while they represent millions of people and billions of dollars. Honestly, fighting them just feels like we're doing more damage to ourselves than to them.

There’s a massive difference between setting off flares on the pitch versus lighting them up in the stands. I guess it really comes down to how you look at it, but it's definitely not the same thing.Honestly, a lot of us were saying they should just stay in the stands and warning everyone about this, but what can you do? When you're dealing with millions of people and thousands of different groups, things just get out of hand.

So, first off, the bold move—it makes sense. They’re pulling in more revenue, so naturally, they should be paying higher wages. I mean, when you look at those numbers in dollars, it’s honestly peanuts compared to what some other teams are doing, including my own club. But still, it's a factor. I guess you have to wonder, though... wouldn't a guy like that cover 125 flares at every single game just to make sure nobody ever dares to touch him?🤷🙂It’s pretty obvious what that whole thing is actually running on.

Another case of cowardice, honestly. It’s just giving up on what we actually stand for. This whole argument is completely useless and serves no purpose other than to kill any sense of motivation. It feels like they're just taking the path of least resistance because it's easier, I guess. Whatever.

Thirdly, let’s talk about how much UEFA just doesn't care—they're basically repeat offenders at this point. To give you an idea of how ridiculous things get, I could probably send them messages that are completely inappropriate. Like, what if I just started throwing chairs around? It's the same kind of chaos you see when people start breaking stuff in the stands during a game.
If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't spend too much time overthinking which tactical approach to take. Honestly, staying static on the ball is probably the last thing you want to do right now—you need to be pressing. I’m not just saying that out of nowhere, either; just look at how that first match turned out. It seems like the only thing certain is that this isn't providing any extra cash flow for those shady characters looking to manipulate the game.I guess we really need to talk about this whole situation involving the police being bought off. It’s honestly getting ridiculous at this point. I don't want to sound like I'm jumping to conclusions, but when you see how certain people seem to have an untouchable influence over law enforcement, it makes you wonder where the integrity actually went. Maybe I'm being too cynical, but it feels like there's a pattern here that we just can't ignore anymore. Everything seems to be up for sale if you have enough leverage, and it leaves you questioning the entire system. It's just... frustrating, I guess.I don't even want to get into how much this sucks. It’s just... honestly, I can't even put it into words. Politician. Honestly, some people just lack any semblance of critical thinking. It’s exhausting. I’m just so sick of all the constant sycophancy, the Messi worship, the cheap one-trick pony tactics, and the endless stream of suck-ups.
Don't go thinking that famous attempt by the police to "wipe out" the Bad Boys was just some local issue involving the guys from Chicago. It wasn't. Their orders were coming from way beyond the city limits.
My head is spinning, just like you all seem to love highlighting.😁ABOUT THE LAST MAN STANDING😈

P.S. No offense intended, but...

stormybison9 said:We ought to be realistic. We have to admit flares were thrown when they should have been and when they shouldn't have been. Of course, admitting that Dinamo is the most popular club—playing in Europe every year and generating the most revenue from sponsors, the city, player sales, or UEFA—doesn't suit anyone because then we have to deal with fines...
So, to minimize or prevent this, they have attempted to demonize everything related to flares and the Bad Boys... leading us systematically to this current state...

In any case, once our struggle concludes, will flares still be tossed onto the pitch? Will it be a final act of defiance against UEFA and modern football, or will people finally step back and find some common sense?
Winning the battle against UEFA is likely impossible. We number in the hundreds, maybe thousands, while UEFA represents millions of people and billions of dollars. This chaos hurts us more than it hurts them.

There is a massive distinction between flares on the pitch and flares in the stands. Many among us argued they should stay in the stands and issued warnings, but what can you do when you're fighting millions with only thousands?

I have no idea what you are talking about...
Madoff is a key component of the FIFA mafia network; anyone who understands that knows better than to post nonsense here. It serves Madoff perfectly when Dinamo is penalized due to fans (flares, chanting, banners). In other words, he encourages it because it provides him with public support. They invent the rules, and UEFA simply facilitates them. Naturally, we will fight against UEFA and everything repulsive about this sport. The issue isn't disciplining us or those few groups (what "thousands of groups"?). The issue is restoring honest football, and there should be no hesitation in the methods used to achieve that. Furthermore, a fan will never intentionally harm their own club. Look at our league and our clubs right now. Are they even ours? And if they are, are they playing in a fair league?

Jerry Morris2 said:I honestly have no idea what you're talking about...
Madoff is one of the key players in UEFA's mafia-style network—anyone who doesn't see that clearly shouldn't be posting here. It actually benefits Madoff if Dinamo gets sanctioned because of the fans (flares, chanting, banners); in other words, he encourages it because it gives him public support. They make up the rules, and UEFA just helps them along. Of course, we’re going to fight against UEFA and everything rotten in football. The issue isn't fixing us or those few teams (what thousands of teams?), the issue is bringing honesty back to the game, and we shouldn't be picky about how we do that. And another thing: fans will never intentionally hurt their OWN club. Just look at our league and our clubs right now—are they even truly ours? And which ones actually represent the fans by playing in a fair league!?

What you're saying has absolutely nothing to do with what I wrote...

I know perfectly well who Madoff is and what UEFA is about...

The point wasn't them; the point was the flares... flares get set off all over Europe. But we have this target on our backs (largely thanks to lobbyists like Vrbanc and Madoff over at UEFA) that makes us mess up constantly, whether we should or not. We've screwed ourselves up plenty of times (let's drop the pride for a second and just admit it: yeah, we messed up, we could have handled some things differently—not everything, but some things). And even when we didn't, or when we were just defending ourselves, it's the same old story: Madoff lobbies a journalist here, a UEFA official there, and boom—Bad Boys are on the front page again. Over and over.

Repeat a lie a hundred times and it becomes truth. Put it on the headline a hundred times that the Bad Boys caused chaos in some European city, and people will swallow it the first time, thinking the Bad Boys are the villains just because they were out there causing trouble again.

We don't have an issue with just one daily newspaper burying a story on the back pages; our problem is with the entire media landscape in this country, whether it's print, online, or TV. Even the one outlet that tries to act "independent" still pulls its punches to avoid going full force against Madoff, Stimac, Todoric, or whoever else.

Anyway, I'm getting off track. Look, one day when our battle is over, when we finally get a management team like Schalke has—where it's one member, one vote—will we still be throwing flares on the pitch or stopping matches? Will we be clashing with the police in the square because they're picking up our guys for no reason? Or will we leave the flares in the stands where they belong, watch the game, and adapt our cheering style? When someone gets detained, will we just have a lawyer, a secretary, and an advisor ready to head down to the precinct (or the police van) and smoothly get our guy released without any penalty? (If that's even possible).

That's not giving in to UEFA's terms; it's adapting to the 21st century. Our methods are outdated... especially at a time when we barely have fans in the stadium or enough friends standing by our side...

Listen, you win against people who are richer, stronger, and more powerful by using your brain, not brute force—especially nowadays when the whole world is covered by CCTV.

I suppose I'll write up my own take on things tomorrow. If anyone actually cares—especially regarding what I just pulled from the schedule—though I suspect it might just leave me feeling incredibly bored. Honestly, for anyone paying even a modicum of attention, it’s obvious where the catch lies, where you all missed the mark, and what exactly is missing when trying to deal with such an absolute moron.🙂But then again, why am I being such a fool and overthinking this? As they say, I'm an idiot. Man, what a disaster of a year this has been... well, yeah. My wife is absolutely right about me, but a fool is a fool, I guess.

🙂What a lovely little smiley face.😍 It’s always the same story, though—just a bunch of clueless idiots trying to act like they know something.☕🙂

In my view, stormybison9 makes a fair point regarding the unnecessary self-inflicted wounds we dealt ourselves. One has to admit those mistakes, extract the lessons, and attempt to act with more intelligence moving forward. The group leaders currently in charge are sharp; they possess the backbone and the pride required, and there is absolutely no question that their actions were necessary.

HOWEVER, obsessing over why the "masses" aren't standing with us is a futile exercise. It is simply beyond our control. As long as Madoff continues to pull off transfers of this magnitude—with journalists often inflating the actual figures by twenty percent just to grab headlines—and maintains his grip on success within the MLS and across Europe, the public will stay behind him. Or, to be more precise, the public won't actively oppose him. People tend to be easily swayed and, frankly, somewhat shortsighted.

I suppose I should bring our colleagues from Miami into the conversation. The Ultras are far more deeply woven into the social fabric of Miami than the Bad Boys are in Chicago. Furthermore, they aren't nearly as demonized by the media as the Bad Boys are, and they certainly have the numbers on their side.

And despite all those advantages, once the whispers started about American ownership and privatization, the majority of that "public"—those "average" fans who usually rally behind the Ultras—suffered a total mental reset. They completely abandoned "their Yankees" and their homegrown talent, choosing instead to obsess over some idealized, atomic version of the club that is supposed to eventually resemble something like PSG or Malaga. 🙂

For most people, our supporter ideals are entirely foreign and incomprehensible.

A useful parallel is going to the cinema. Most people head to the theater when there is a Batman movie or a Hobbit flick playing. They go to switch their brains off and enjoy the spectacle. Then you have the small minority of true cinephiles who spend their time watching Korean dramas or Italian surrealism. For the masses, movies are mere entertainment; for the few, it is a passion.

Football operates on the exact same principle, except we happen to be that unfortunate minority. There are rare moments when a blockbuster is released that also possesses genuine artistic merit; there are rare instances where the vision of dedicated supporters happens to align with the desires of the "casual" fan.

Expecting that alignment in the current climate is unrealistic. There is no sense in losing sleep over it, nor is there any point in creating needless tension among the few of us who actually grasp the situation. Best to everyone; I’m heading out to KC, see you there. 😉

The thing is, even if you look at Batman or the Hobbit, they’re still basically just English clubs at the end of the day. Right now, Dinamo is basically just "let's just be friends 2" with Bren.

Jesse Campbell said:🙄

Last season, I probably missed maybe two MLS away games, just like most of my crew... I was at almost all the home games.

I won't be out much this month because I have some personal things going on, but it's just temporary...

Well, you were at almost all the away games too

Anthony Barrett37 said:08/23/2006: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpzgaAv6Tok

This is easily my favorite clip—it’s just pure gold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW0Kl5gdpx0 👍I guess this might be worth watching.

Joshua Moore31 said:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW0Kl5gdpx0 👍-- just look at this...

Four people—one caught with explosives during the search...

And about ten others failed the breathalyzer tests...😠

Joshua Moore31 said:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW0Kl5gdpx0 👍Just like I thought.

🙏🙏🙏

Hey, I know this isn't quite the right spot for this, but does anyone know if there's going to be organized transport to Canada or is everyone just winging it on their own?

Roger Watson77 said:Hey, I know this isn't the right spot for this, but I was wondering if there's going to be organized transportation to Canada or is everyone just driving themselves?

Whatever works for you..

fireworks display in Columbus, Ohio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW0Kl5gdpx0

...I hear you guys lost two flares and maybe 2 artillery pieces☕
...pretty much a net gain for the release in Indianapolis

Someone posted a link a few pages back, but I totally lost track of it... Is there somewhere else to see more merch besides just the official website? Or is what they have online pretty much everything they sell?

Thanks for the help!

stormybison9 said:Someone posted a link a few pages back, but I can't seem to find it... Is there somewhere else to see more merch besides the official site? Or is what they have online pretty much everything available?

Thanks for the help.

Here you go. Those three pages cover most of the souvenir inventory.
http://www.philadelphiaeaglesfans.com/forum/inde...ic,730.50.html

Roger Watson77 said:Hey, I know this isn't really the right place to ask, but will there be organized transportation for the trip to Canada, or is everyone just winging it on their own?

They haven't provided organized travel for away games in quite a while. If I recall correctly, when was the last time a bus was even chartered?