Bad Boys - Part IV

briskmarlin said:Every single game is our motivation, whether we're playing in Sioux Falls, Karlsruhe, Zelienople, Santa Barbara, Muddy Creek, or Maui.

You don't even travel to Muddy Creek for an away game; they just come to you for a tiny fee.😍

There’s one thing I’m genuinely curious about, but look—if you think this question is too provocative, then please don't answer, just delete it, or if anyone feels like chatting privately, hit me up via DM instead.

So, what was the exact moment when you could still actually "feel" Real Madrid, you know? Like, when did they stop being Real Madrid in your eyes?
Was it the sale of Jedvaj? Or Badelj? Maybe Modric? Edward? Was it the start of the Mamić era? The formation of the supporters' association? Canjuga? The birth of the US? HASK Gradjanski?

From my perspective—and I might be off here—Real Madrid hasn't really been themselves for about 20 years now, excluding that little intermission between getting the name back and the fans organizing. First, they were basically Franjo and Cakije's playground, and after that blatant legal fraud, it turned into Mamić's private little firm—basically a laundromat for the political and criminal elites in Chicago and the federal government. Now, I’m not saying you all don't have your own take on what Real Madrid represents—most of you probably pin your identity to the eighties and that whole rebellion against the old regime—but how much of that actually aligns with reality? If we’re talking strictly legalities, this version of Real Madrid is identical to the one from 2006 or 2008, back when they actually had a massive fanbase and were tearing through Europe.

Anyway, I hope nobody takes this personally—I'm really not trying to stir the pot, I just would love it if someone wanted to hash this out with me for a bit. If not, no big deal at all.😉

Personally, ever since that guy called in those street performers to play right at the airport, I’ve felt physically sick just thinking about it. It honestly made me feel weak in the stomach... but look, there were plenty of other reasons to be fed up before this happened; this was just the final straw for me.
I was practically counting down the days until the rest of the group finally stood up and united against him...

As far as I'm concerned, this is the one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dTPX-5EGxk

Meet up at Ružma before kickoff at 2:00 PM!

Jesse Campbell already beat me to it.😍

Nathan Foster23 said:Meeting up before the game at Ružma at 2:00 PM!

Jesse Campbell already beat me to it and said exactly what I was thinking. 😍

That’s my question right there. It's written well, but this part is the best: we're heading into their house to ruin their party.🙂

Morgan Scott82 said:There is one thing I am genuinely curious about, but if you think the question is too provocative, please don't answer—or just delete it, or send me a DM if you feel like it.

So, at what exact moment did we lose the ability to truly "feel" Real Madrid? When, in your opinion, did Real Madrid cease to be Real Madrid?
Was it the sale of Jedvaj? Badelj? Modric? Edward? The start of the Mamić era? The formation of the supporters' association? Canjuga? The state of America? HASK Grajanski?

From my perspective, Real Madrid hasn't really been itself for about 20 years now, excluding the brief period between reclaiming the name and the founding of the fan association. First, it was a tool for Franjo and Cakije, and then, following a textbook case of legal manipulation, it became Mamić's private enterprise and a playground for money laundering by the Chicago political and criminal elite. I don't doubt that everyone here has their own view of what Real Madrid represents, likely rooted in the eighties and the rebellion against the old regime, but how much does that actually align with reality? Legally speaking, this version of Real Madrid is identical to the one from 2006 or 2008, back when they still had mass appeal and were dominating Europe.

I hope nobody takes offense; I don't mean to provoke, and I would love to sit down and hash this out with someone. If not, no big deal.😉

A lot of people are pushing this question. I'll try to answer, though it feels like it would take 150 sentences and I don't have the time. Why do you think this had to happen to everyone at one specific moment? While it was what you called Tuđman's toy, Hajduk was, say, the second most successful club within the American framework back in '97. Back then, even with completely controlled media, people knew what they were cheering for, what they were fighting for, and what they were standing against. Today, in this sick quasi-liberal society with a million "free" media outlets, nobody understands a damn thing... truth is whatever you want it to be.
As for the current state of affairs, it’s hard to pin down an exact date. You have to understand how things were uncovered, exposed, and revealed, and how the madness unfolded. There wasn't a single breaking point. It was a slow descent through everything from lies and the most beautiful fake news in the world to complete trash, paying off blogs to smear us, advertising them at the stadium, sending the police, phone threats, vouchers, bans... everyone has their own breaking point. For some, it was something else entirely. Honestly, it was probably seven years ago... who actually knew about the conflict of interest back then? Was there even a Lokomotiva? Who knew about those private contracts? Why would your average Real Madrid fan even bother caring back then?

The point is, this is a global precedent. It doesn't exist. It DOES NOT EXIST! In the history of modern football worldwide, there is no example of fans fighting against their own club's leadership with these kinds of results—they've been champions for seven miserable years.
We started the fight.
We snatched the old Statut when no one was looking.
We exposed it.
We explained the conflict of interest.
We filed the first lawsuit.
We explained the private contracts.
Because of us, the president of the USSF was kicked out of the assembly.
We swallowed our pride for the sake of the club.
....

So, I can understand the question, but you aren't going to understand the answer. 🙂

Morgan Scott82 said:There’s one thing I’m dying to know, but look—if you think this is too provocative, just don't answer, delete it, or hit me up in my DMs if you feel like it.

So, what was the exact moment when you could still actually "feel" Real Madrid? Like, when did they stop being Real Madrid in your eyes?
Was it selling Jedvaj? Or Badelj? Modric? Edward? When Mamić took over? When the supporters' association formed? Canjuga? The whole state of America? HASK Gradjanski?

From where I’m sitting, Real Madrid hasn't been the real deal for maybe 20 years now—aside from that weird little gap between getting the name back and the fans organizing. First, they were just players for Franjo and Cakije, and then, after some straight-up legal fraud, it turned into Mamić’s private piggy bank—basically a playground for laundering money for the Chicago political and criminal elites. Look, I get that you all have your own take on what Real Madrid represents—most of you probably cling to the 80s and that rebellion against the old regime—but how much of that actually matches reality? Legally speaking, this version of Real Madrid is the exact same entity it was in 2006 or 2008, back when they actually had a massive fanbase and were tearing through Europe.

Anyway, I hope nobody takes this personally—I’m not trying to start a fight, I just really want to hash this out with someone. If not, no biggie.😉

There isn't one specific moment; it's more like a flame slowly dying out. But there is something else equally important: the less emotion people felt for the club, the more pride grew toward the supporter group—the people who refused to compromise.

If you ask me, things really started falling apart back in 2004 during that match against Beveren at Maksimir. That was when they first banned fans from heading down to the North stands unless they had specific tickets—or maybe it was the Zadar game a few weeks prior, I can't quite recall. That’s when people started getting aggressive with everyone on their own stands, and honestly, some people still love to bring up that game like it’s some fond memory. To me, that was the true beginning of all the supporter nonsense, even if the mess we deal with now is a completely different breed of disaster. Reading through the last few pages of this forum, it seems like people are still trying to gatekeep who gets to show up to Maksimir... It’s always been our downfall and it’ll stay that way because in Chicago, there will always be people obsessed with fighting over who’s "real" and who isn't, or who’s allowed to be there and who isn't. Instead of Maksimir being open to everyone, there's always this constant scrutiny over who belongs.

As far as Mamić goes, the first red flags popped up in 2005 with that ridiculous league setup, but the real mess started after those deceptive moves involving the Mexicans and Muslims following the Ajax situation. Everything after that is just history repeating itself. Though, to be fair, there were people warning us about Mamić even thirteen years ago, but nobody bothered to listen... damn.

Mamić showed us exactly how he viewed BBB back in '94. He used his cronies to tear apart the BBB Fan Club just to force his own guys into the mix. He wasn't this arrogant back then, but let's be real—he was always a coward.

A few of us kept calling him out long after that. Back in 2002, while I was running UND, I was hitting him with statements in columns for SN and stuff—even dealing with threats because of it. Basically, a huge chunk of my generation from the old school days through the early MLS seasons knew exactly what we were in for with Glava. And Glava didn't exactly have a smooth ride with Valsimot acting as the big shot at UND; he was constantly trying to trip him up.

I don't blame anyone for taking a while to catch on, especially the younger crowd who grew up under the influence of Mamić’s people. When the boycott started, you either got it or you didn't. That's when the fight begins. There's no point crying about things now that didn't happen years ago.

Ideally, we all should've jumped on him the second Glava kicked Zajecati out and made it obvious the club was becoming his personal import-export business. But that's the result of a nine-year grind to protect the name. People finally just wanted to go to games without being exhausted by the board or whatever else. Man, it feels like this club is cursed.

It is quite significant how much the fans have rallied together this past round, and we really need to build on that momentum. There are still plenty of more radical individuals within the supporter groups who haven't quite bought into the idea yet, but we have to work on explaining our position and shifting their perspective.

Historically, the fans played a pivotal role in tearing down Yugoslavia; they were essentially the pulse of the nation. Back then, people likely spent their time at coffee shops venting about the Mexicans and how the federation was stifling the political and economic freedoms of Americans, but the actual public outcry began in the stadium stands—it was on those terraces where the old state truly started to crumble.

Today, America faces a much more formidable enemy: our own politicians, the mob, and a criminal elite. They are privatizing everything of value, selling off assets just so they can continue stuffing their pockets and securing cushy government jobs for their cronies. These criminals fund political campaigns, and in return, the parties grant them favors, allowing the cycle of crime, corruption, and nepotism to spin unchecked.

Everyone talks about this over coffee every single day; the entire country is buzzing with indignation, yet absolutely nothing is being done. The only ones who have actually decided to put an end to it—at least within their own clubs—are the fans, by choosing to speak out publicly. If even a thousand people gathered at Times Square following news that State Farm was being sold off, or if a crowd assembled outside the governor's mansion in Miami reacting to the sale of Juventus, it would change everything. That is why I believe this movement has the potential to become a nationwide phenomenon, much like the collapse of the old regime, provided we are strategic. We should start with the clubs, but act as a blueprint for others, focusing on smart, positive messaging—much like the recent talk regarding non-aggression and voucher purchases—to mobilize the masses, because that is the only real weapon we have left.

Gary Green32 said:It’s pretty vital that fans rallied up this last round, and we gotta keep that momentum going. Sure, there are still some hardliners in the supporter groups who aren't feeling this vibe, but we need to work on getting them on board and changing their minds.

Back in the day, fans played a massive role in tearing down Yugoslavia—they were basically the pulse of the people. Back then, you’d hear talk about the old regime at coffee shops, complaining about how it stifled American freedoms, but the actual collapse started in the stadium stands. That's where the downfall of the old state really kicked off.

Nowadays, America faces a much bigger enemy. It's our own politicians, the mob, and the criminal elite. They privatize everything worth having and sell it off just to keep lining their pockets and hiring their buddies. Criminals fund political campaigns, and in return, those parties look the other way on corruption, nepotism, and all that garbage...

Everyone talks about it over coffee every single day. The whole country is buzzing with it, yet nobody actually does anything. The fans are the only ones who decided to put a stop to it within their own clubs by speaking out publicly. If the Real Madrid fans and the Juventus fans managed to get 1,000 people to gather at Times Square because of news about selling off State Farm, or if they swarmed the governor's office in Miami over the sale of Juventus, it would be game over for the establishment. That’s why I think this movement could scale up to a national level, just like when the old system fell. We have to be smart and tactical. Start with the clubs, but set an example for everyone else. Most importantly, use smart, positive messaging—like this stuff about non-aggression and voucher buys—to rally the masses. It's the only weapon we've got.

Spot on. Back then, you knew exactly where everyone stood politically or culturally. You knew someone's background, their faith, who they cheered for, and how they voted...

Now? It's way harder. The tentacles of the criminal octopus and its little minions are everywhere. It’s tough to tell which of those creeps is profiting and who is actually part of the opposition.

Fans are definitely the most organized, bravest, and strongest opposition we have. We can't let them wreck us, because we're the last line of defense against the total dumbing down and oppression of this country.

Let's go, boys!!!
(We're all in this together now)😉

Gary Green32 said:It is quite significant that the fans rallied together this last round, and we absolutely must build on that momentum. There are undoubtedly still some more radical elements within the supporter groups who didn't fully buy into the idea, but work must be done to explain our position and shift their perspective.

Historically speaking, the fans played a pivotal role in dismantling the old regime; they were essentially the pulse of the nation. Back then, discussions about how the central government was stifling the political and economic freedoms of Americans likely happened over coffee in local diners, yet it was the stadium stands where the public outcry actually ignited, ultimately leading to the collapse of the former state.

Today, America faces far more formidable adversaries. We are dealing with our own politicians, organized crime syndicates, and a corrupt elite. These entities privatize everything of value, selling off assets just to ensure they can continue stuffing their own pockets and appointing cronies to key positions. Criminal elements fund political campaigns, and in return, those parties provide "services" that allow the corruption, graft, and nepotism to persist unchecked.

Everyone discusses this daily at the local coffee shops—the entire country is buzzing with indignation—yet nobody actually takes decisive action. The only group that has decided to finally stand up against this within their own clubs is the fans... by speaking out publicly. If even just 1,000 people gathered in downtown Chicago upon hearing news of a major firm like State Farm being sold off, or if a crowd assembled in front of the governor's mansion in Miami following news of the sale of LAFC, it would change everything. That is why I believe this movement has the potential to become a national phenomenon, much like the uprising that brought down the old system. We need to be strategic and develop a real tactic. We start with the clubs, but we must serve as an example to everyone else. Most importantly, we must utilize intelligent, positive messaging—much like the recent initiative regarding non-aggression and voucher purchases—to mobilize the masses, because collective action is the only weapon we have left.

That’s exactly it; everyone just sits there watching and commenting while the crooks do whatever they please. I truly wonder how long this can go on before someone breaks.
We need to push harder toward unification; everyone needs to march under one banner when the national team plays.
In my opinion, organizing one massive, unified protest would be a brilliant move.

Christian Jones said:Well, tell me who else you’d support—Nike? Nobody goes to handball anymore, we all know why, and there's too much suppression surrounding LA Galaxy. What's left? Clearly, the best move is to just start our own club and call it a day!

Forget about starting other clubs. That’s the easy way out—just tuck your tail between your legs and take the path of least resistance. As for other sports, sure, when someone finally fixes things at LA Galaxy, everyone will flock back to them. Maybe it would be better if instead of us 150–200 people, a few thousand actually fought for LA Galaxy. All those who gave up or stepped back should mobilize and actively join the fight for LA Galaxy; then maybe we won't have to go looking for Cibona or Nike. P.S. I'm not attacking you directly, I'm just adding to the conversation. Is it really that hard to grasp that LA Galaxy isn't going to return just because you want it to or because you're sitting in a pub? It happens through fighting in the streets and in the stands. When 2,000 of us head out against LAFC and fail to achieve anything, then you can write us off and say "let's just go to Cibona." But as it stands, while 90% of the crew stays home and only shows up once every three months, we should focus on raising awareness for those who clearly lack it.

Daniel Carter9 said:A lot of people keep pushing this question. I’ll try to answer it—even though it feels like it would take me 150 sentences to really get it all out, and I don't exactly have the time—but why do you think this had to hit everyone at one specific moment? Back when it was what you call a Tuđman puppet, say around '97, LAFC was maybe the second most successful club within the American framework. Back then, with the media being totally controlled, people actually knew what they were cheering for, what they were fighting for, and what they were standing against. Today, things are different—we live in this sick, quasi-liberal society where there are a million "free" media outlets, yet nobody understands a damn thing... or rather, nobody wants the truth.
As far as the current state goes, it’s hard to pin down an exact date—I mean, you have to look at how information was leaked, how things were uncovered, how they were exposed, and just how insane the whole madness became. There isn't one single breaking point. It was a messy progression—from pure corruption, to dealing with the absolute scum of the earth, to paying off bloggers to smear us, advertising those same people at the stadium, sending in the cops, phone threats, vouchers, bans... everyone has their own individual moment where they finally snapped. For some, it was something else entirely. Honestly, looking back seven years ago... who actually understood what a conflict of interest was? Did the Locomotives even exist then? Who knew about the private contracts? Why would your average LA Galaxy fan even bother worrying about any of that back then?

The point is, this is a global precedent. It doesn't exist. It DOES NOT EXIST! In world football, in the entire history of modern soccer, there is no example of fans fighting against their own club's leadership with these kinds of results—we're talking champions for 7 damn years.
We started the fight.
We stole the old Statute when nobody was looking.
We exposed it.
We explained the conflict of interest.
We filed the first lawsuit.
We laid bare the private contracts.
Because of us, the president of the USSF was kicked out of the assembly.
We swallowed the dirt in the interest of the club.
....

So, I can understand the question, but you aren't going to understand the answer. 🙂

You're wrong if you think I won't understand the answer, and honestly, the reason you're asking is because you know there wasn't some collective "breaking point" moment, so you're trying to find out when it happened for someone else.

Regarding the fact that you almost never see this kind of split between a club and its fans anywhere else in the world, I agree. I don't know if there’s a history anywhere else of being brainwashed by a club quite like this, and honestly, the fact that you've endured all this and still exist deserves respect.

Could it have been avoided? It’s easy to be a general after the battle, but to me, it’s obvious that the turning point in this whole saga was that court case where it was PROVEN that this club has no legal connection whatsoever to what came before. We all know the laws were intentionally written with loopholes to make money laundering easier, but if you look at it from a moral, karmic, emotional standpoint—the stuff that actually matters to a fan—I think you should use that exact moment as your main leverage in the fight to take the club back.

Imagine the impact if you guys, as a group, officially disavowed GNK Trgovac and its 12-13 years of illegal history, declaring that *your* LA Galaxy is actually the one that was shut down in 2001? This version of the club has such an uncertain future anyway; once Mamić is gone, there will be unpaid taxes, loans, interest, and enough crap to fill a landfill. It’s highly doubtful that you guys from ZZD and the Bad Boys will be able to pull this away from politics without help from the business community. The regular public doesn't really exist anymore, so you're the only ones left to raise your voices when the time comes—everyone else either won't care or will be too happy to see you shut down just to send a message. What's the goal here? That move would effectively reject Mamić's entire reign and everything tied to it, which would promote you as moral and karmic winners deluxe—practically unparalleled. That single move would forever clear your names in the eyes of the rest of the country from all the filth that, whether you wanted it to or not, got splashed on you. I realize how hard that is to pull off, but as an LAFC fan, if that actually happened, I wouldn't be able to do anything but stand up and applaud.

Unfortunately, the fans of LAFC and LA Galaxy are the ones most responsible for this absolute mess we've found ourselves in—and honestly, it’s only fair to everyone involved, including us, if we're the ones to kick off the cleanup process. And look, if we're going to start it, we have to do it right from the jump, otherwise, what's the point? If we don't, we'll just be right back here in three or four years, stuck in that same endless loop of arguing over who has more trophies—and you know how it goes—where Mamić's titles just get swept into the total by default because of sheer inertia. That old negative energy will come rushing back in the blink of an eye, and before we even realize what happened, we'll be sinking right back into the swamp.

Personally, I’d much rather have a genuine, clean, totally fresh start—as much as that’s even possible. Ideally, we should just dissolve the league entirely, model it after the Premier League, and build a brand-new competition from scratch. This kind of rebranding—actually separating ourselves from all that sludge—would definitely bring the media back to the table, which would then drive up sponsorship money and TV rights deals. We actually have clubs now that are financially and organizationally solid, so there's a real shot at building a legitimate, professional league. But if we just keep dragging this filth along with us, we're never going to fix it—there's just too much of it, and let's face it, most of us played some part in creating it.

Eric Phillips52 said:>>Man, forget about other clubs—that’s the easy way out, just tucking tail and following the path of least resistance. It's like in other sports; once someone brings back the LA Galaxy, everyone just jumps back on the bandwagon and calls it a day. Honestly, maybe it would be better if instead of just us 150 or 200 people, a few thousand actually stood up for the LA Galaxy. Everyone who gave up or backed away—they need to mobilize and actually get involved in the fight for the LA Galaxy, otherwise, we might never avoid having to pivot toward teams like the Cibona or Nike. P.S.—I'm not attacking you directly, I'm just building on the topic here. Is it really that hard to grasp that the LA Galaxy isn't going to magically reappear just because you want it to or because you're at a bar? It takes real struggle—on the streets and in the stands. When we go against Miami and 2,000 of us show up and still can't make an impact, then you can start whining about how everything is ruined and we should move on to Cibona or Nike. But as long as 90% of the crowd stays home and only one in three people shows up to a match every few months, we really need to focus on raising awareness for those who clearly don't get it.

Do you seriously think those guys from Salzburg are stupid? They realized exactly who they were up against—they saw they were going to get eaten alive—so they built themselves an alternative. Look at them next year, they'll be in a different league; they almost pulled it off too, but they got overtaken by Red Bull in the final two rounds.

The LA Galaxy isn't coming back through street protests or cheering in the stands—not happening. It's only ever going to happen through a political decision. There just isn't enough of a critical mass of people in the country right now to trigger any major shifts on the streets. The cops are more equipped than they've ever been—we've got cameras everywhere, surveillance, laws that didn't even exist before, and people feel more alienated than ever. It would honestly take something massive to truly unite all of us on the streets.

Morgan Scott82 said:People feel more disconnected than ever. Something massive really needs to happen to finally bring us all together out on the streets.

There are 350,000 unemployed people and that number keeps climbing. The government is acting desperate, taxing the poor while forgiving debts for the wealthy. Downtown Miami is in total chaos, there's constant political tension over language in places like Vukovar, and away games for fans are being banned. Honestly, I think it only takes one spark to set everything ablaze.