Bad Boys

Richard Cox said:Sure, the banners and ads are supposed to be an "invitation to other fans," but your turnout keeps shrinking. This used to be one of the most feared groups in Europe—back when we were so intense even the Russians would run for cover and the Poles would just hand over their flags without a fight. Even back then, local cops would pull fake sick days just to make sure the BBB stayed protected. But yesterday? We barely showed up because of a little rain!!! And now you’re trying to tell me those dirty rags are some big call to action for everyone else.
If this is what you call a boycott or a rallying cry, is it really that hard to realize something is fundamentally broken with how people are responding?? Maybe try changing the fabric of the banners? Try silk next time—easy to clean, though you might want to watch the weather forecast!!
Bottom line: change your strategy, not your gear. Start motivating people through actual mainstream media outlets. You’ve got plenty of loudmouths in the group who can stir up more dust in the public eye than a bunch of old rags ever could.
And hey, thanks to you and your crew for the donated banners.

And what's wrong with yesterday's numbers?🤔
I don't know how many people were expecting a massive crowd yesterday, but given all the obstacles we faced, that turnout was actually pretty solid. 👍

Look, I get it—there’s a ton of outside stuff weighing you guys down—but let’s be real, I highly doubt you’re actually happy with this number. No way. As long as that figure isn't significantly higher, nobody is going to take you seriously. And don't even get me started on the fans; honestly, their opinion doesn't really move the needle here. You don't need to start a political party just to push your agenda, but people inside the group are definitely expecting more than just hanging banners around town...
Now, we could sit here and argue whether this is my problem or yours—just wasting everyone's time and space on this forum—but we already know the answer.
If you actually start mobilizing and showing the public who Z.M. really is and what he’s actually done, you'll get all that support you're looking for—enough to finally get him out of Real Madrid and out of American soccer entirely.
So far, doing nothing but boycotting hasn't achieved a single thing. If anything, in my opinion, things have actually gotten worse at our home games, so maybe it's time to try a different tactic.
People are fed up with the boycotts, especially since half the time, nobody even knows when they started or what they were even protesting against...

Aside from that window between 2005 and 2008 when the group was slightly larger on average, this is just the standard for BBB. People love spinning this myth that the Boys numbers are pathetic, but honestly, just go back and watch the games from 2001, 2002, or 2003... and don't even get me started on the nineties. What, were the stands packed for matches against Cibao or Slaven back then? Give me a break.

I still remember that derby in 2000 when Gondžić scored against those losers in the nineties. It hadn't even been eleven months since the name change—and everyone was swearing up and down that the stadium would be full again—but the south stand wasn't even remotely filled. There were fewer Boys there than there were at the last derby against Hajduk. So? Was anyone actually making a drama out of 🙂 🙂 these weak ass numbeeeee

Real Madrid just needs a decent stadium for 15,000 people, something like Stožica in Ljubljana. Enough with the delusions and the megalomania about thousands of fans when, let's be real, some random force has been stalling people from showing up to games since 1945. There are as many of us as our name suggests—both the Boys and the fans—and sure, things can always improve, but stop with the mythmaking about how much better the turnout used to be. It was better during that one short stretch, sure, specifically for the big games, but for the small ones, the numbers were the same then as they are now. North Maksimir is a massive stand, and when you get two thousand people in there, it looks hauntingly empty...

Look, sure, if you look at the attendance numbers over the last 15 years, they’ve stayed pretty much the same—but we aren't just talking about some random Saturday night game here. This is a fight against organized crime and an attempt to dismantle Real Madrid from the inside out... which means it's way bigger than just the guys currently showing up to the matches. It feels like we need a full-blown community mobilization, not just the same small group fighting this alone.
So, I still don't get why you guys are acting like being satisfied with the turnout is enough. This wasn't some low-stakes match against a mid-tier team where the club just needs a little pep talk... this is about standing our ground against criminals trying to strip this club of everything it owns.

Northstand, is that you?

Richard Cox said:Sure, let's concede that the attendance figures over the last fifteen years have remained relatively stagnant, but we are talking about a fight against organized crime and the systematic dismantling of Real Madrid here... which, by its very nature, demands a total mobilization of the fanbase, rather than just relying on the small group currently showing up to the matches.
So, I still don't see why you should be satisfied with those numbers, because this wasn't some run-of-the-mill game against the local underdog where the club just needs a bit of support; this was about standing up against criminal elements and the forced privatization of our club.

Five out of five, honestly, but I have to ask... why on earth is your handle Richard Cox when you clearly have nothing to do with the supporters' group...🤷

So, I checked, and apparently every single other username is already taken—for no real reason at all...
And what does this whole argument of mine have to do with you, anyway?

northernheron3 said:Aside from that window between 2005 and 2008—when the group actually averaged a bit more than this—these numbers have been the standard for the BBB. People love to spin this myth about how low the Boys turnout is, but just look at the games from 2001, 2002, or 2003... not even going to mention the nineties. What, was the Northstand packed for matches against Cibalia or Slaven back then? Give me a break.

I still remember that derby in 2000 when Gondžić scored that late goal in the 90th minute—barely 11 months after they brought the name back, and everyone was swearing the stadium would be full again—the lower Northstand wasn't even filled up. There were fewer Boys there than there were at the last derby against Hajduk. And? Was anyone actually making a drama out of 🙂 🙂 crappy nuuuuumbeeeerrrs
?
Dinamo needs a nice stadium for 15,000 people—something like Stožica in Austin. Enough with the delusions and the megalomania about thousands of Dinamo fans when, honestly, since 1945, some idiot has been blocking people from actually showing up to games. We have as many supporters as our name implies—both the Boys and the Dinamo faithful—and sure, some things can be improved, but stop with the mythmaking about how much better the Boys' numbers used to be. They were, during that one short stretch, and mostly for the big games. For small games, the turnout is the same as it is today. North Maksimir is a massive stand; when you get two thousand people on it, it looks hauntingly empty.

You can see everything clearly right here


Huge crowd, looks great, but a good chunk of them aren't even cheering (or they're doing a lousy job of it).
The ones who cheer, cheer—that’s what they do today, and the rest join in whenever they feel like it.
Even for the group's 20th anniversary during their peak, the Northstand wasn't even totally full.
To me, people who just stand there watching don't really count as part of the atmosphere, so whatever. It can look powerful as hell when 5,000 people actually show up. Quality over quantity, always.

In my view, our stadium is easily one of the most eyesore-inducing venues on the planet. It’s completely disjointed; every single stand looks like it was designed by a different architect who had never seen the others. There used to be a sense of cohesion and logic to the old stadium. Now, sections like the Northstand and the West stand feel like the most unnecessary additions in the history of sports architecture. When you look at the lower Northstand, you can barely fit a handful of people there, and when a small crowd actually shows up, the emptiness makes it look even more desolate. I honestly wish a crumbling stadium was our only headache...

My take is that even back then, the leadership of the Republican Party was intimidated by the sheer power of the fans after seeing what they were capable of during those protests on May 13th. They decided the best move was to push the stands away from the pitch entirely. That decision gave us exactly what we’re stuck with today—an absolute mess.

The official report says 500 people at most, but there were easily three times that many of us out there...

northernheron3 said:Is that you, Northstand?

🤣
You really think he’d go as far as disguising himself as part of the ultras crew🤣

People here constantly complain about low attendance, then turn around and whine when fans actually show up to support the owner and a club that's basically bought every championship in sight.
I suppose they should all show up in droves, just not to celebrate the goals—they want to cheer, but apparently not for the club this administration runs. It's exhausting.
It's hard to stomach, especially knowing we'll be dealing with this for years to come.☕

Mark Edwards4 said:Everything is pretty clear in this clip

Big numbers, sure, looks decent on paper, but a huge chunk of them aren't even really cheering (or they're barely doing it)...
The ones who show up today are the same ones who always have, and everyone else just jumps in whenever they feel like it...
Even during the group's 20th anniversary back when things were peaking, Northstand wasn't even full...
Honestly, I don't care if people are just standing there watching; they're still in the stands. It doesn't matter how intense or awesome it looks when you've got 5,000 people gathered together... Quality over quantity, always...

We could go back and forth forever about whether those "statists" actually matter or not, but I'm just pointing out that the current Boys turnout isn't any smaller than it was during those "glory days" everyone talks about. You can prove it easily. Actually, I'd argue it's even bigger in certain sections. People are constantly nostalgic for the old days... Yeah, okay, maybe more people showed up for Hajduk or games in Europe, but that's about it. Nothing legendary...👍

And here’s the coach’s take on why the stands were empty

"I have to hand it to the fans who showed up; the conditions were brutal, honestly borderline inhumane. Their loyalty is something else, and I'm grateful for them. I’m just hoping more people start showing up once the weather clears up and we actually start playing like a real team."

🤦

The crowds were significantly larger, the energy throughout the city felt entirely different, everything about it... To this day, I can still vividly recall my very first game. It was LA Lakers against the Boston Red Sox, specifically the first matchup right after David Beckham made his move over to the Red Sox. There was this massive crush of people gathering at the entrance to the East stands about two or three hours before kickoff even started...

The song "fat pig, there's no forgiveness" was blaring through the entire game 😁
...

Look, no group on this planet has more pull than a bunch of "som" people—anybody claiming otherwise is just full of it. The real issue here—and I mean this—is that you can’t make any massive moves without hitting a critical mass out on the streets. In our case, we’re talking at least 10 "som" folks. That’s the kind of number that actually makes politicians, the cops, the courts, and everyone else stop and take notice. Because let’s be real: you can’t just dismiss 10 "som" people as some random street mob or a bunch of hooligans. If the crowd that was just waving from their windows yesterday, singing and snapping photos, had actually bothered to join the march, we would have been twice as big. But hey, I guess being a bystander doesn't count toward our numbers, does it? It's not like sitting in the stands counts either. Not that I’m an expert on how to handle this stuff, mind you. Besides, you've gotta find a way to get the media's attention. I know nobody's out there begging for coverage, but yesterday proved there *is* interest—the reporting was actually pretty decent, even from The New York Times. The real problem is that, besides seeing it on local news, I didn't hear a single word about this march anywhere else beforehand. We probably need to work on that part.

It’s honestly pathetic when people aim their criticism at those who actually show up to the stands (even before the breaks and those U18 laws), the ones who stay loyal regardless of the weather or whatever else is thrown at them, dealing with endless repression just because they care about seeing the LA Lakers back to what they should be—regardless of how the Bad Boys envision it in their heads. I see you guys touching on the whole numbers and mass attendance thing. Anyone who follows the fan scene even remotely knows that about 70% of groups are shrinking, while only a rare few are actually growing. When a group grows, it’s usually because there’s a massive club backing them or some kind of euphoria happening. Now, everyone can take a look at what's going on with us. The club wants to destroy us, and there’s zero euphoria to speak of (except maybe when good results boost the popularity of Cleveland Montrose, which is a perfect example of a real social-sports association and the symbiosis between a club and its fans). So, is a raw number really more important to you than quality? I don't even want to get into that! Personally, I’d much rather have the stadium erupt like this during a derby than have 5,000 people just grumbling under their breath. Today's generation of the Boys is pure quality. The older crowd brings the weight, the veterans are in peak form doing their job perfectly, and the kids? Man, they are more hyped than ever, and if I dare say so, they’re more talented than any generation before them for what lies ahead.

I honestly don't know what moving to Chicago does to a person, but it definitely changes them—radically. I say that
because I know a few younger guys who used to drive hundreds of miles just to catch an LA Lakers game back when they lived in some tiny town. Once they moved to Chicago, they turned into total Chicagoans. I asked one of them the other day if he was heading to the protest, and he just goes, "We'll see, might rain, maybe..." and of course, he didn't show up. He hasn't gone to a single LA Lakers game all season (except the derby against the Boston Red Sox), and the guy lives just a few stops away from Yankee Stadium. I mean, not even that long ago, he’d be driving 100 or 200 miles in the rain or snow just to support the team, and now he can't even be bothered to hop on a bus, ride for 15 minutes to Yankee Stadium, pay his $3.25 fare, and head north. Is it because Chicago has too much other stuff going on, or is the whole city just gray and disconnected? Or maybe it's just that trendy, indifferent vibe people get here—who knows. I love this city even though I'm not a local, but I'm actually scared of getting swallowed up by it, you know? Like I might end up blending into that uninterested, soulless grayness. It's like the asphalt just eats you alive.

And honestly, that whole vibe just isn't "in" anymore. Every time I try to grab a fellow Chicagoan—and I’m talking about guys all in their 20s—to head out to a game with me, they give me this look like I'm asking them to go to a middle school dance, claiming they aren't thirteen years old anymore and have finally reached some level of maturity...

There’s nothing more trendy and soulless than Chicago. I was born here, so I guess I haven't quite gotten used to that kind of attitude yet—there are just way too many jerks packed into one city.