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Revolution fans forcibly removed from Gillette for cursing out opposing goalie
By adamg on Wed, 06/22/2011 - 2:46pm
Management got fed up with fans in one section constantly yelling "You suck, asshole!" at opposing goalies, so when it happened again on Saturday, security descended on the section and just began pulling and pushing fans out. Two were actually arrested; 20 were banned from the stadium.
Imagine if the Red Sox tried that during a Yankees game.
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Great, wish the Red Sox would
do that. I was at the Padres-Red Sox game lastnight and people were yelling "Yankees suck" without a Yankee in sight.
Oh yeah? Well I saw a bus go
Oh yeah? Well I saw a bus go by and it was labeled "Yankee" so there must have been some! I yelled "Yankee sucks" at it.
I've been accused of being a "Yankee" myself because I live in Boston. I carefully corrected that misapprehension with some special hand gestures.
Yankee hatred goes deep
To a substantial portion of the country, you are a Yankee.
Wow
Didn't even know the Revs average more than 20 people a game.
worst recap ever
I hope you don't get paid for writing for this site. could you have done even a little research?
Article is a bit short, let
Article is a bit short, let me add some details:
1) You suck asshole is common in all american MLS teams, it's inspired by "puto!" used in latin american during the opposing goal kick. If you watch the Mexico game tonight, or the Gold Cup final on Sunday (presumably will be Mexico-USA), you will hear PUTO! every time the US goalie kicks the ball.
2) The "chant" has been allowed for as long as the team has existed.
So taking in mind 16 years of "tradition" and the fact that it's extremely common, surprising a section of the stadium with arrests and evictions is the biggest WTF move in the sports world.
And it's a giant fuck you to fans.
Mind you, this is after the Revs drew only 6,000 fans on Wednesday, so they're not exactly in a place where they can alienate their fanbase. The revs have been below the MLS average (around 16,500) for years, and have only gotten worse.
Meanwhile, Seattle is expected to draw 45,000 against new york this weekend.
OK, as a non-soccer fan, I have to ask ...
Should there be a comma in the phrase? It would obviously change the meaning.
I dont think the people who
I dont think the people who invented the chant thought about comma use. I believe there is a comma though.
So what the Revs need is more
So what the Revs need is more assholes screaming "You suck, asshole?"
In some countries they spit and throw bags of piss on rival fans. And they fill their stands. Those are real fans.
No. Nobody is arguing that
No. Nobody is arguing that swearing is necessary.
They're arguing that allowing something for 16 years, and then choosing one day to randomly mob the fan section and arrest people for doing something that they didnt know isnt allowed and is not illegal is stupid and insulting.
How would you feel if you were a red sox season ticket holder for 15 years, and always drink 3 beers. And then one day, security picks a section and starts evicting people and arrested them for breaking some rule that you cant drink more than 2 beers a game. Doesnt matter that you didnt know about the rule and it was never enforced, you are going to be grabbed and kicked out for it.
Does that make sense?
The biggest FU to (potential) Revs fans isn't the chant
This has nothing to do with the main topic, but I feel obligated to say that I love watching soccer, and would love to go see the Revs play regardless of whether this "chant" is ongoing or not but...
There is no way in hell I am driving all the way down to Foxborough to do so. This probably wouldn't matter, but for the fact that my wife and I are presumably exactly the people the Revs would like to draw.
What ever happened to the idea of a soccer-specific stadium somewhere in the urban core? Is that officially dead? Hell, if these guys played in Fenway a couple of times a year (everyone else seems to!), I'd probably go to see each one of those matches.
I second--
I second--
First, the Patriots tried to
First, the Patriots tried to build in the 'urban core' and look what it got them. Second, I'm sure they'd love to build a dedicated stadium, but the financial situation isn't the best right now.
And somehow, Patriots fans get down to Foxboro with no problem. The world doesn't revolve around the urban core. If you think Foxboro is 'all the way down,' I suspect you are not exactly the people the Revs would like to draw.
"all the way down" is at
"all the way down" is at least the difference between being a Boston team and a New England team....
A significant portion of Boston doesn't own a car or may not be able to easily afford gas/parking on top of the ticket price (or at least not as frequently). I imagine this demographic overlaps significantly with soccer fans. If/when the Revs build a stadium inside the core I guarantee you they double or triple their average attendance.
As far as the Patriots moving into Boston, an NFL stadium comes with 20,000 parking spaces that are used to capacity 8 days per year. If Kraft wants to pony up for structured parking it may work here, but if we're just slabbing out big dumb surface lots its better off in the exurbs.
Patriots fans need to make 8
Patriots fans need to make 8 games a year, and they have a train option.
Revolution plays at home 20+ times a year (depending on how well theyre doing). No train. No bus. Nothing.
IE: For the large portion of people that live in Boston and dont own a car, its easier to reach Red Bull stadium in NYC (technically Jersey). Megabus + Path.
Revolution could probably
Revolution could probably charter some buses and make some extra money from the fares.
In the beginning they probably won't even need that many buses.
They could and they should,
They could and they should, but as this incident shows, the team apparently is more comfortable playing to an empty stadium.
Oh, and Seattle drew 46,505 tonight, yes on a Thursday. Against NY.
The Krafts could use the NFL stadium to their advantage and have one of the highest draws in the league. They prefer to be in the bottom 5.
Soccer specific stadium in
Soccer specific stadium in the urban core ?
How the hell is that going to make money with Boston real estate prices even in this downturn.
Kraft is genius to build the mall around Gillete and make money more than 50 days a yr
There isn't room or demand for that in the city.
Revolution should look to play at an urban college field if that's the true demo.
Who said anything about
Who said anything about Boston? Theyre looking at Somerville, revere etc. Have you seen what Chelsea looks like? Not exactly an expensive neighborhood, but yet minutes from downtown.
And more importantly, transit accessible.
MBTA runs trains to pats games. Even when Gillette sells out for a soccer game, they dont run trains. Theres no shuttle bus service either. Does that make sense?
About the MBTA trains to Gillette
They did run a train for US v Spain which was a sellout/near sellout and they will be running one for Revs v ManU as it's already been announced.
However, they don't get there early enough for tailgating with friends (if they are delayed, then they barely even get there for the start of the game). They take longer than driving (depending on where you park on Rt 1). They cost more for a group of 4 people ($60) than the stadium's parking lots ($40 for US v Spain in June; free for Revs games). The train "station" at Gillette doesn't even fit the train they run there (I've had to walk on the rail bed about 2-3 car lengths to get to asphalt). The train leaves shortly after the end of the game (no dilly-dallying or stopping by a shop on your way out). I have driven to Gillette and I've taken the train. When given the choice, I won't be taking the train again as it's currently setup to run.
However, if I didn't have a choice, I'd settle for the train over nothing...but as he said, they don't run it for normal Revs games.
City stadium
Even though I live on I-495, I prefer a stadium in the city. It just makes it easier to get to, even by us outsiders. Getting to Sox games via the Riverside train works fine for me and lots of others.
However, there does need to be decent T service to it. That's a big "if". Busses won't cut it, it has to be train/subway service, or it simply won't be able to handle the people.
@isaac: Being the huge soccer fan you are, I'm surprised you don't make the drive to Foxboro at least once in awhile. It just isn't that far, maybe 45 minutes?
Buses can handle it
They only drew 6000 people that day. A few simple shuttles from the closest T station would probably suffice. Much more realistic too.
Not even close
The whole idea is to attract more people and be able to handle 20-30k people anyway. Busses won't even come close, esp since they have to deal with traffic.
NJ Transit carries more
NJ Transit carries more passengers on buses than trains, and dwarfs MBTA commuter rail in general.
It is possible, and it is much more cost effective and realistic to start off with buses.
I'm a fan of expanding subway service too, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's almost impossible to get anything done here as it is.
Soccer stadium in Boston
How soon we all forget. Kraft is investigating the placement of a stadium in Somerville: July 2010 Boston Globe article.
It was originally going to be built above part of the Green Line extension, but it sounds like it'll just be on nearby land now that the Green Line plans have shifted a bit. Kraft has already sunken $1M in planning for this over the past 3 years. I don't think he has any designs on just dropping the issue. We'll probably have a 20,000 seat stadium/outdoor stage environment somewhere near the Boston/Somerville/Cambridge border in about 5 years or so.
Don't Count on It!
>We'll probably have a 20,000 seat stadium/outdoor stage
>environment somewhere near the Boston/Somerville/Cambridge
>border in about 5 years or so.
I certainly remember the article, and I would LOVE it to happen, but the one thing I've learned about living in Greater Boston for the last few years is that it takes this town 10 years to build ANYTHING. I'm scheduling the Revs stadium about the time I retire!
Private v Public
If the city were building it, I agree.
I predict Kraft will put the construction on an accelerated time table to start recouping Revs losses/costs as soon as possible.
There was a rumor a while back
That Kraft was talking with Northeastern about building an indoor domed football stadium that would have some indoor/outdoor soccer and share it with Northeastern football. Obviously never happened and I have no idea how serious the talks were. I heard Kraft wanted too much from Northeastern.