When FOs Go Bad: Sons Of Ben And Union Should Look To New England As What Not To Do
by Scott Kessler on Jun 21, 2011 10:00 AM EDT
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The Sons of Ben and Philadelphia Union have butted heads on profanity in chants a couple times this year, but the front office of the team did not go anywhere near where the New England Revolution went with their own supporters groups on Saturday.
Words from the Union came after the use of the popular USA men's national team supporters "You Suck, ***hole" chant was loudly heard on ESPN, CSN and abc6, along with throughout the stadium earlier this season. The Union have claimed that the reasoning behind the request to the Sons of Ben was the loss of a suite holder, showing that the team wishes to protect its financial interests if threatened (along with trademarks, as seen with DOOP). Sons of Ben leaders - known as Elders by members - were not happy with the supposed censoring, but attempted to get the River End to cease and desist on YSA chants.
Of late, YSA has been relegated to small groups of dissenting fans who are shunned by those around them. Around the country this is not the case. Many fan bases use YSA after every goal kick because, as mentioned previously, the chant is ingrained in American soccer culture through USMNT supporters. It's an uncreative chant that is easily, and quickly, picked up by any person at a game, which makes the quieting of the chant at Union games all the more impressive.
In New England this situation has been magnified tenfold. Revolution supporters groups in The Fort, New England's version of the River End, found themselves under assault from members of Gillette Stadium's TeamOps security forces. All over the use of YSA in the Fort.
People in The Fort were arrested by Foxboro Police Department officers, season ticket holders were banned from games and others were thrown out for profanity - namely the third word in YSA.
Both the Sons of Ben and the Union need to learn from this situation and prevent it from ever happening in Philadelphia.
There are 16-year season ticket holders who are on the verge of not returning to another Revolution game. Fans are accusing the front office of conspiring prior to Saturday's game to have the crack down happen. Some felt that it was a setup, since more and more TeamOps members surrounded The Fort throughout the game, and supporters were ejected without actually participating in YSA.
It all comes down to a perceived lack of communication between two (or more) sides. So far, all outward appearances show that the Union front office and the Sons of Ben have managed to keep a fairly good relationship going, even prior to the official establishment of the team.
The Union have chosen to use the Sons of Ben as the focus point of nearly all of the team's marketing campaigns, which does not hurt the situation in the least - except when the front office tries to change the ways of the supporters group.
Every attempt should be made, on both sides, to make sure that neither the front office or the supporters find themselves in a position to feel aggrieved in any way.
The Midknight Riders and the Rebellion, the two largest supporters groups in New England, felt the need to walk out in the middle of the game to protest front office actions against members of The Fort. They've made themselves heard on the internet, through Revolution blogs, Twitter, Facebook and the Revolution's site about their grievances for how they believe they were handled.
There hasn't been a legitimate reason for the Sons of Ben to walk out on the Union en masse, and there hasn't been any talk to suggest that there ever will be. Hopefully it will stay that way.
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Actually...
There was a very similar situation at the Union v. Columbus game last season. The FO hired gung-ho APEX security to kick ass and take names in the Supporters Section. After it went horribly awry, the Union decided to replace APEX with the typical CSC security who were handling the stadium previously. CSC employees are typically willing to listen and work with fans, and not as quick tempered as APEX.
All that said, there was some weirdness in the River End last week. One of the light blue supervisor CSC employees stood in 137 taking notes on a clipboard. Some have speculated that he’s taking notes on crowd profanity. None of us truly know what he was writing on the clipboard, but I think it’s safe to say that these issues still exist at Union games.
While YSA has been minimalized, other profane chants have prevailed. The FO is still walking a fine line between pleasing young families along with pleasing naive sponsors and alienating a large group of dedicated soccer supporters. Not just any supporters. The people who garnered enough interest and attention to bring an MLS club to Philadelphia. The photos of whom line the stadium exterior walls and videos of whom build excitement in team advertisements.
I really hope a happy medium can be reached at PPL Park. It would be a great shame if something like what happened in The Fort happened in The River End.
Thanks for the additional information, Ed.
I chose not to make note of “Score a Goal” because the SoBs have chosen not to change the curse within it to DOOPing. Not really a point of contention in my eyes, currently. I wanted to link the situation here in Philly to the one in New England, which meant YSA since it was specifically pointed out by Revolution fans.
I didn’t notice the employee in 137, but that’s definitely something that I’ll try to look into. Thanks again.
Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank
by Scott Kessler on Jun 21, 2011 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions
NP.
I don’t think “mental” is the issue at hand. From what I hear, and it’s all rumor, the chant in question is SOMB.
by Buzzkill_Ed on Jun 21, 2011 11:51 AM EDT up reply actions
RE: CSC Blue Shirts
I was standing down by one of the guards at the RSL match and from what I could gather the blue shirts were supervisors and were checking up on the guards more than the supporters. At one point one of the blue shirts was in front of me at field level, and after a particularly bad call I let loose with a long string of expletives (mind you my kid was next to me). He didn’t say anything or really look too concerned with me. So I dunno ,maybe it was more an audit of their own staff than compiling a list of supporters to throw out?
Its only a matter of time until this happens to us. Hopefully it doesn’t. I don’t think we’ll ever see what happened in NE happen at PPL but seeing how we’ve already gotten requests from the FO regarding YSA I’m expecting something else to become an issue.
With the talks of possible expansion in the coming years and a team that is doing very well the FO should tread lightly to not alienate the supporters who have gotten them here. Family friendly MLS will only get you so far, you can’t rely on soccer moms to buy up all your season tickets, at some point they need to embrace the 18-36 demographic of rabid soccer supporters.
This is ridiculous
I know that the Union are still building a fanbase and are still very much a new team… but this isn’t even a question in any other sport. I see people get tossed from Eagles games for screaming profanity all the time and no one cares. In fact, the crowd applauds it.
That’s the price of bad behavior at a sporting event. It’s been like that for a long time. How on earth can someone claim shock that people were tossed for shouting profanity? Especially since these people are likely for the most part the same ones who know full well they’d never get away with this at a Phillies or Eagles (or Patriots or Red Sox) game? They know better and yet for some reason they pretend like it must be ok because they’re soccer supporters.
Sorry, this isn’t freaking Green Street Hooligans. This faux “firm” culture that these people think is associated with soccer isn’t real. Certainly not here. This isn’t Millwall in the 70s. You’re in the United States in 2011. You know better.
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I agree and disagree with you, Jason.
I sat in the 700 Level at the Vet and sit, when able, with my Dad in the remains of the 700 Level contingent in the upper level at the Linc. Profanity will always be a part of those sections and I have no problem with it at all.
Soccer culture is infused with profanity. These chants (YSA, SOMB, etc) are child’s play compared to what you’ll hear elsewhere in the world. I don’t see a problem with “***hole” but I could understand stronger language. Fans getting arrested and banned or ejected for saying YSA is ridiculous to me.
Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank
by Scott Kessler on Jun 21, 2011 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions
Fans getting tossed for YSA when they’ve been repeatedly warned is not at all ridiculous. Yes, they shouldn’t be tossed for a first offense, but if you know the consequences and choose to do it anyway, why should I have sympathy for you when you suffer those consequences?
And sure, there’s always profanity at games. Of course that’s a part of it and a certain level is tolerated. However, if a steward is around or if people complain, action will be taken. Even if it’s just warning. When you’ve been warned, all bets are off.
Plus, let’s not act like the 700 level was allowed to do whatever they wanted. They did build a freaking jail in the stadium to deal with everything that was going on up there. To me, that’s far more drastic than anything New England did. It was NOT tolerated. It never has been.
Point is, these people have absolutely no reason to believe that what they’re doing will be tolerated or considered acceptable.
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The point was made in the other two articles that people were not warned at the game...
along with the fact that TeamOps reportedly laughed and allowed ****sucker and other such language to be free of their involvement at the same time.
If there weren’t double standards being used, I’d agree with you.
Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank
by Scott Kessler on Jun 21, 2011 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions
Well, it may have been that they were not specifically warned at that game. But I know for a fact that the whole stadium is warned both over the loudspeakers, on signs and on the tickets that that type of behavior isn’t allowed. THis is the case at virtually every sporting event.
So again, I can’t buy that they didn’t know what the consequences were.
Having said that, I would agree that it’s generally not a good idea to orchestrate a coordinated campaign against your own fans. Like you said, communication is important.
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Especially in New England are your last two comments significant.
They already lack numbers for attendance, this only hurts it further.
Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank
by Scott Kessler on Jun 21, 2011 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree, however I suspect that if you brought that up to Revs management, they would probably argue that big groups of fans screaming obscenities doesn’t help their attendance. It probably families away.
I can’t say how right that would be, but I guarantee that would be their argument.
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I've read multiple comments about how dead the midfield atmosphere is at Gillette.
That’s where the “family friendly” areas are. People hate it in those areas because there’s no life due to team policies.
Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank
by Scott Kessler on Jun 21, 2011 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions
YSA was the start-
I’m pretty sure they started ejecting people for reason of profanity, as even our own announcements include “profane, racist, sexist, or derogatory language directed at players, staff, officials is not allowed” and will result in expulsion of the stadium. They are just acting out on their own rules. The only difference is, when being told to leave, were they just walking out without making comments or a fuss, or did they assault, threaten, and the like to the security officials kicking them out?
Tha’ts probablly what got them arrested and banned.
The profanity in question
was allowed for 16 years previously. Seems a bit late to start trying to stamp it out now.
by Buzzkill_Ed on Jun 21, 2011 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions
This as well.
Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank
by Scott Kessler on Jun 21, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
I was referring to this statement:
“Fans getting tossed for YSA when they’ve been repeatedly warned is not at all ridiculous. Yes, they shouldn’t be tossed for a first offense, but if you know the consequences and choose to do it anyway, why should I have sympathy for you when you suffer those consequences?
And sure, there’s always profanity at games. Of course that’s a part of it and a certain level is tolerated."
There were no consequences for 16 years. Something like this is a culture change. Culture changes don’t happen over night. I’d say maybe a year after putting this policy into place, if you’re still having problems, then eject people.
by Buzzkill_Ed on Jun 21, 2011 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
I understand and agree with you, but I think the relevant point to our own club is that there is no need for a culture change. YSA has never been acceptable, the club has been against it from day one. They’ve asked it to stop from day one. In addition, there’s also no tradition of it. This clubis not even two years old.
These people who like to yell YSA don’t get to hide behind tradition here.
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Yeah.
I agree with you. I was just discussing their situation. We don’t have the “tradition” excuse. Although some of us have attended USMNT matches before the Union existed. Still, not really an excuse.
by Buzzkill_Ed on Jun 21, 2011 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I am in 100% agreement
Well said. I think a small minority of supporters’ group members enjoy this kind of “controversy,” because for them, the experience isn’t about the team, it’s about them — the group and how “rebellious” and “bad-ass” they are in their own minds. They inflate the controversy because it magnifies their own perception of self-importance. If yelling “asshole” is such a necessary component of your game experience that you’re willing to stage a protest, you’re probably a douchebag — one of those bikers that has to gun his engine when driving past pedestrians just to be noticed. The team will be better off without them and with more knowledgeable, cleverer fans who understand that the opposing goalkeeper is concentrating on LeToux, not them.
Actually, I think the bahavior is worse at a Phillies game. Since the team moved into CBP, there is a new tailgate culture and a rush to get hammered for every Phillies game. You hear much worse at an Eagles game or Phillies game than Union. The only real difference is the YSA chant is organized versus thousands of drunks shouting foul language randomly.
And no, no one thinks this is Green Street. The article was noteworthy because the security/team rep/cops were heavy handed in their methods. The supporters groups did send out notices to their membership (much like the SoB one) asking to curtail YSA.
I’m no fauxhemian, but where the teams run a fine line is asking for that kind of loyal support and then running security into the stands for what has become an accepted form of behavior.
It’s certainly true that coordinated profanity is going to get more attention than random drunkness/profanity.
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I see where you're coming from, but...
I get your point about no special treatment for Supporter Sections just for being loyal fans, but the Day I get arrested, charged, and banned from the Linc for joining a section-wide a**hole chant directed at the ref at an Eagles’ game, is a Day that I feel like I have a legitimate greivance with the Eagles’ FO/Security.
Yeah, I guess they pretty much let people get away with that a-hole chant…
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Give me a break…
"I’m of the opinion that this league and the sport as a whole is being marketed too much like a child’s and woman’s game rather than a grown, beer drinking, men’s-league playing, MAN’s game.""Don’t get me wrong. I love anyone that loves soccer or will at least give it a chance but children should no longer be the target market," says Dempsey. "I think its time to get some men in the seats, men who have money to buy tickets and who can go to a game and scream and curse the referee and the opponent. I was kicked out of an MLS game once for having my shirt off. Two days later I went to a Red Sox game and heard women yelling things I wouldn’t repeat to a mechanic.""Why would an 18-year-old who sees himself as a young man, and who wants to hang with other men, want to sit on his ass and mind his manners at a virtually unattended MLS game (with the exception of the 7000 children) when he can cuss up a storm and get a few girls’ numbers at a Patriots game?"
by porkeatingcrusader on Jun 21, 2011 1:16 PM EDT reply actions
“Put the ball into the net, and we’ll go fuckin’ mental.”
Yet, the word “asshole” is banned. Weird.
by OrangeAndBlackk on Jun 21, 2011 3:21 PM EDT reply actions
Agreed-
The focus of the FO on this one chant is a little confusing. As a Revs supporter who sits in the Fort- and was there Saturday night with my two sons 12 and 15 – I would point out several things. One- it’s not the whole section screaming the word “asshole”- just a small stubborn group who feel it’s their freedom of speech.Two- sitting at the opposite end of my row was a group of twenty somethings, not members of any SG who were shattered, and spent the game screaming profanity, racist and homophobic comments, along with sexually harassing the Revs Girls. At NO point were these young men even approached by the any member of the security team- they were totally focused on the SG’s. Third- as SG were leaving the game en masse in protest people were being pulled out of the group at random and harassed and arrested. All the while Security and the Foxboro Police were spouting profanity laced tirades at the SG’s. I have not, at any point been embarrased to have my boys see any behavior in the Fort until Saturday night. Between those young men and the Security staff, I spent the entire ride home trying to explain their actions to my boys. It’s not the opposition to the word “asshole” that has the groups upset, but the systematic targeting of a select group of fans and the tyrannical and obscene way the FO handled the situation.
An opportunity
I used to be a NE fan (those 2004-2007 teams were some of the best in league history) but nonsense like this from the Rev FO finally drove me away. When I moved to Philly just as the Union was starting up it was like a breath of fresh air…whatever problems the RE has with the FO, it can’t be compared to the crap they try to pull in Revland. I’ve never looked back, being a Union fan is spectacular.
That said, two big positives that could come from this are the solidarity in supporters groups that we’re seeing (which has been excellent to see) as well as (hopefully) not only the destruction of YSA but also other stupid/banal chants of its type (SOMB, for example, doesn’t show the passion and wit that Union supporters truly have).
One of the awesome things about being an American soccer fan these last 10-15 years is that we get to be in on the ground floor, we get to set the standards that fans 20 years from now will try to meet and go beyond…so I think supporters should always be trying to set the bar above junk like “YSA”.
This could be an exciting time to be an MLS supporter.
by JohnBagleyValueMeal on Jun 22, 2011 5:54 PM EDT reply actions
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