MLS Fans

Here is a bit of the Guardian piece Southlandish linked to:

With the entire US soccer press (such as it is) fixated on how Mr Posh Spice is going to save American soccer (from what, exactly, nobody ever says) very little attention is being paid to the ongoing revolution in US soccer fandom. Sick of the dull, pasteurised, one-size-fits-all, preprogrammed Disneyfied McFan experience that's all but got a deathgrip on US pro-sports, soccer fans have increasingly been doing it for themselves.

The Sons of Ben are following in the noisy, irreverent, chaotic footsteps of the Chivas Legion Kalifas (Chivas USA), the Galaxians and Riot Squad (both LA Galaxy), Screaming Eagles and La Barra Brava (both DC United), Empire Supporters Club and Raging Bull Nation (both New York Red Bulls), and Section 8 Chicago (Chicago Fire). And, of course, the national team's Uncle Sam's Army who chanted, at a friendly against England: "We've got dentists!"

In most other US pro-sports (college sports are different) the majority of fans sit sipping pissy beer and munching tasteless hot dogs or nachos slathered in fake cheese while some blandroid on the PA makes all the noise. Which makes soccer's new breed of self-organised, scarfed-up, singing, chanting, banner-hoisting, flag-waving, noisy-as-hell ruffians the sport's clearest brand differential - and potentially its greatest asset.

Here's an example. I'm at a Chivas/Galaxy derby stood next to a dude wearing a Dodgers T-shirt when the Chivas hardcore burst into the stadium like a red-and-white tornado. Dodgers dude nearly has a heart attack.

"What the fuck!" he yells, taking a step back. "Who the hell are they!"

It's the MLS fans, and they are coming to get you!

(Anybody get the Cosby reference??)

This reminded me of going with a group to a 1999 playoff game in Columbus. We had made up some red and black "Pope" style hats which said things like "Pope Eddie XXIII," and these prototypes were making their debut. We called ourselves "The Mobile Popes". Somewhere there is photographic evidence of all this, and I'm sure it will used to help put me away for life one day.

In any event, I remember tail-gating before the game and attracting a large contingent of hooligan Crew supporters. Seemingly they were buoyed by a smattering of honest to goodness Englishmen, because he were soon serenaded by an English accented chorus of "The Pope Fucks Nuns! The Pope Fucks Nuns!" and "Red, Black and White...just like the Nazis!"

United lost that day, but we crushed the Crew back in RFK and made it to Foxboro for the MLS Cup final against LA. There the "Mobile Popes" were in full force and we screamed our way to victory. Eddie Pope's sister noticed us and was tickled. (A picture of her with the "Popes" is in the archive.)

I remember after the game Jamie Moreno was standing on top of a folding table trying to high five United fans behind a chain link fence. A couple of us, still in full Mobile Pope garb climbed a bit of the fence and yelled, "Jaime!!!" He looked at us quite quizzically.

I know what he was thinking.

"These guys are crazy."