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As we said in our "Last Word On Columbus" posting, we'd wait until after the league conducted their investigation and took whatever actions before writing anything further on Columbus. Well we have and have had time to see what if anything changed in the hearts and minds of Crew supporters.
The league had two responses to what occurred in Columbus during their game against New England. One response a lifetime ban from all MLS stadia for an as-yet still "unknown" racist, whose identity is still no doubt being protected by other Crew supporters.
And a stern warning from the league about using streamers to interfere with play (which went ignored).
So what has changed in Columbus?
In the words of music act The Brand New Heavies: "Apparently nothing, nothing apparently."
It seems the league's punishment, if you can call it that amounted to very little in the way of a change of attitude.. We have shown video of Crew supporters ignoring the Commissioner of Major League Soccer and we now have a report that at least one fan that knew very well what they were doing when they covered a San Jose player in streamers whilst he was trying to take a corner kick, thus interfering in play and going against the Commissioner's warning:
"Think maybe the Hudson Street Hooligans, Crew Union and La Turbina supporters groups didn't get Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber's memo about using streamers only to celebrate goals?
"Kiss my (butt), Don Garber!" one guy screamed."
Now we have the following message posted on a Crew message board:
"...would everyone feel it were adequate enough of an "apologoy" or sign of solidarity, or whtever it's supposed to be, if all the international flags we held up were from countries that were predominantly white?
If the goal is simply international then wouldn't all of these countries work?
-Canada
-England
-Ireland
-Sweden
-Czech Republic
-Germany
-Switzerland
-Australia
-Norway
-Iceland
-Holland
-Poland
-Finland
-Russia
-Scotland
Just saying, I really don't get the fascination with having an "international apology" for perceived racism"
He sums up our feelings as well, Crew fans still just don't seem to get it. Thus making a repeat occurrence of the racism that was on display at the New England game, just as there was a repeat occurrence of interference in play at the San Jose game, all the more likely and not hard to imagine.
In light of this, we at MLSR urge the league to re-evaluate their punitive measures and ask themselves whether they truly were effective in curtailing a repeat of either of the two problems on display by Crew supporters in New England.
If you feel the same way then let the league and Don Garber know by writing here.
You may be over reacting just a little. Your use of pictures is kind of silly. These pictures are very typical of all fan groups. It's nice to see the fan support. Now we just need the team's FO and stadium officials to police the matches. Done...
Ok... you guys, i was with you until this point, but for God's sake LET IT GO. ONE out of 1,500 people screamed the 'n' word. Have you seen the post on WVHooligan, where Columbus and Chicago fans TEAMED UP to BAN RACISM? Check it out. I thought it was great. They have a banner that they will pass back and forth each time they play each other.
Plus, i have seen at least 3 Jamaican flags on TV during Crew games. And I do believe I saw a Brazilian one as well. Last i checked, those aren't predominantly white countries.
As a Crew fan, season ticket holder and supporter of MLS, I ask MLSR to also monitor other stadia and fans. And yes, I agree, fans should not add something physical to the field of play (streamers, bottles, ice, or themselves), items added to the sidelines, chants, songs and noise should be there. But please compare other stadia. There have been no field encroachments by people, no streakers. ( Although I hear one may try it in the Chicago game. ) Thanks
Your trying to bundle up the streamers with the racism. Because they were not informed or chose to ignore Garbers sudden different attitude about the streamers doesn't mean there is still an issue in Columbus. Up till last week the league encouraged this behavior and I think you will find a few more "streamer gate"'s occuring as the weekend games play.
Secondly you get a couple of random quotes from an individual on a message board and then are trying to villianize the entire group still.
It's time to move on to something else. Not that the issue isn't important, but that there is really no more new news here.
Racism is intolerable. Period. There's no excuse for racism.
But you're still on the streamers thing? Really?
Are Crew fans really this incompetent??
nitwits
I swear to god, more and more I believe Columbus fans belong in a Zoo.
That would fix 'em.
http://kickracismout.org/
Saw the link and post on the WVhooligan blog.
COMMENT: 3 Weeks Later, Some MLSR Writers Still Don't Get It
A story concerning the very troubling issue of racism is the last type of story that can benefit from sensationalism. MLSR has done an admirable job of reporting unbiased facts/rumors on stories in the past, but time and time again you chose to blast the fans of Columbus (which 99% had nothing to do with the situation) in various uncalled for and/or completely false ways.
Something wrong did take place in Crew stadium that game, but the fact that you have continually blown it out of proportion and acted like the crew is the only teams with a rowdy fan base has taken the focus away from the important issue at hand. One needs only to look at the multiple pitch invasions in Toronto or the shankings, yes, let me repeat, SHANKINGS at the Chivas games to see that this group of fans does not cause all the problems in the MLS. Hell, an entire group of fans can't/won't go to Chivas games because they are afraid for their lives. Yet this isn't talked about 1/10 as much as this case of one guy yelling a racial slur.
Also, the backlash from Crew fans and others fans towards MLSR came because of the way the story is reported, not simply because of the reporting. You write that the fans were chanting "Seig Heil" when they were CLEARLY chanting "Red Card" and you brush it off as "maybe" you had made a mistake and without a retraction or apology. You make ridiculous connections between Nazi's and the fans which were just plain stupid (one crew fan has a screen name with "ultra" in it while an entire fan group in Chicago is called the "Ultras") and could be made for nearly every other supporters group in the MLS. One of the pictures included myself. I'm sure my Jewish mother would find that connection laughable. You also fail to report that a NE player, Ralston, called the crowed "the best I've ever seen" in Columbus.
So, take a note from Garber on the issue. The guy should be banned (we are not hiding him, he wasn't in the supporters section and everyone was paying attention to the NE players celebrating in front of them and yelling at them too) but blowing the issue out of proportion isn't helping anything. This type of reporting attracts more criticism and racists than it could ever detour. Also, separate the streamer issue from this issue, they have nothing to do with each other (I'll be interested to see how you report on other groups that will inevitably throw them).
Please show both sides of the story and don't make it out to be anything more than it is.
I don't give a s*** about the streamers, I actually support it. But the racism is absolutely unacceptable. And I don't fault you guys for grouping those together; it's actually Don Garber's fault. By addressing racism and streamers at the same time, both are going to be ignored.
And to that idiot Crew blogger, who literally may be the absolute stupidest person out there on the internet, take Ireland off that list of countries. We historically don't associate ourselves with those other countries culturally (probably because we're Catholic). Moreover, we will never support the racist s*** that you've been putting forward. F*** you for even daring to try to use Ireland to support your racism and tarnishing us. That's not how the Irish I know get down
I'm Irish and a Crew fan. I'm going to bring my Irish flag with me next match just to prove a point. I'm not racist, I love my country and I love my team.
DID YOU GUYS KNOWZ THEY REPLACED EZRA WITH A WHITE DOOD @ THE GAME LAST WEEEEKK?! OMG!!!
Hate bigots and raciest of any type I'm Irish Catholic and a Crew supporter.
Scrois an Ciníochas
So out of curiosity, why not post my last reply? There was no bad language or name calling?