04/19/24
December 07, 2005
Blinkered America is already among the thugs: SpoFi favourite Steven Wells argues that US sports have a worse "hooligan" problem than European soccer.
Hey, Iggles fans gotta have something... ;-) (sure was quiet Monday night, wasn't it?)
posted by lil_brown_bat at 01:11 PM on December 07, 2005
so he says "OK, so US sports has no equivalent of the Lazio Ultras or the ICF." Which is guess gets into the semantics of 'hooligans'. The Ultras and the like are top of the list examples of hooligans. The problems in the States certainly sound lousy but I don't think random disorganized mayhem is what tends to come to mind when thinking up hooligans. But I did like the ending of his column there.
posted by gspm at 02:02 PM on December 07, 2005
Sure, it's unfair, but Mike Myers' "Scottish Soccer Hooligan Weekly" skit on "Saturday Night Live" still ranks as one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 02:23 PM on December 07, 2005
I was in Morgantown, WV for the "Backyard Brawl" against the Univ of Pittsburgh 2 (3?) years ago when the Mountaineers beat the Larry Fitzgerald led Panthers. I have never feared for my life more than that night and I was dressed in WVU Blue and Gold. It was definitely well coordinated mayhem with people calling folks on the other side of town to tell them the fire department was down the street so if they wanted to burn something they had at least a good twenty minutes before the FD would show up. Interesting article; thanks for the read.
posted by redsnare at 02:41 PM on December 07, 2005
I don't think it's fair to say Americans are hooligans, it's just those wacky fans of Philly sports team. American football games have always had that air of a potential riot (go to Jets-Giants game, even in the pre season and you'll see what I mean) On an unrelated note: I went to a Crylanders-Flyers game at the Collesium in my Flyer's orange and white and not one single Islander fan said shit to me, some turned and stared as if to say "how dare you" but not one shouted cuss word found its way to my ears, and I was heckeling and taunting them until my throat was sore. On a smoke break between 2nd and 3rd period a rather large fellow Flyers fan in a sweet vintage Flyers Hextall jersey hasseled the somewhat diminutive Islander fans of all sexes and ages. After the Flyers tied at 3 I turned toward the fans behind me a yelled "what motherfuckers, what" and was joined in my continuing verbal assault on the Islanders fans by a father and son (about 8 years old) who happened to be recently displaced Philadelphians living in my hometown. I think the 8 year old screaming expletatives at the crowd behind him would make a great NHL commercial.
posted by HATER 187 at 02:45 PM on December 07, 2005
I used to think Eagles-Cowboys games were getting out of hand in Dallas, where you could always count on seeing a few fistfights in the stands and the profanity level was higher. But the article's exaggerating the situation in the U.S. as much as he accuses us of exaggerating hooliganism in the U.K. A couple of wild anecdotes from the past 20 years in Philly is not the crisis he makes it sound like.
posted by rcade at 03:03 PM on December 07, 2005
TBH, thanks for the SNL skit-I had a good laugh.
posted by Desert Dog at 03:43 PM on December 07, 2005
thanks for bringing up memories of morgantown redsnare
posted by steelcityguy at 03:46 PM on December 07, 2005
I just hope nobody tries to spread their mothers ashes in the penalty box. ouch, Tie Domi?
posted by GoBirds at 04:23 PM on December 07, 2005
rcade, I think that is Well's point, that it is no worse there than here. To the Brit's credit, atleast they are engaged in a national dialogue which recognizes the behavior. Even you deny a crisis, despite you previously arguing for the ban of alcohol sales at sporting events (albeit for entirely different reasons - DUIs I think it was). Even you characterize his piece as 'accusing', but it would be hard to deny how deeply woven the stereotypical English soccer hooligan is in American (pop) culture. Don't mean to single you out, but yours is one of the few comments directly commenting on the article, and I figured the article was due some critical thought. Hence, and to paraphrase, and to get behind a sentiment I univerally endorse, and for gspm, "pot, STFU."
posted by garfield at 04:57 PM on December 07, 2005
The point to this story...Humans are stupid. Nuff said. Go Pats
posted by Lunger24 at 06:19 PM on December 07, 2005
As I've said in a previous post, I'd rather face a bunch of angry Millwall fans than one American nutter with a gun.
posted by owlhouse at 07:22 PM on December 07, 2005
"Guns don't kill people, people kill people... and so do monkeys, if they have a gun."
posted by JJ at 01:19 PM on December 08, 2005
OR, JJ, they just bite your face off.
posted by Venicemenace at 02:24 PM on December 08, 2005
One of the points about Wells' column is that in America, the European hooligan threat is vastly over-rated. It's not even accurate to say that most matches do not involve running battles between fans; more accurate would be to say that almost none do. And when it happens, it's big news. Instead, Wells (who does have some experience of English football) is saying that the trouble is just as bad in places in America, but unlike the British, it is just not acknowleged.
posted by salmacis at 02:52 PM on December 08, 2005
A) Who cares? This is the only thing I've read about english hooliganism in the last five years. Plus the media handwringing about violence in sports in America is intense. B) Is it somehow news that Philly fans are nuts? C) There are very few facts or anything other than anecdotes presented in this article. Poor journalism. D) Steven Wells - Assholes everywhere, shut the fuck up.
posted by sfts2 at 04:40 AM on December 09, 2005
What is the hubub about a poorly written piece? He goes to philly, finds jerks. What would expect when you go to a town that boos Santa?
posted by ormistoncoyote at 06:20 AM on December 09, 2005
And when I said soccer, I meant football.