answers and questions part a

[Old Ska]

Originally Posted by Czar Jake

I appreciate the explanation, and I want to apologize for causing trouble. I also want to apologize if I ever made the RCB members feel second-tier or not a part of the group. I think you guys are great, I really do.

Perhaps a separation would work. What if the two groups were in opposite corners or something. We could do mutual chants (you know, one group yells REAL and the other responds SALT LAKE or something) and at the same time do separate chants and songs. Any thoughts on that?

Czar, thanks for the apology (for posting our stuff before we were ready to go live). Your name has never been mentioned as someone who has been a reason others have been disenfranchised with the Loyalists.

Thanks for your input on the sections. That was something we were trying to reach agreement on, but have not yet. We are exploring several different options. For now the consensus is to remain in the E31-E33 area, which I think should be fine since most of us did pay $15 to the Loyalists this season.

[Czar Jake]

Originally Posted by Old Ska

Czar, thanks for the apology (for posting our stuff before we were ready to go live). Your name has never been mentioned as someone who has been a reason others have been disenfranchised with the Loyalists.

Thanks for your input on the sections. That was something we were trying to reach agreement on, but have not yet. We are exploring several different options. For now the consensus is to remain in the E31-E33 area, which I think should be fine since most of us did pay $15 to the Loyalists this season.

Well it seemed like we had pretty good flow to the chants and stuff on Wednesday, so hopefully we can continue to work together for the time being.

[Aerick]

Originally Posted by Czar Jake

Well it seemed like we had pretty good flow to the chants and stuff on Wednesday, so hopefully we can continue to work together for the time being.

EXACTLY!! As long as that continues, I suppose I could be OK with a separate supporters group sitting next to us. 😉

However, I'll probably stay on the far side of the Loyalists bunch because I bring kids to the games, and don't want any PG-13 stuff stinging their young ears. :D

[Old Ska]

Aerick, you and Czar Jake give me every reason to feel positive about how the relationships between The Loyalists and the Rogue Cavaliers Brigade can be in the future. I hope that one, or both, of you are nominated as Loyalists Special Envoys to the Rogue Cavaliers Brigade.

I mean that entirely seriously. I think that you two understand both groups, and have enough respect from key people in both groups that you should be the official means of communication so that things don't get misinterpreted in the future.

[Rover]

Originally Posted by Old Ska

Don't people who are RSL fans ever wish they had something like Section 8 and the Riot Squad?

Yes and no, since they're two different things.

Section 8 is made up of several supporters groups, including Barn Burners 1871, Fire Ultras 98, and a number of others, as many of you are already aware. The key is that these groups work together without giving up their identities and styles as separate groups. That's a good model.

The Riot Squad was formed to be edgier and more in-your-face than the other LA groups, most notably the oldest remaining Galaxy supporters group, the family-friendly Galaxians. The results have been mixed, since the RS still isn't very big and, at least in the games I've attended at the HDC, don't sustain chants or songs very long.

The term LA Riot Squad is also a loaded one in SoCal, and I for one thought it was a poor choice.

In the end, the Section 8 model is much better and I would recommend that anyone starting a new group at RSL work with those already in place to make sure a complementary relationship is established.

I actually look forward to the day when RSL fans have many supporters groups from which to choose, and can find a group that best represents their own approach to the game. This is no slight to the Loyalists, who were the first to form and will always have that distinction.

No one has a corner on passionate support to RSL. We all want the same things, even if we express it differently. There should be room for all groups, although I do recommend basic standards of behavior as I've already seen codified with the Loyalists and RCB.

So if we are to pick a model of how to do this, I would start with Section 8.

[Stucki]

Originally Posted by fuegote

W
We kept getting looks from the core loyalists section (by core we mean those who pretty much started the group). We (the brother’s enger) got a lot of attention that match from a lot of sources and we were getting a lot of strange looks from the Loyalists. I’m not reading anything into it, I’m not paranoid, that is a fact.

At least on my part, the only time you got a dirty look is the one or two times when you started chants in the middle of the one we were already doing. I would give anyone a dirty look for this.

I also think that there were times when you weren't really worried about coordination. Those things have worked out the last few games.

I think part of the problem here is that a lot of things were assumed by a number of people. The second group could have been done without any hostility at all. The way you guys went about, while understandable now, added to the suspicion. This has been discussed, but the hymn was handled poorly, and denials about the RCB were in poor taste, especially as they were misinterpreted to be a threat to the forum and the Loyalist.

Isn't hindsight a beautiful thing.

[Aerick]

Originally Posted by Old Ska

Aerick, you and Czar Jake give me every reason to feel positive about how the relationships between The Loyalists and the Rogue Cavaliers Brigade can be in the future. I hope that one, or both, of you are nominated as Loyalists Special Envoys to the Rogue Cavaliers Brigade.

I mean that entirely seriously. I think that you two understand both groups, and have enough respect from key people in both groups that you should be the official means of communication so that things don't get misinterpreted in the future.

You got my vote! I'm all about titles!! :D

[Stucki]

Originally Posted by Aerick

You got my vote! I'm all about titles!! :D

We could just start a committee consisting of representatives of all the supporters groups, we are bound to have more over the years. I would obvioulsy suggest people who are open minded and not hotheaded. (the hothead part would generally rule me out)

If we can show how it can be done, it will enable others to help the two of us to present a united front support for RSL.

[Stucki]

Originally Posted by mrstucki

We could just start a committee consisting of representatives of all the supporters groups, we are bound to have more over the years. I would obvioulsy suggest people who are open minded and not hotheaded. (the hothead part would generally rule me out)

If we can show how it can be done, it will enable others to help the two of us to present a united front support for RSL.

I agree that Aerick could be a good person for this role.

[DadOf8]

I just wanted to add my 2 cents. I was at the game Wednesday with my brother-in-law (his first MLS game). We enjoyed the chants and atmosphere. There did not seem to be any kind of angst or friction between the Loyalists and RCB. In fact, I didn't even know there were two groups until last night. I guess I'm just a little naive that way. Robb Enger was my teacher in college so I have a lot of respect for Robb. I enjoyed the energy at the game, as did my brother-in-law. Being that this was the first time I've sat in that section, I don't know how it compares to other times, but there was a lot of energy and I really enjoyed it. I hope that energy and passion for RSL continues.