Comments on: Columbus, You Have a Problem

By: Diadora Soccer Fan

Diadora Soccer Fan — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:14:21 +0000

I believe that what happened at Crew Stadium was unnecessary, but I feel like we're over dramatizing this incident. Scuffles like this happen in the stands at hockey and football games as well. It seems like the comparison to European soccer hoolaginism is the only thing that's making this a real story. Also, check out my soccer page!

By: huhfd

huhfd — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:30:25 +0000

This post is a horrible waste of space. There is nothing wrong with Columbus. At all. If you want to address what’s really hurting MLS right now you’d get DC and Houston a stadium so they could stop bleeding money every game.

Columbus fans are not racist, anyone who says this garbage has never been to a game there. One guy yelling something doesn’t make a city racist, any more than Michael Richards flipping out means that all LA residents/Jews/sitcom actors/people with curly hair are racist. Get some perspective.

By: soccer1969

soccer1969 — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:10:48 +0000

I have a novel suggestion, Kartik Shut up about things you know nothing about. Your knowlege on the beutiful game is already limited but your knowledge of these incedents is downright laughable. While you have taken the time to write about these incedents it seems as though you haven’t taken the time to find out about these incedents from someone who was there. If I’m wrong allow me to apologize. I was at all 3 games, in the case of Toronto FC their fans were already drunk before they got to the stadium. In the case of New England while deplorable and reprehensible it was only one person who made all of us look like idiots. As for your comments on The West Ham game I was there and saw everything that happened I heard what the West Ham fans were saying to the Crew fans and vice versa and having been to a number of games in both MLS and abroad. For you to sit there not only in print but on your podcast in judgement over the Crew fans and Crew stadium as though there is a huge massive problem without intimate knowledge of the situation shows how little you know. There were nowhere close to 100 people fighting Hell I was there and there wasen’t even a punch thrown depite what was said in the papers and how is it the Crew organization’s fault that 5 West Ham fans deceided to go to the Crew section and start screaming obsenities all that happened from then on was two groups shouting bad things at each other and then leaving each other alone. I am not saying the Crew fans were blameless but they didn’t start anything. The one arrest had nothing to do with the two groups at halftime. Kartik your disgraceful article needs to go in the trash where it belongs.

By: MannieG

MannieG — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:30:05 +0000

Texian Army? Strong action against EB? That’s a laugh! First off there’s no proof it was EB, secondly…ugh, where did you get that hot steaming pile of crap from? Piss poor journalism.

By: Gregory McSwiggins

Gregory McSwiggins — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:48:28 +0000

2) In Houston, after the El Battalion started a fight with Chivas USA supporters, club itself and the other large supporters group the Texian Army took strong action against EB and little trouble has occurred since. The Superliga matches involving Mexican sides at Robertson were basically trouble free.

Are you serious? You don’t even know how things went down…Are you sure El Batallon started the fight? And if you knew anything about either of the support groups, you would know that the texian army has no say, nor would they take any action against El Batallon. freakin’ tard.

By: james

james — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:47:27 +0000

Shouting loud and chanting isn’t hooligonism, in Europe it is expected at a game, both sides enjoy the banter if one side chants one thing, the away team chant an insult or something back, its just the way it works and hardly ever spirals out of control. In the UK the chanting creates a great atmosphere. Shame you dont seem to have this in the MLS. The new Eastern bloc of europe countries such as Poland is where the violence problems seem to be now. Hammers to win agianst MLS 2nite!

By: Kiwi Yank

Kiwi Yank — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:54:13 +0000

The Crew fans who even brag in calling themselves Hooligans sicken me.

Stick to your guns on this. This was the last thing we needed in MLS when so much momentum has developed for Soccer in the country.

By: Joseph T.

Joseph T. — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:46:45 +0000

A thoughtful and well reasoned piece. I’m glad sanity has returned to your brain after the hysterical anti TFC rant you authored a few months ago when TFC hadn’t had 1/100th of the trouble Columbus has since caused.

You should be ashamed of that piece and proud of this one. Send these suggestions to the Crew and let us see if they will engage you in a conversation about the problems currently at hand.

By: John. Harris

John. Harris — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:28:10 +0000

Excellent piece Kartik.

Months ago when you interviewed Brimson I was one of those who said you were being taken by someone trying to hawk their book. Well I am back to tell you I was wrong.

Columbus has to stop this situation. They need to take tough action. They need to either suspend the entire supporters club that engaged in this fight for the rest of the season, or increase policing with trained crowd control experts. They cannot keep putting out the statements they have and blaming other people and as you said trying to cover up what happened in the case of the racism and the bottle throwing. This needs to be dealt with ASAP.

By: The Soccer Blogger

The Soccer Blogger — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:33:54 +0000

Hi
Have to agree with your points raised, not a clever headline, full stop.

One thing that has always annoyed me is the automatic perception that is made when the words “English (or British) soccer fan” are mentioned. OK, yes there have been issues in the past but you’d like from the press, media and general reaction that it was a monopoly.

I go to many games in the UK, have done for a considerable number of years and never see any trouble, inside or outside the grounds. You can get some pretty hostile atmospheres I agree, especially when the big teams play.

I think people should start to look at other countries and what goes on there and stop fixating on the UK. Look at places like Russia. Organised soccer holiganism within the country is now at epidemic proportions. You should have seen the security when England went to play there earlier this year!

Italy — people actually get killed there. A policeman was killed there recently by hooligans! Germany, Holland, South Africa. The list goes on but it’s always the perception that hooligan = English / British.

I wish people would chance the record!

Cheers
Rik
The Soccer Blogger
http://thesoccer-blog.com