Comments on: Real Salt Lake, free speech and the issue of Tibet http://rsl.theoffside.com/team-news/real-salt-lake-free-speech-and-the-issue-of-tibet.html News from Real Salt Lake MLS team Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:43:30 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Judge http://rsl.theoffside.com/team-news/real-salt-lake-free-speech-and-the-issue-of-tibet.html#comment-870 Judge Tue, 12 Jun 2007 05:46:44 +0000 http://rsl.theoffside.com/team-news/real-salt-lake-free-speech-and-the-issue-of-tibet.html#comment-870 I am the one who shot the video, the one who brought the flags into the stadium and made the 6-4 sign that was torn down by a Chinese Official. The RCB decided to do all this; "Defect Here" sign, Mao Masks, Flags, "6-4" sign, "We all cheer for basic human rights" chants to get into the heads of the Chinese players and throw them off their game, thus giving our boys an advantage on the pitch. Notice how we scored a goal not too long after the Chinese stopped play in the 2nd half? Did we score because we had achieved our goal by getting into their heads? Maybe, either way we got the win! Now one of our members(Donk) decided before the match that he would take the opportunity and make a "political statement." He asked me if he could be the one to raise the Taiwan(ROC) Flag. I had no problem with this and obliged him by letting him be the one to raise that flag. Frank, another member of The RCB was moved by the stories of the Tibetan fans who joined us at half time. He decided he would use the big Tibet Flag and help them in making a "political statement" thus getting him removed along with the Tibetan fans from the stadium. Which can be seen in the video I shot. Yes I think the RSL staff along with the RES staff reacted poorly, but they were in over their heads. Each time RSL staff asked us to put away something we complied with their demands. Could they have handled the whole situation better? Of course they could have! If they wanted to keep things neutral they could have asked the Chinese fans to take down their flags, which offended many. Regardless of the outcome; The RCB supports RSL and we are there to stand behind our team, through victory and strife. My video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ut4VtEIFL0 Some pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/judgedredd76/sets/72157600328349233/ Donks Blog: http://www.firejohnellinger.com/ RCB Home: http://www.roguecavaliers.com/ I am the one who shot the video, the one who brought the flags into the stadium and made the 6-4 sign that was torn down by a Chinese Official. The RCB decided to do all this; “Defect Here” sign, Mao Masks, Flags, “6-4″ sign, “We all cheer for basic human rights” chants to get into the heads of the Chinese players and throw them off their game, thus giving our boys an advantage on the pitch. Notice how we scored a goal not too long after the Chinese stopped play in the 2nd half? Did we score because we had achieved our goal by getting into their heads? Maybe, either way we got the win!
Now one of our members(Donk) decided before the match that he would take the opportunity and make a “political statement.” He asked me if he could be the one to raise the Taiwan(ROC) Flag. I had no problem with this and obliged him by letting him be the one to raise that flag. Frank, another member of The RCB was moved by the stories of the Tibetan fans who joined us at half time. He decided he would use the big Tibet Flag and help them in making a “political statement” thus getting him removed along with the Tibetan fans from the stadium. Which can be seen in the video I shot.
Yes I think the RSL staff along with the RES staff reacted poorly, but they were in over their heads. Each time RSL staff asked us to put away something we complied with their demands. Could they have handled the whole situation better? Of course they could have! If they wanted to keep things neutral they could have asked the Chinese fans to take down their flags, which offended many.
Regardless of the outcome; The RCB supports RSL and we are there to stand behind our team, through victory and strife.

My video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ut4VtEIFL0
Some pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/judgedredd76/sets/72157600328349233/
Donks Blog:
http://www.firejohnellinger.com/
RCB Home:
http://www.roguecavaliers.com/

]]> By: cr http://rsl.theoffside.com/team-news/real-salt-lake-free-speech-and-the-issue-of-tibet.html#comment-860 cr Mon, 11 Jun 2007 16:24:34 +0000 http://rsl.theoffside.com/team-news/real-salt-lake-free-speech-and-the-issue-of-tibet.html#comment-860 The same removals took place at the Rapids/China game last night. A few things were said about the stadium being a private establishment and another guy going out in handcuffs. The attendance was already incredibly poor, so it was too bad to see even more people escorted out. Politics and football are nothing new, but it was interesting to see that the police intervention caused more of a stir than the flag holders themselves. It only caused more confusion for other nearby fans, wondering why the "pigs" were taking people's rights away because of "Chinese Flags" - kind of sad, yet kind of funny in an equally awful way. The same removals took place at the Rapids/China game last night. A few things were said about the stadium being a private establishment and another guy going out in handcuffs. The attendance was already incredibly poor, so it was too bad to see even more people escorted out. Politics and football are nothing new, but it was interesting to see that the police intervention caused more of a stir than the flag holders themselves. It only caused more confusion for other nearby fans, wondering why the “pigs” were taking people’s rights away because of “Chinese Flags” – kind of sad, yet kind of funny in an equally awful way.

]]> By: scott http://rsl.theoffside.com/team-news/real-salt-lake-free-speech-and-the-issue-of-tibet.html#comment-853 scott Mon, 11 Jun 2007 02:27:25 +0000 http://rsl.theoffside.com/team-news/real-salt-lake-free-speech-and-the-issue-of-tibet.html#comment-853 i agree....mixed decision on the removal of the flags. especially when our national team plays to pro-mexico fans in our own country. not a shot at mxico but just an example. i agree….mixed decision on the removal of the flags. especially when our national team plays to pro-mexico fans in our own country. not a shot at mxico but just an example.

]]> By: Brian http://rsl.theoffside.com/team-news/real-salt-lake-free-speech-and-the-issue-of-tibet.html#comment-843 Brian Sun, 10 Jun 2007 14:37:25 +0000 http://rsl.theoffside.com/team-news/real-salt-lake-free-speech-and-the-issue-of-tibet.html#comment-843 Why didn't they just take their flags away? Yes, alienating a fan base is not a smart thing to do, just ask UEFA. Coming to your blog to talk about football, would be like going to an Italy-based blog to talk about ethics. Hopefully that will cahnge though, for you that it is, as doubt Italy will. Why didn’t they just take their flags away?

Yes, alienating a fan base is not a smart thing to do, just ask UEFA.

Coming to your blog to talk about football, would be like going to an Italy-based blog to talk about ethics. Hopefully that will cahnge though, for you that it is, as doubt Italy will.

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