Anti-ref Chants

[wolnutz]

Hey! So I was in Section 237 on Sunday, and had a great time. I had forgotten about this event until just now, and wanted to bring it up if anybody has a suggestion or opinions.

Mark Geiger wasn't getting a ton of love from the section, and a bunch of people tried to get anti-ref chants going. One of them suggested that Mrs. Geiger wasn't particularly adroit in bed, which isn't genius by any means, but, whatever.

Sadly, a bunch of kids starting chanting "The ref has two dads! The ref has two dads!" This was really offensive, and really upsetting. The chant didn't take off too much, but I did have to yell "fuck off with that bullshit" to them, which, while not one of my finest moments, did the job.

Most NYCFC fans seem like good, honest folks, but I feel like we should nip any homophobic chants in the bud. A few guys and I in our row tried supplanting the cadence with "The ref's a Red Bull!" which worked a bit. So maybe that's an option.

Does anybody know a good way to reach out to NYCFC to send out a statement about misogynistic/sexist/homophobic/transphobic chants? And any ideas for an anti-ref chant that's well, clever?

 

[SoupInNYC]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of misogynistic/sexist/homophobic/transphobic chants at all.

A few anti-ref chants I have that I actually tried to get started in 237 but unfortunately seemed to be the only one who knew these (from my time in the student section at Marquette basketball games):

I'm blind!
I'm deaf!
I wanna be a ref!
I'm blind!
I'm deaf!
I wanna be a ref!

Nuts and bolts!
Nuts and bolts!
We got screwed!

 

[CP_Scouse]

Its a chant. Get over it. Its not that bad

 

[doctorhoosier]

Does anybody know a good way to reach out to NYCFC to send out a statement about misogynistic/sexist/homophobic/transphobic chants? And any ideas for an anti-ref chant that's well, clever?

I tried to reach out to Third Rail about the homophobic and misogynistic chants I heard in 236 (separate from what you heard, unfortunately). I did not receive a response.

Its a chant. Get over it. Its not that bad

Tell that to the woman sitting a row in front of me who refuses to go to another game because of that dumb "Hey - we want some pussy" chant.

 

[Vires]

Its a chant. Get over it. Its not that bad

Yes... lets all just 'get over' racist/sexist/homophobic chants, because thats what you should do in life, not stand up for what you believe in and just turn a blind eye.

/end sarcasm

 

[KevinL]

I don't like anti-gay chants either. I don't support that shit.

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

+1 for being against anti-gay or anti-woman chants. No one should feel uncomfortable in our stands unless they are opposing supporters. CP Scouse, you generally are harmless, if sometimes naive, but your dismissal of harmful speech as just chants is bordering on obnoxious. If part of your crusade to include cursing in every sentence includes gay bashing you should probably go somewhere else.

 

[Drainyoo]

Hey! So I was in Section 237 on Sunday, and had a great time. I had forgotten about this event until just now, and wanted to bring it up if anybody has a suggestion or opinions.

Mark Geiger wasn't getting a ton of love from the section, and a bunch of people tried to get anti-ref chants going. One of them suggested that Mrs. Geiger wasn't particularly adroit in bed, which isn't genius by any means, but, whatever.

Sadly, a bunch of kids starting chanting "The ref has two dads! The ref has two dads!" This was really offensive, and really upsetting. The chant didn't take off too much, but I did have to yell "fuck off with that bullshit" to them, which, while not one of my finest moments, did the job.

Most NYCFC fans seem like good, honest folks, but I feel like we should nip any homophobic chants in the bud. A few guys and I in our row tried supplanting the cadence with "The ref's a Red Bull!" which worked a bit. So maybe that's an option.

Does anybody know a good way to reach out to NYCFC to send out a statement about misogynistic/sexist/homophobic/transphobic chants? And any ideas for an anti-ref chant that's well, clever?

I wish I could vote this post of the year. Bravo. Society needs more people like you. I completely agree that that sort of bullshit should never be tolerated. NEVER. I hope the team puts out a statement. I'm going to tweet them to see how they respond.

I do have to disagree with you on one thing. Yelling at them to fuck off WAS your finest moment. It's easy to say you're against something, but to actually stand up for it in person takes courage. Well done.

As for an anti-ref chant, I think a simple booing works and isn't offensive.

 

[Drainyoo]

Its a chant. Get over it. Its not that bad

Up until this post I found you amusing. Now you're just being foolish and ignorant. It's not just a chant. Something like this should never been brushed aside.

 

[SoupInNYC]

I'm taking my fourteen year-old brother to the next game, he might find chants like that funny. But really, chants like that are ridiculously stupid, immature, and ignorant.

I'm all for chanting at opposing fans or refs, but make it clever and not discriminatory.

For example, one that is fun to do towards the opposing sections when we are winning late:

 

[NYCFC 12th man]

All the salient points on this topic have already been made above, but I also feel that it doesn't help to automatically get on the refs. If there is a bad call against NYCFC, we should let the referee know about it in a non-offensive manner, and to have reached this level, the referees should be thick-skinned enough to take the feedback.

However, was Mark Geiger that bad on Sunday? I thought he was pretty solid and I would place him in the top handful of referees the league uses. I thought New England could have received a yellow card on a foul and none was given so I shared my displeasure.

I think we can all be "homers" and appreciate a solid referee; these are not mutually exclusive.

And if you think Mark Geiger was bad on Sunday and you wished for another referee, be careful what you wish for.

 

[BxLio91]

Yep, I didn't have much issue with Geiger. We could have gotten the RSL-Union ref.

 

[KevinL]

There were a couple of younger folks a few rows in front me calling players 'faggots' and shit. I didn't say anything to them because I figured they were just young and stupid but after reading the original post, maybe I should have.

 

[NdimaNYC]

My section started chanting " your blind, your deaf, your an MLS ref".

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

There were a couple of younger folks a few rows in front me calling players 'faggots' and shit. I didn't say anything to them because I figured they were just young and stupid but after reading the original post, maybe I should have.

Did the stadium have an anonymous tip line? I know giants stadium you can text to a certain number to alert security to issues. If not, this would be a great idea to bring up to the club. There should be no tolerance for that and you shouldn't have to ruin your experience or subject yourself you your own abuse if you say anything.

 

[KevinL]

There was a security guy in our section so I don't think they care.

 

[Vires]

My section started chanting " your blind, your deaf, your an MLS ref".

So did mine.

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

There was a security guy in our section so I don't think they care.

That's even more important to tell the club

 

[typicalcity]

My section started chanting " your blind, your deaf, your an MLS ref".

Why went they chanting the referees a wanker ?

 

[Trone]

That's even more important to tell the club

Do you really want to tell the club? I think keeping the club out of things is always better, you cant run to thing and complain about these things, the result will be the club imposing all kinds of things and exerting control over the supporters , we do not want that, Dont run to the club , settle it amongst ourselves.