Its pretty much guarenteed, in my experience with sincere, long time football fans in NYC/NJ going back to the Randalls Island Stadium days of Péles, Chinaglias, and Beckenbaürs Cosmos , that NYCFC will have 2 split factions of fans, all joining the "Main Sub-Supporters Club". They will consist of a-political fans, who if one was to analyze their lives would be labeled "Liberal", collegiate, "sporty" types, possibly alcoholics. The other half is most likely going to be all the left-wing Anarchists, Socialists, Skinheads, Rockers, Communists, etc that abandoned Metrostars after Red Bull took them over (with one Red Skinhead/Rocker outfit of about 9 being from the Bronx already). A small resistence stayed around for the 1st season of Red Bull, however in a coordinated effort by R.B to get "new fans" with "higher incomes and social status", Red Bull (just as they had done with F.C Salzburgs O.G support) allied with the newer "Garden State Supporters Club" (a predominantly a-political/right wing, upper middle class supporters club from the mountains of Jersey-West and North of the upper Passaic River)) who did recon for R.B which led to the last 20-30 of the "Red" or "left-wing" Metro supporters being banned from games for smuggling in and igniting smoke bombs and scrapping once or twice with D.C, Toronto, and N.E traveling fans. Keep in mind, when I say "Red" or "Communist", or "left wing", I don't mean preachy political campaigners, nor did any fans ever speak about politics, unless asked privately. Other than wearing punk rock band t-shirts with symbols or slogans or carrying around a Red & Black Spanish/Italian Anarchist flag or Hammer and Sickle flag or Paterson, NJ-Lower East Side, NYC I.W.W Union songs being sung amoungst themselves, and on 4 occaisions that I remember them beating "Nazi" Skinhead fans literally out of the stadium and the parking turf, you wouldn't even know there was a political bone in their body. I elaborated to ease anyones concern about an "invasion" of partisan politics. Also, I don't see right-wing idiots as being willing to go to the S. Bronx stade right across the river from the Jackie Robinson Projects for a "soccer" game, considering that if they are "right-wing, conservative traditionalists" or especially "National Socialists" they would DESPISE real football since it is not American National tradition, label it "foreign", and stick to obesity riddled "American games"; gridiron, baseball, hot dog contests, etc. Then again, being born on Avenue B in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and growing up there until the late '80s, I wouldn't expect the people who are there now to be there either. Who knows. We'll have to wait and see. One thing is for sure. If you let 1 Nazi or Fascist outfit attend a game and allow them to sit peacefully and watch, there WILL be an influx of other outfits within 2-3 months, as word spreads rapidly when you fall into a subculture that really isn't welcome anywhere outside their house, dig? Next thing you know Jews, Catholics, Blacks, darker Puerto Ricans, darker Italians, people with accents, etc are getting torked in the bathroom or harassed and stomped on their way home by a group of losers that outnumber their intended victim/s 10 to 1.
To make a long story even longer, if you believe religion will be left out of football, you're most likely mistaken. Either you're mistaken, or just not familiar with the S. Bronx (or areas like it) . The South bend is a predominantly Black neighborhood, whether they be African American, or Afro-Rican or Afro-Dominican. In the U.S, you're just "Black". Although not many Afro-nationalities in the West jive with football, many of them have adopted the 50's-60's African American preacher-activist culture as it is a mature and respectable alternative to the medias and Hollywoods "baggy panted Thug-culture" of Black youth or the "Suge Knight" Black "adult". This is a well respected culture in S. Bronx neighborhoods that are well intentioned, and they are always looking for a crowd to speak to. So considering we'll be on their turf, I would imagine that preachers would find their way to the crowd to reach football fans; a new culture that doesn't really exist in the neighborhood (I know I would if I was them. Wouldn't you?). Personally, as an Atheist/Agnostic, this bothers me tremendously, with somewhat of an exception to the Franciscan Order of Catholicism (although they generally aren't really wondering preachers). However, I'll be attending games as an Atheist football supporter, not soley an Atheist. And as an Atheist football fan I have to respect my 'ball lovin' brothers and sisters, their religion, opinions, beliefs, politics, way of life and whatnot, as long as those religions, opinions, beliefs, politics, way of life and whatnot DO NOT promote the harm of fellow fans, or symbolize genocide of a particular sector of the population, or spread hate that divides fellow fans, or instills fear into fellow fans, causing brothers and sisters to feel un-welcome, and ultimately throwing there support to the (cringing) :::gulp::: NFL. This, in a fully functioning and effective supporters outfit or Firm, as well as in any half-civilized and intelligent society, CANNOT be tolerated.
To end this with a question now, as I am curious.
Why would a Libertarian (not the REAL Libertarians in the rest of the world, which follow Godwins view of Social Anarchist Collectivism, but the U.S perversion of the word) support:
A) A team in the S. Bronx (or if you're from Jersey, my 2nd hometown of Paterson as its equivilant or in CT, Bridgeport), which would be as anti-"Libertarian" as it gets (it is a sector of the City equal to L.I or NJs suburbs- all built with subsidies (welfare) for the low-income worker, senior, veteran and immigrant housing)?
B) A sport that is not traditional and was effectively barred in the U.S to the point of being banned (as it was in Russias Socialist REPUBLIC) and replaced with baseball (which was invented as a Cricket alternative to keep Brits out, as well as the "re-naming" of Gridiron to Football so people would associate the word with "American") in the U.S because of Footballs role in the success and rise of Communism, SocialismAnarchism, Unionism, etc throughout Europe during WWII?
C) Support an extension of a team (M.C.F.C) whose country not only paved the way for Communism but also coined our modern Liberal society, invented the "pussification" of a civilized human, has a FREE subsidized (welfare) "Heroin for Addicts" program, has Socialized housing, medical, and other social programs, are taxed at a very high tax rate (not quite Eisenhowers, but its still high), are in the modern age overwhelmingly progressively Left to the point that making someone recite"Dog" backwards in private-publically subsidized buildings of schools, courts, and halls is unacceptable?
Or do you just like Football and try to forge self-appealing politics and labels to meet your personal likes, therefore justifying these contradictions with generic Christian styled responses to try to steer and thwart people into a corner of confusion as to not notice your hypocracies?