You know, obsessed fans that have a cult like mentality around their local sports team? Especially for soccer? This is pretty normal in countries like Spain, Argentina, Italy, Catalonia, and England, places I been, but I have no idea if these same type of fan bases exist in the US too.

25 comments

  2. Definitely.

    We don’t refer to them as “ultras” but you’ll find intense fans for most teams. One of the more well known would be the NFL’s Buffalo Bills “Mafia”.

    Many MLS and USL franchises have them, NCFC has the Oak City Supporters and Renegados Soccer Supporters.

  3. Probably the closest thing that we have to soccer in Europe, would be (American) football. There is more of a cult following for football, and then basketball and baseball trail it. For instance, we have a pro football and soccer team an hour from me. The soccer stadium only holds about 18k people, where as the football stadium holds closer to 80k.

  4. Not like Europe does. There are very, very loyal and obsessive fans out there, particularly in college and professional football, but by and large they’re missing the violence element that often characterizes European “ultras.”

  6. Sort of? Although it can get intense, it’s not quite at the level of the actual Ultras.

    If you look at Steelers or Raiders fans. Steelers fans travel really well and are everywhere. Same could be said for lots of college sports fans.

    Shout out “War Eagle!” To someone wearing their Alabama shirt and you might have a fight on your hands

  7. We have avid fans. Fans that travel to games, wear clothing all the time, tailgate, etc. Their friends are around the game.

    These aren’t the norm.

    And hooligans aren’t accepted here. There may be some who fight, but it’s rare and frowned upon.

  8. The south is obsessed with college football, to the point where they fund football over education

  10. I know someone who lives in Connecticut but goes to literally every Iowa State game. No matter where the game is in the country, no matter what is happening, she will go out of her way to attend.

  11. Philadelphia Eagles fans are notorious for shenanigans, especially after losing or winning big games.

  12. There’s probably a fight at every NFL game honestly, but it’s not like one crazy group vs another. It’s just one off drunk fans here and there. But for soccer, I doubt your gonna find any fans that passionate about the MLS to be honest. MLS doesn’t have the same respect as other pro leagues since we pretty much know it’s a watered down league. We know people aren’t playing in the MLS because it’s prestigious and they want to be there. They are playing in MLS because they aren’t good enough for real leagues like EPL.

  14. I mean there’s a video circulating on Reddit of Eagles fans flipping over a car so I’d say yes though it’s less organized than Ultras

  16. Soccer, no. But you wouldn’t put a Red Sox and a Yankees fan together. But during the 2004 riots when the Red Sox beat the Yankees, my then boyfriend was a Yankees fan and took off his Yankees shirt because he was afraid he would have been seriously injured if people say it.

  18. Some teams have that reputation, the two that come to mind for me are the Philadelphia Eagles and the Vegas Raiders. Their fans have a reputation for rioting and being especially cruel to opposing team’s fans. The Eagles just played in the Super Bowl last night and lost to an arguably bullshit call, so everyone thought they were going to burn the city overnight, but a mix of crappy weather and a generally depressing atmosphere brought on by the loss meant most people just went home tired and defeated. Most of the crazy stuff that happened yesterday happened before the game ended.

    Even then, they’re generally not considered as bad as some of the soccer fans overseas. Some of those people treat a sport like their entire being is at risk if they don’t win and that harassing or violently beating another man for wearing a different jersey is perfectly acceptable.

  20. Soccer doesn’t have that much of a following in the United States compared to football, basketball and baseball.

    There are sports fans who are very invested in professional sports, but funnily enough it doesn’t seem to devolve into the outright gang warfare you see around soccer in Europe or South America. The Superbowl–the biggest game of the NFL and possibly the biggest American sporting event of the year–was yesterday. As passionate as fans get, I don’t think anyone got even a little killed about it.

  21. Yes, and it’s for football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. Both pro-level and college level.

  22. Lol not at all. Make no mistake, there are some pretty insane fans here in the States, but nothing close to Ultras. Sports are viewed as one of many forms of entertainment here and is definitely catered as a product. Whereas the rest of the world soccer is a lifestyle and identity. We save our cult like mentality for politics here unfortunately.

  24. Yes, absolutely- it’s just like it is for soccer there, but for other sports- the up and coming generations seem more into soccer than my parents and grandparents were, and I at least pay some attention to it.

  25. If you can’t come up with a heckle of worthy wit, its a skill issue. Don’t resort to fists. Get better.

    I am a superfan of my teams. I no longer live near any of them, but still travel around the region to see them as far as a 9 or 10 hour drive once or twice a year and 3-4 hours away somewhat regularly.

    You’ll catch me at tailgates and I have almost embarrassingly encyclopedic knowledge or rosters, schemes, coaches and history.

    However, my fandom is tied to the team and the players. I don’t need to be violent or pick fights. I find much of what surrounds futbol to be an embarrassing and juvenile spectacle that is not a reflection on your fandom, but your idiocy.

    I am *ruthless* to opposing fans and players…but it ends at actual physical violence, racism, or anything that becomes a reflection on *me*.

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