“Whether Bayern in Qatar or Gladbach in Budapest–the Rouble Must Roll!”—This week’s banner on the Gegengerade

It’s been a full year since we’ve been able to visit our beloved Ballhaus des Ostens. Rather than waste my time, I’ll let this excerpt from Ingo Petz’ excellent article do the talking:

                “This love doesn’t bridge every divide, but it is strong enough that it gives many the strength to leave their comfort zone and reach out their hand to another. Where else in our morally, emotionally, and socially compartmentalized society is one confronted with the force of this fullness of life?

If all of this is to continue, everyone must contribute, and avoid letting professional soccer be regulated exclusively by economic concerns. It makes billions. And only because fans see more in the game than the shot on goal. Our emotion is the motor of this insane business. One gives a part of oneself, and should they not therefore be able to expect that their own expectations and fears are taken earnestly by functionaries—and as equals?”

I haven’t read anything in a long time that so succinctly and perfectly captures what I believe to be the spirit of a true Union supporter. I won’t sully the prose with any further commentary.

Playing against a team like Hoffenheim is also a great reminder of what happened a year ago. Not only was it our last home game, it also featured Hoffenheim—though not as the opponent. At that time, the biggest controversy in German soccer was—and it seems almost cute now—Hoffenheim’s de-facto owner Dietmar Hopp. Numerous fan groups took exception to his essentially writing Hoffenheim a blank check a la RB, and protested, including by calling him a “Whore’s son” and unfurling banners with Hopp’s face in crosshairs. Initially, these protests were largely confined to Dortmund fans.

But only initially, as the DFB, who previously renounced collective punishment, reneged on its word and proceeded to unleash a shitstorm by banning all Dortmund fans from away games in Hoffenheim for two whole years. As a result of the broken promise, active fan scenes across Germany rushed to Dortmund’s defense and similar protests took place all across Germany, including at the Alte Försterei against Wolfsburg, almost exactly a year ago.

All this largely served the sports commentariat, who exploded in sanctimonious outrage about insults like “whore’s son” (ask Mario Gomez) or the crosshairs while failing to understand the reasons behind the protest, because fury, not understanding, sells copy and secures jobs. Meanwhile, the controversy also demonstrated that Union’s party line of harmony between fans, club, and team may cover up material disagreements, as fan protests led the threat of cancellation. Understandably the players were angry at the risk of having the result annulled, but in an action that may confirm that same party line, consulted with the Ultras mid-game and reached some sort of agreement: the protest continued, but stopped short of causing the game to be called off.

Just a few short weeks later, all of this was forgotten. It’s almost quaint to remember now. Dietmar Hopp, to his great credit, has been very involved with vaccines (of course, being right and good at one thing does not make you good and right at another). The commentariat has found countless fodder for new and equally side-armed thinkpieces. And Hoffenheim, who finished last season in a Europa league spot, is now several spots below a Union team itself in the Europa conversation (of course, we must reaffirm our dedication to the true and official goal here: staying up).

But something hasn’t changed. Perhaps you’ve noticed it written in giant red and black letters and conspicuously ignored by the well-paid commentators at the large broadcast companies. It’s the banner. Hanging on the Gegengerade (and sometimes the Waldseite) across from the cameras every week is a reminder that just because we’ve given up the sport doesn’t mean we need to give up the community. And because we don’t have to give up that community, we don’t have to give up our efforts to make it better for everyone by calling the DFB to task for their failed “efforts” at reform. Even the club subversively plays along, sharing pictures of the banner through their social media channels.

It’s undeniable that the pandemic has shown us the true extent of the divorce between professional sports and fans. But actions like these banners are a small ray of hope, because they show us how we can still be active, still build a community, and still advocate for a better future, even in our own small garden. It’s a nice reminder that even as plutocrats pay others millions to smash a leather ball across an empty field and professional imbeciles blabber on about increasingly arcane and incomprehensible tactical and statistical minutiae, we can still find a bit of hope and belonging and desire for a better future.