Subject: Re: We were here first and stuff, etc (So who's who?)
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 20:24:15 -0400
From: Massa Sugano 

At least two of the regular posters, I can guarantee their names.  I've
seen them in real life in and around Cambridege and Boston.  Who are
those two people?  It could be bad netiquette to expose other poster's
private lives, though.

Actually, I wonder who's seen who in real life.  For example, I presume
Stig and Karel are chums anyway; I'm not really sure on Ariel.  As for
Riffster, being well traveled he might know some of us; I don't know,
it's anyone's guess.  One thing I'm sure of, though, is that no one
knows Benny....

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Subject: Re: We were here first and stuff, etc (So who's who?)
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 20:22:08 +0200
From: Stig Oppedal 

Actually, I only know Karel through the internet - the only rsser I've
met in real life is actually Simon Gleave (a.k.a. Shaggy); Simon and
another guy (Keith - I forget his last name; Palace fan) actually
(that's three "actually"s already!) tried to get in touch with Ariel in
DC during the World Cup (don't ask me how they got the phone number) but
he mysteriously failed to appear at the designated meeting-place.

---Stig, reviving the art of the convoluted sentence

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Subject: Re: We were here first and stuff, etc (So who's who?)
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 10:18:06 +0100
From: Simon Gleave 

Good story this actually - we were in Washington during WC94 (Keith Brody
lived there, I was just over for a few weeks) and Ariel had said that he'd
also be in Washington and gave Keith a phone number. Keith only managed to
get through to a woman who seemingly couldn't speak English on the first
occasion. On the second, she could miraculously speak English (assuming it
was the same one) but said that Ariel was asleep and on the third occasion
keith talked to Ariel and arranged to meet in a bar after one of the
games. Needless to say Ariel never turned up and we gave up after this.

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Subject: Re: We were here first and stuff, etc (So who's who?)
Date: 25 Sep 1997 09:16:44 GMT
From: dustinc@bnr.ca (Dustin Christmann)

Well, I've met Ariel in LA when I visited out there for a weekend in April.
I went out there for two reasons:

1) rest and relaxation
2) the Good Guys were playing the hated Galaxy

And since I knew that a living RSS legend lived there, I e-mailed him and
and was able to get in touch with him, unlike Simon.  We talked futbol for
a while over the obligatory pre-game meal at an Argentine restaurant in
Pasadena, and headed over to the Rose Bowl.

Fortunately, a fellow Burn fan who works for American Airlines was also
in LA for the game and to visit his girlfriend, and since this friend of
mine is reasonably well-connected, he managed to call in some of these
connections for four complimentary tickets at midfield at the Rose Bowl,
keeping my perfect record intact.  In two Burn-Galaxy matches at the Rose
Bowl, I have had terrific midfield seats both times and not paid for a
corresponding ticket either time.  The first time, in 1996, I bought a 
general admission ticket at the end of the Rose Bowl, but was able to sneak
into the midfield seating.

This friend of mine left the tickets for Ariel and me at the will-call window
at the Rose Bowl, and upon showing proper ID for the tickets, we were in.

Before the game, I spotted Rotten Al and the equally rotten Doug Logan, league
commissioner, coming up the aisle, not more that ten feet from our seats,
presumably coming from the field, where the two of them undoubtedly reminded
the evening's game officials about which team was in the bigger television
market.  I pointed the Rotten Pair out to Ariel, sure that a confrontation
of epic proportions was about to ensue, and one that would be the stuff of
RSS legend.  Not really.  Frankly, he seemed more interested in the copy of
"Goal" that I had picked up at Barnes and Noble in Pasadena.  Typical Angeleno,
jaded by the all-too-common brushes with the wealthy and self-important.

The game began, and was not a particularly attractive affair, between the
Burn's defensive play and the dreadful lack of finishing on both sides.
Ariel lamented the latter, as well as the all-too-common pass that didn't
go QUITE where the passer had intended.  The first half of not-very-watchable
futbol ended 0-0.

However, all was not lost, since Ariel struck up a conversation with a little
girl in front of us, who was around seven or eight years old and a huge Cobi
Jones fan.  Mind you, most of this conversation consisted of Ariel making
a remark to us sneering Cobi's play after each inevitable Cobi meltdown, then
explaining to the little girl that yes, he too was a Cobi Jones fan.  Poor
girl, she must have been awfully confused.

And Ariel did find among the Good Guys a object of worthy derision: Gerell
Elliott.  Gerell is cut from the same mold as Cobi -- fast, unusual hair, 
very dubious ball skills, and dreadful finishing -- only worse.  After
flubbing numerous chances in the first half, he managed to put one in on
a Burn counterattack, from a high, crossing pass from just past midfield
from defender Tom Soehn.  1-0 Dallas.  And my friend and I jumped up to
celebrate.  Ariel, knowing the demeanor -- emphasis on "mean" -- of the locals,
distanced himself a few feet from us while derision, but not beer, fortunately,
rained down upon us.

However, the locals did get their payback a few short minutes later, when
a dubious penalty was awarded to the Galaxy.  Burn defender Eric Dade and
Galaxy defender Danny Pena were both in the air, going for a high ball, when
Dade ALLEGEDLY pushed Pena to the ground.  After watching the tape when I
returned home, I remain unconvinced.  Nonetheless, Cienfuegos converted
and the match was tied at one.

Despite the furious attempts by the Galaxy in the last fifteen minutes to
break the deadlock, the match ended in a draw and went to the obligatory
35-yard live shootout.  Dallas won a rather interesting shootout, with
penalties given to both teams during the shootout for goalkeeper fouls in the
box.  Mind you, the penalty given during Gerell's attempt was the result of
a total dive by Gerell, but he converted to win the shootout for the Burn.
Needless to say, Ariel was not very impressed by this five-minute-long
post-match display.

Afterward, we talked futbol for a few more minutes, then everyone went their
separate ways for the evening, and I, much fatigued after my early-morning
flight from Dallas and full day of mirth at various locales in the metro Los
Angeles area, retired to my luxury accomodations at the youth hostel in Santa
Monica for some much needed sleep, which is really kind of tragic on a Saturday
night in LA.  Nonetheless, my tolerance for sleep deprivation has declined
precipitously since graduating from college a few short years ago.

In all, a fascinating meeting.

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Subject: Re: We were here first and stuff, etc (So who's who?)
Date: 25 Sep 1997 04:45:00 -0700
From: mazzare@primenet.com (Ariel Mazzarelli)

So I stiffed Shaggy, but had a good time with Dustin. RSSers may draw 
their own conclusions, but they should include the word "cellphone".

Ariel

PS: Rotten Al was spared because I did not have the foresight to buy
myself a beer or any other fluid container.

PPS: Next time, we're taking you and your silly Dallas tshirt into
the cheap seats, away from all those little girls that shield your
Tejano butt from the budweiser showers.

PPPS: Oh yeah, that "Goal" rag had that great article about the bloke
that was putting the "F" back in football... we need more like him.

PPPPS: If you really want to do something about having to go to sleep
alone on a Saturday night, I can arrange an appointment with
Cobi's hairdresser for ya.


==============================================================
Subject: Re: We were here first and stuff, etc (So who's who?)
Date: 23 Sep 1997 09:39:44 +0200
From: Steve Jones 

mark blackman  writes:

> Steve Jones - JON wrote:
> > Well I've met Huw Morris, AND seen him punched in the back of the head,
> > not a bad bloke if he could just get over supporting the Baggies.
>
> Steve, the two are not connected in anyway?

:-)

Naah, he was the ref, I was the linesman, Brum fans were playing AEK
Athens fans and they thought Huw was biased AGAINST them.

Baggies fan in the middle, two Wolves fans on the lines and the Brum
still won.  They did have Bob Carolgees (you know the guy with spit the dog)
playing however.


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Subject: Re: We were here first and stuff, etc (So who's who?)
Date: 26 Sep 1997 11:13:29 +0200
From: bds@rzg.mpg.de (Bruce Scott TOK)

I can also vouch for Shaggy, whom I saw a Cambridge U cup match with.
I've also met Gustaaf van Moorsel.  Ariel and Karel I've exchanged
enough email with to be convinced they're real.  Attempts to get Karel
to actually attend a match of FC Bayern have failed :-)


==============================================================
Subject: Re: We were here first and stuff, etc (So who's who?)
Date: 26 Sep 1997 23:14:57 GMT
From: archer@hsi.com (Garry Archer)

Aha!  You all thought I didn't read r.s.s anymore!  Well, you're partially
right! :-)  But I checked in today to see this interesting thread.

I've met many r.s.s-ers, actually.  Both in the U.S. and in good ol' England.
Too long to list really.

I'm still looking forward to meeting many more I've known on the Internet
for literally years!  All those posting here, and many of them "legends"
of r.s.s, are top of me list... like Stig, Karel, Ariel, Shaggy, Huw Morris,
Walter Garcia-Fontes, Kent Hedlundh, Marcelo Weinberger, Bruce Munro, 
Stephen Mulrine, Santiago Newbury, Sergio Adeff, James Ross, 
Carlos Rimola-Sarti, Martin Protzen, OddMagne, Ulick Stafford, Oliver Tse, 
Ewan Tempero, Anthony Waller, Gary Spain, Joost Schraag, Marco Petroni, 
Denise OH! (remember good, ol' Denise?  I've swapped e-mail with her many a 
time) "Big Dave" Miller, Brian Doggett, Thomas Esamie, Hans "Ovr Fovnder" 
Huttel (who, without him r.s.s wouldn't be here today), Sandy Mackinnon, 
Thomas Hofmeister, Jesper Lauridsen, Peter Hemmings, Himawan Gunadhi, Haavard 
Bjaastad, Tim Chown, David Choweller, Alan Douglas, Morna Findlay (who sent 
me a postcard from World Cup '90 in Italy!), Dr. Fox, Stephen Halchuk, Wayne 
Leslie (who used to send me boxes of footy magazines!), David Ould, Lars Thore 
Aarhus, Shakil Waiz Ahmed, Eric Arendts, Ivan Maldonado, Terry Maton..........

Oh phew, I could go on, but me memory is getting overtaxed.  Apologies for
leaving any old friends off, but many of you I have already met and there
are many, many more I can't always remember their names now, the years are
so long and so far away...  I've been posting/reading USENET newsgroups
since 1985!

Anyway, back into quiet mode...  too busy to post much anymore :-(

        Cheers Mates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!