Loyal supporters bleed burgundy, no matter what
Rapids fans brave cold temps for playoffs match on Oct. 27, 2011
Commerce City, Colo. - For hardcore Rapids fans, winter weather on a weeknight in Commerce City was not a reason to miss a game, but rather a reason to be even louder.
“The only thing that has kept me away from the Rapids is a death in the family,” Class VI supporters' group founder Mark Bodmer said before Colorado’s wild-card playoff game against the Columbus Crew.
As if on cue, a “Rapids” chant broke out among the tailgaters in the parking lot south of Dick Sporting Goods Park. The temperature was heading south of 32 degrees, but it did nothing to freeze the enthusiasm of the Rapids’ most loyal supporters who congregate before every home game.
“This is the core of the Rapids fan base,” says Bodmer. "These are the guys that bleed burgundy no matter what goes on – win, lose, cold, hot. They’re always here, every game.”
Bodmer was among the thousands that braved the cold for Colorado’s 1-0 victory over the Crew, and they will return again Sunday when the Rapids open the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Sporting Kansas City (5:30 MT) in the team's final home game of 2011.
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Hours before kickoff, members of Class VI can be found tailgating alongside the two other largest organized fans, the PID Army and Bulldogs Supporters Group. An eclectic selection of music – Johnny Cash, Oasis, Queen – blares from a portable sound system as the fans eat, drink and mingle. On this night, three people open a cardboard box and distribute free T-shirts with Rapids captain Pablo Mastroeni’s likeness on the front.
It is the kind of setting that Bodmer envisioned when he started Class VI in 2005, which began with 30 members and has since grown to more than 500 who connect in person and online at NoFanAlone.com. They invite anyone and everyone to join them at Rapids matches, which means one doesn't have to be an official member to take part in the fun.
“The whole premise of No Fan Alone really means something to us,” said season-ticket holder and Class VI member Erik Rogers. “It allows us to talk to other people that are into the game. It's not the No. 1 sport in Denver, unfortunately, so this is where we find people with like minds and like interests.”
As Rogers and his friend Matt Hochstein enjoy some cold beverages on a cold night, Dave Cleland goes about making his final pregame preparations. Before every Rapids home game, he and the Army “soldiers” march from the parking lot to Supporters Terrace behind the north goal. Led by a shirtless man with a megaphone, the PID Army stands, chants, beats drums and waves flags for nearly two hours from the opening kick to the final whistle.
“There’s a place for all fans,” Cleland said. “You don’t have to be a lunatic to sit where we are.”
The PID Army occupies the west side of the terrace, with “The Bobbies” – members of the Bulldog Support Group - filling out the east side. Members of the Class VI group have their own territory in Section 108 on the west stands.
And as the motto says, no fan is alone. The three distinct groups present opportunities for any Rapids fan to enjoy a match in a various ways: whether you prefer meeting a pub with the Bulldogs, marching in with the Army, or enjoying the better sight lines (and seats) with Class VI.
While different in presentation, passion is a requirement for these die-hard fans, whose vocal support on Thursday once again made a difference in game.
"The fans that turned up tonight made a lot of noise," Rapids head coach Gary Smith said following the victory over Columbus. "They were very vocal, they got behind the team really nicely, and at important times, they put some weight behind the (referee's) decisions. And that's all you can ask."
The players also recongize the support.
“We don’t have the numbers that some of the teams in the league have, but we have some passionate fans and some faithful groups,” defender Drew Moor said. “They definitely make it tough for the other team when they come in here. I know a lot of them by name, I’m Facebook friends with a bunch of them and tweet with a bunch of them. They make it fun.”
And while social media and the internet may connect fans with common interests, nothing replaces gathering in the cold and cheering side-by-side with people decked out in burgundy from head to toe. It's what happens at every game.
“Rapids fans find each other and become good friends," Bodmer said. "It turns into a family.”
It's what will happen again on Sunday.