This blurry, cargo-shorted gentleman striking a come at me, bro pose amid a crowd of soccer fans and police outside Yankee Stadium? He’s your mascot for a bunch of chest-puffery and general ass-showing before the Red Bulls and New York City FC played in the Bronx today.
The so-called Hudson River Derby between the Gotham area’s two pro soccer teams has become an occasion for supporters of the respective clubs to sling insults and threaten each other with softcore violence. Only months removed from a garbage-throwing, sandwich-sign-swinging contretemps in Jersey, today’s dustup was large, loud, and dumb. As documented ably by soccer reporter Garry Hayes, it started with some sad taunting ...
... percolated into disorganized abuse ...
... and culminated in an off-off-off-Broadway Among the Thugs production.
On the pitch moments later, the Red Bulls began whipping ass in earnest, scoring the first four five six seven goals against NYC FC.