The American Outlaws
| The American Outlaws | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | A.O. |
| Established | 2007 |
| Type | Supporters' group |
| Team | United States of America |
| President | Korey Donahoo |
| Vice President | Justin Brunken |
| Key people |
|
| Membership | 30,000+ |
| Colors | Red |
| Website | TheAmericanOutlaws.com |
The American Outlaws (abbreviation: AO) are an unofficial supporters' group for the United States men's national soccer team and United States women's national soccer team[1][2] and have been described as "a raucous group of U.S. supporters" by ESPN.[3][4] Founded in 2007 by a group of fans from Lincoln, Nebraska, the group set out to "unite and strengthen" supporters at United States national soccer team games.[5]
Their first appearance was at an international friendly between Brazil and the United States in Chicago in the summer of 2007 and are now found at every national team game for both the men and women's teams.[6] The group can be readily identified by their red membership shirts, American flag bandanas, and are most often located behind one of the stadiums goals with their banners.[7] They are frequently accompanied by a marching band made up of members dressed like popular American icons like Captain America, Rocky Balboa, and Pilgrims.[8]
Organizational structure
National organization
The national organization is run out of Lincoln, Nebraska and handles the day-to-day operations of the group. The national organization is in charge of domestic ticket requests and all other matters pertaining to U.S. Soccer for members. It develops the various forms of national merchandise like membership kits, T-shirts, and scarves. It is responsible for connecting supporters from around the country through travel and accommodations deals and producing various forms of media content like scouting reports and a podcast.[9][10]
For the 2010 FIFA World Cup it organized a travel package for members planning on going to South Africa.[11] In 2014 they again organized a travel package for Brazil for over 550 members. In 2015 American Outlaws organized their first trip to the Women's World Cup.
The organization is run by Korey Donahoo & Justin Brunken and is supported by several other individuals.[12]
Local chapters
The group is organized into local chapters that are established in cities.[13] The local chapters handle local viewing parties, building support for the national team at the local level, and are responsible for organizing festivities & supporters in the event their city hosts a game.[14]
In order to be sanctioned as an official chapter the following are required:
- A minimum of 25 dues paying members
- A base bar where they host viewing parties on a regular basis
- Establish local leadership group
- Agree to abide by National Code of Conduct and By-Laws
When chapters are officially sanctioned they receive a chapter banner. Most chapters, like Baton Rouge, Boston, and Washington, D.C., develop their chapter crest that connects American soccer and local landmarks and/or individuals. There are currently 191 official chapters and over 30,000 members.
American Outlaws chapters
- AO Adams
- AO Akron
- AO Albany
- AO Albuquerque
- AO Annapolis
- AO Asheville
- AO Athens
- AO Atlanta
- AO Auburn
- AO Augusta
- AO Austin
- AO Bakersfield
- AO Baltimore
- AO Baton Rouge
- AO Birmingham
- AO Blo-No
- AO Boise
- AO Boston
- AO Bowling Green
- AO Brooklyn
- AO Bronx
- AO Bryan/College Station
- AO Buffalo
- AO Cedar Rapids
- AO Central Jersey
- AO Charleston
- AO Charlotte
- AO Charlottesville
- AO Chattanooga
- AO Chicago
- AO Coachella Valley
- AO Cincinnati
- AO Cleveland
- AO Columbia, MO
- AO Columbia, SC
- AO Columbus
- AO Corpus Christi
- AO Covington, LA
- AO Dallas
- AO Dayton
- AO D.C.
- AO Denver
- AO Des Moines
- AO Detroit
- AO Durham
- AO Eau Claire
- AO El Paso
- AO Fargo
- AO Fayetteville
- AO Florence
- AO Fredericksburg
- AO Fort Lauderdale
- AO Fort Myers
- AO Fort Wayne
- AO Fort Worth
- AO Fox Valley
- AO Fresno
- AO Grand Rapids
- AO Green Bay
- AO Greensboro
- AO Greenville, NC
- AO Greenville, SC
- AO Harrisburg
- AO Hartford
- AO Hattiesburg
- AO Houston
- AO Hudson Valley
- AO Huntington
- AO Huntsville
- AO Indianapolis
- AO Iowa City
- AO Inland Empire
- AO Jackson
- AO Jacksonville
- AO Kansas City
- AO Kearney
- AO Knoxville
- AO Lafayette
- AO Lancaster
- AO Laredo
- AO Las Vegas
- AO Lawrence
- AO Lexington
- AO Lincoln
- AO Little Rock
- AO London
- AO Long Beach
- AO Long Island
- AO Los Angeles
- AO Louisville
- AO Macon
- AO Madison
- AO Memphis
- AO Melbourne
- AO Merced
- AO Miami
- AO Milwaukee
- AO Minneapolis/St. Paul
- AO Mobile
- AO Modesto
- AO Montgomery
- AO Monterey Bay
- AO Morristown
- AO Nashville
- AO New Haven
- AO New Orleans
- AO North New Jersey
- AO Northern Vermont
- AO NYC
- AO Ocean Springs, MS
- AO Oklahoma City
- AO Omaha
- AO Orange County
- AO Orcutt
- AO Orlando
- AO Panama City
- AO Pensacola
- AO People's Republic of Boulder
- AO Philly
- AO Phoenix
- AO Pittsburgh
- AO Portland, ME
- AO Portland
- AO Providence
- AO Quad Cities
- AO Raleigh
- AO Reno
- AO Richmond
- AO Rio Grande Valley
- AO Roanoke
- AO Rochester
- AO Sacramento
- AO Salt Lake City
- AO San Antonio
- AO San Diego
- AO San Francisco
- AO San Gabriel Valley
- AO San Jose
- AO Santa Monica
- AO Sarasota
- AO Saratoga Springs
- AO Savannah
- AO Seattle
- AO Shreveport, LA
- AO Sioux City
- AO Sioux Falls
- AO Springfield, IL
- AO Springfield, MO
- AO St. Louis
- AO St. Pete
- AO Staten Island
- AO Syracuse
- AO Tacoma
- AO Tallahassee
- AO Tampa
- AO Toledo
- AO Topeka
- AO Trenton
- AO Tucson
- AO Tulsa
- AO Virginia Beach
- AO Westchester
- AO Western Mass
- AO West Palm Beach
- AO Wichita
- AO Wilmington
- AO Winston-Salem
- AO Youngstown
Controversy
The American Outlaws have drawn controversy for their "frat boy" culture which has alienated female members as the organization has expanded.[15][16] In response to allegations, The American Outlaws created "AO Watch", which allows fans to report misbehavior by American Outlaw supporters during games.[16] The group has also tried to take measures to stop racism and sexism from its members before it happens, including an attempt to ban the "puto" chant, which leadership noted was homophobic and against their Code of Conduct.[16]
Gallery
Tifo display organized by American Outlaws before USA vs Spain at Gillette Stadium
Tifo display organized by American Outlaws during USA vs Haiti at Gillette Stadium
American Outlaws section before USA vs Czech Republic at Rentschler Field
References
- ↑ "American Outlaws website".
- ↑ "CBC article on 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup fans".
- ↑ "Free Beer Movement Blog article on AO".
- ↑ "ESPN - OTL: Fevered Pitch - Chicago".
- ↑ "Red Kop Project Article on American Outlaws".
- ↑ "YouTube video from USA vs Brazil".
- ↑ "US Soccer Federation Best Fan Photo Nominee".
- ↑ "American Outlaws march to Soldier Field".
- ↑ "Copy of American Outlaws scouting report" (PDF).
- ↑ "American Outlaws Podcast".
- ↑ "American Outlaws World Cup Travel Plans".
- ↑ Burnton, Simon (2009-12-06). "The Guardian interviews Korey Donahoo". London. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
- ↑ "Fresno Sports Blog article on American Outlaws".
- ↑ Goff, Steven (2009-10-08). "Washington Post Article on DC Chapter Viewing Party". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
- ↑ Nachman, Gideon (March 12, 2015). "The growing pains of U.S. soccer's dominant supporter's group". Fusion. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- 1 2 3 Davis, Noah (June 6, 2016). "Beers, bandanas and boos: the American Outlaws' grapple with frat-boy soccer". Fusion. Retrieved March 16, 2018.