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DO YOU SUPPORT FLAMENGO?
Why I support Flamengo
By Tiago Petrik
At the end of the 1960s, Brazilian singer Jorge Ben had a lot of success with his song "País Tropical", or Tropical Country. The lyrics went: "I live in a tropical country/Blessed by God/Beautiful by nature/(Oh, beauty!)/Carnival is in february/I've a VW beetle and a guitar/I support Flamengo and have a black girl named Teresa."
What this means is that whenever you want to talk about what it is to be Brazilian you need to mention Flamengo fans. There are 35 million of them, with their joy and misery. The caricature says that Flamengo fans are just part of the less well favoured part of the population. But this is silly. According to Ruy Castro in his book "Red and Black", Flamengo is not just the most popular team among the poorest, but also among the richest, the oldest, the youngest, the men, the women, the children or any other social group you chose. The red-and-black nation constitues another country within the Brazilian nation.
What's the reason for such popularity? It's common to say that, when Flamengo started to play football in the beginning of the 20th century (it had been a rowing club before then), its team used to practice at Flamengo Beach in Rio, thus permitting close contact among players and the public.
Whether or not that is correct, the theory was only consolidated because great players like Arthur Friedenreich, Adílio, Aldair, Bebeto, Brito, Carpeggiani, Casagrande, Denílson, Domingos da Guia, Dida, Edílson, Edinho, Edu, Evaristo, Gérson, Gilmar Rinaldi, Jair Rosa Pinto, Joel Martins, Jorginho, Júnior, Leonardo, Leandro, Le&iocute;nidas da Silva, Mário Sérgio, Mozer, Paulo César Lima, Renato Gaúcho, Ricardo Rocha, Romário, Sócrates, Zizinho, Zagallo and Zico all wore the "Sacred Mantle". Even Garrincha and Pelé did too.
On the other hand, Ronaldo started his professional carrer dreaming of wearing Flamengo's shirt as his life's ambition.
If you think about a big name from Brazilian football that hasn't belong to "Mengáo" team, there are only two possibilities: 1) the player was definitely not that good; 2) he is the exception that proves the rule. In either case, he must have had a deep sadness for not having be able to defend the only club that has been Brazilian national champion five times.
I support Flamengo
Vivian Eidelman
First of all I have to say I'm Brazilian...and carioca, as I live here, in Rio since I was born.
Living in such an intense atmosphere of football, I had, even being a girl, to pick one club to support.
I have to say my choice was not quite original. I simply chose the major's choice, and my family's choice. (which influence was determinant). But I have to admit, although I would prefer not using "cliches", "Flamengo is in my blood". May be is something that only genetic or philosophy can explain, but what a Flamengo supporter feels, in my opinion, is completely different from any experience that a football supporter can feel.
Is what makes one spends 1 hour talking about last night match, with a stranger at a bus stop, and finish the conversation as if the perfect stranger was an old friend of yours, only because he/she supports Flamengo too, this is what makes a 30 y. o. man cry as a child when his club wins the national championship, is to admit someone is reliable or not just because he/she supports or not Flamengo, is to bet your monthly salary with the guys from work, and if loosing, keep insisting on next game, is to prefer to see Flamengo winning the championship rather than Brazil winning the World Cup, is to prefer going with your boyfriend at Maracana to watch a classic match than going to the mall to spend a 50% discount ticket, is to give your child the name of a famous player (how many Arthur's were born at the 80's because of Zico?!), is to love a football club as if it was a religion, a legend...(and believe in it)
Well, lucky me I have the unique experience to support and "be Flamego" as we say it in Portuguese...
May be my experience is quite particular or extreme as
my brother is may be one of or the greater fan of Flamengo
I've ever met (u should check his website about the Flamengo
uniforms he collects www.mantosagrado.kit.net)
But all I know is: once Flamengo...always Flamengo!!!
Best regards,
Vivian Eidelman
PS: Sorry about the grammar mistakes...you can imagine how hard it is for a Brazilian girl to talk about football in English!!!
Why I support Flamengo
Jukka Hakala
I live in Finland and since a child I have been interested
in football. My interest in Flamengo began first in late
70´s when they had Zico as profile player. Later
I saw some TV -documentaries on Brazilian football and
some on Rio de Janeiro. In these there was usually some
material about Flamengo or their fans. I thought Flamengo
fans were the most happy, colourful, musical, innovative
and tolerant (rich and poor, black and white) of all fans.
During 1980´s I was an active short-wave listener
and I was able to hear alive commentaries of brazilian
foorball games on my radio. The feeling and passion
of the commentators ( Gooooooool do Flamengo !!! ) gave
me feeling that brazilian football culture was something
totally different and better compared to European (of
Finnish).
Since mid-90´s I have been able to use the Internet.
During the years I have learned some Portuguese so I
can read about what is happening in Flamengo. I can
also listen to Flamengo games through Rio de Janeiro
radio stations broadcasting in Internet (e.g. Rádio
Tupí). With Internet technology I can follow
Flamengo playing on-line at home. If the kick-off is
at 16 hours in Brazil, it is 22 hours in Finland and
the game is over by midnight. For games beginning later
you must stay up longer or get some sleep before the
game.
I think in my case the reason for supporting Flamengo
is feeling or even destiny. I can´t explain it
with reason or any particular event. Because of this
I have sort of grown to be a "flamenguista"
living in far-away Nordic country. To me Flamengo means
much more that just a football club and much more than
any other football club.
Yours in red-and-black,
Jukka Hakala
I support Flamengo
Ben Sullivan
I saw them beat Palmeiras 3-2 at the Maracana in
1999. The most exciting sporting spectacle I have ever witnessed. And Zico was my favourite brazilian player as a kid.
And they led the other clubs in introducing black players.
Why I support Flamengo
Henrique Ornellas
Well, first of all, I would like to tell you that I have a "black-red skin",
not a T-shirt! Flamengo´s T-shirt is really my second skin. But this fact is
very easy to explain. How could a Brazilian boy who started to watch soccer
matches in the 80´s, supports another team? Impossible! I saw the fantastic
Flamengo team with (1)Raul, (2)Leandro, (3)Marinho, (4)Mozer, (6)Júnior,
(5)Andrade, (8)Adílio, (10)Zico, (7)Tita, (9)Nunes and (11)Lico. This team,
with one or two changes, won 3 National, 3 State, 1 Continental and 1 World
Championship! The final match against Liverpool was a real "performance",
just like a show. Japonese, Brazilian and English people watching the
amazing Flamengo´s players with Zico as the "Maestro". The score 3 x 0 (in
the first half), did not express what happened in fact.
So, since that golden age, I became a fanatic "flamenguista"! I never saw
another team like that and I belive that I will never see it.
Henrique Ornellas
DO YOU SUPPORT FLAMENGO?
Tell us why in an email () and we'll stick it up here.
Information compiled by: Mark Lowdon
Last page update: October 23 2004
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