Ach, you need to come to Europe and watch some real top-level teams. Although to be fair, the MLS is far better than it was years ago.
Arms linking is not uncommon, not weird, Euro/UK fans don’t tend to do it, but are very physically passionate about celebrating, cheering. We’d tend to move en masse, waving flags, singing, maybe not the arms together, lol.
I think you’d enjoy a game over here, with the history and the atmosphere, allied to a higher standard of play. At the very least youd enjoy the atmosphere and passion. Again, give rugby a try if soccer isn’t for you.
People aren’t brainwashed into soccer. They follow it because they love it, as I do, and I have loved it since I was five. Just as other people love their sports. I love soccer, think its a great game, not boring at all. I cant understand why anyone watches baseball, and I understand why the vast majority of Brits, Irish and Europeans/Aussies/Kiwis/S Africans etc laugh at gridiron.
You take to a sport or you don’t. C’est la vie.
There, now you are where I am with soccer; because I am a baseball fan. I have watched baseball since I was a kid, and I still do. My husband will only watch if it is a game where a lot of runs are being scored, by our team. He does not quite appreciate the skill of a "pitchers duel".
As we say over here -- to each his own.