Being an up and coming gang saved the Warriors

[Uriah]

I was watching the movie today and something hit me.  I think the reason the 9 delegates from the Warriors did as well as they did was because they were a relatively new/small gang - they didn't even register on the RIFFS network.   

I know this is counter intuative but think about it for a second.  Cleon would have been recruiting the best boppers he could find in Coney, to start the Warriors off on the right foot.  He would have to be ultra selective in the beginning, knowing his choices would influence the success and longevity of the gang.  Only the best muscle, theives, writers, strategic thinkers would do for a gang that was just cutting it's teeth.

Like any organization, you can assume that the larger a gang grows, scrutiny in terms of quality membership would decline.  There must be a tipping point where high numbers provide enough cover that an organization/gang doesn't need to flex anymore - the numbers impress/intimidate/speak for themselves. 

For Cleon and his start-up Warriors, I think quality still trumped quantity - and this was the saving grace of 7 of 9 who made it back to the Big CI.  They say young rattle snakes are deadlier than mature ones.  Same might be true of gangs.

[GramercyRiff99]

Congratulations on making one of the smartest, most original, most well thought out posts I have seen on here in recent memory. Honestly, I have never once seen this brought up before, nor have I ever thought of it myself. I think your theory is sound, though I can't help but think that, at the point of having 120 members, The Warriors might already be past the "only recruiting hardcore soldiers" point.

Still, excellent post, gold stars all around.

[Uriah]

Thanks GramercyRiff99.  I've seen the movie so many times (since my original veiwing on cable TV back in the 80s) that I'm suprised this just donned on me.

You have a point on the 120 member count.  This seems small by today's gang standards but back then might have put the Warriors into that high number comfort zone I referenced.   

Here is another way to look at it...

The Warriors top 9 were up against every gang in the city, but only a few gangs actually crossed paths with them.  And of those who did encounter the Warriors, we'll never know if they were top of the line soldiers or bottom feeders who we're lucky enough to cross paths with the Warriors but unlucky in that they weren't anywhere near the caliber of the top 9.

I like my "up and coming" theory better though.

[stevo2k6]

exellent topic, nothing to add uve covered it, but well done