Fans During Gibbs First Tenure vs. Fans During Gibbs Second Tenure

[Commander Adama]

What do people think? Is there a difference between the fans back then and the fans now? (Other than those fans being older and new fans). I am talking about as a whole. Are they different? If so, why and how?

My opinion...I think there is. I think we live in a Fast Food, give it to me now society that used to be different back then. Yes, I want to win now. I think all fans want that, but I don't want it at the expense of a solid foundation. I want a solid foundation that we can keep for years to come. Think of our Defense...I think we have a young group of players that can play for years and imagine if HB Blades can follow in London Fletcher's footsteps? With the addition of Kedric Golston and Anthony Montgomery stepping up? Then we are just a few players shy of having a totally young Defense that can dominate for years to come. Then look at offense....Jason Campbell, Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley, Stephon Heyer, etc. We have some great building blocks put in place for years to come. Yes, we need youth on the line and the wide receiver position on the offense and cornerback and defensive end on the defense. All I see is upside for awhile. All these young guys become veterans later on as they learn from our current veterans.

Is it me, or did RFK seem a ton louder than FedEx Field which allows for a ton more seats? Are the fans not as loud? What about people yelling when our offense is on the field like they did at the Giants Game? Did that happen back then? How about booing Brunnell? Would that have happened?

What does everyone think?

[Soup]

its the same except I think because of so much disapointment the fans now are becomeing more frustrated with the team and are starting to sound like the eagles' fans in some sections.

[SkinsHokieFan]

In 1989, when the Redskins were in a slump, on MNF the fans were chanting "Joe must go"

This was a guy who had been to 3 Superbowls and won 2 in the past 7 years

The difference. No ES back then

[Die Hard]

I wonder how Redskins fans during Gibbs II would be if we won 3 Super Bowls instead of sucking for 15 years?

Great discussion.

[SMOSS89]

This is what I think. Im 20 years old and I havent seen the 'Skins win ever, basicly. Doug WIlliams won the SB when I was 1 and Rypied when I was 4. I didnt become a full fledged fan till about right before Gibbs came back. So what the young fans are going through is that they only really know losing. For us, 2005 was like the superbowl or something. So after a while, you kinda get used to it and thus more condusive to trashing the team because its what we've been seeing since as long as we've been following the Redskins. It's hard to defend consistent losing.

As opposed to the confident bunch of fans that were there for Gibbs I.

I will say this though, I am as loyal as ever. And when they do win someday, it will be the greatest day of my life

[Die Hard]

I don't think we're in a "give me to me now" generation.... we're in a "give it to me more than 2x in 15 years" era.

That's reasonable.

[#98QBKiller]

I wonder how Redskins fans during Gibbs II would be if we won 3 Super Bowls instead of sucking for 15 years?

Great discussion.

Gibbs II hasn't been here for 15 years

[ozskin]

I think there is a difference. The older fans seem to have more patience. It's a mix of the dissapointing season we've had and the society we live in today imo.

[stwasm]

I think you also have to realize that RFK was TONS more intimate than FedEx Field is. RFK was small, the stands shook and fans from different walks of life were brought together, making it a harder place to play in for visiting teams. Plus, since there was no ebay and craigslist, tickets were much harder to come by. FedEx is more sterile, there are obvious haves and have-nots sections (Club Section verses upper level, Tailgate Club vs. Touchdown Club), thousands of fans from the visiting team's city appear on any given game day, has people conducting business in the stands, and has "fans" more worried about getting on the jumbotron, getting drunk and starting the wave at inappropriate times than paying attention to what's on the field. I also think that 15 years of mediocre to just outright bad football has made fans a lot less patient than they were before.

[Die Hard]

Gibbs II hasn't been here for 15 years

No, but having a history of losing for that many years is a factor whether you accept it or not.

In fact, if you don't want to take history into the equation.... then let's cancel out Gibbs' previous Super Bowls..... and how many would think Gibbs would still be here right now if it weren't for them?

[CGSKINS]

This is what I think. Im 20 years old and I havent seen the 'Skins win ever, basicly. Doug WIlliams won the SB when I was 1 and Rypied when I was 4. I didnt become a full fledged fan till about right before Gibbs came back. So what the young fans are going through is that they only really know losing. For us, 2005 was like the superbowl or something. So after a while, you kinda get used to it and thus more condusive to trashing the team because its what we've been seeing since as long as we've been following the Redskins. It's hard to defend consistent losing.

As opposed to the confident bunch of fans that were there for Gibbs I.

I will say this though, I am as loyal as ever. And when they do win someday, it will be the greatest day of my life

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[Soup]

The thing I don't get is why Norv was here for such a long time?

[#98QBKiller]

No, but having a history of losing for that many years is a factor whether you accept it or not.

In fact, if you don't want to take history into the equation.... then let's cancel out Gibbs' previous Super Bowls..... and how many would think Gibbs would still be here right now if it weren't for them?

I doubt he'd be here at all.

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

This is what I think. Im 20 years old and I havent seen the 'Skins win ever, basicly. Doug WIlliams won the SB when I was 1 and Rypied when I was 4. I didnt become a full fledged fan till about right before Gibbs came back. So what the young fans are going through is that they only really know losing. For us, 2005 was like the superbowl or something. So after a while, you kinda get used to it and thus more condusive to trashing the team because its what we've been seeing since as long as we've been following the Redskins. It's hard to defend consistent losing.

As opposed to the confident bunch of fans that were there for Gibbs I.

I will say this though, I am as loyal as ever. And when they do win someday, it will be the greatest day of my life

im on this boat. i really didnt get into football until 04, and i had been a casual fan before that who could name big players, but all i really knew is that we usually lost (even when i was a little kid i remember everybody constantly making fun of norv). the younger generation is so used to losing that i agree, 05 was like the greatest thing ever.

but the difference between joe gibbs 1 and his tenure now? of course fans were better back then, all we did was win. gibbs had like 1 losing season. how can you NOT be a fan when the team is constantly in the playoffs or in the hunt? its a pretty different situation now than it was back then.

[mdskins75]

What do people think? Is there a difference between the fans back then and the fans now? (Other than those fans being older and new fans). I am talking about as a whole. Are they different? If so, why and how?

My opinion...I think there is. I think we live in a Fast Food, give it to me now society that used to be different back then. Yes, I want to win now. I think all fans want that, but I don't want it at the expense of a solid foundation. I want a solid foundation that we can keep for years to come. Think of our Defense...I think we have a young group of players that can play for years and imagine if HB Blades can follow in London Fletcher's footsteps? With the addition of Kedric Golston and Anthony Montgomery stepping up? Then we are just a few players shy of having a totally young Defense that can dominate for years to come. Then look at offense....Jason Campbell, Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley, Stephon Heyer, etc. We have some great building blocks put in place for years to come. Yes, we need youth on the line and the wide receiver position on the offense and cornerback and defensive end on the defense. All I see is upside for awhile. All these young guys become veterans later on as they learn from our current veterans.

Is it me, or did RFK seem a ton louder than FedEx Field which allows for a ton more seats? Are the fans not as loud? What about people yelling when our offense is on the field like they did at the Giants Game? Did that happen back then? How about booing Brunnell? Would that have happened?

What does everyone think?

RFK was a lot louder. The fans also do things at Fed Ex that they never did at rfk(cheer on offense). Overall the fans were a lot smarter at RFK then now. And i really hate to say that because i love the Redskins. Just listen to some of the fans at the game and yeah it's gone downhill a little. The same people that packed RFK don't go anymore.

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

I think there is a difference. The older fans seem to have more patience. It's a mix of the dissapointing season we've had and the society we live in today imo.

youd have more patience if you had the memories they have. they get to remember the best oline ever, one of the best dlines, a hall of fame runningback, a hall of fame coach in his prime, countless winning seasons, countless playoff wins, 4 superbowl appearances, and 3 superbowl wins.

we get to remember steve spurrier and patrick ramsey.

i dont think it has anything to do with society. all this younger generation has to look at it is failure. 2 playoff appearances in 15 years. the last time we won a superbowl i was 8 years old. thats a long friggin time.

[RDSKNfaithfull]

easiest question on extreme ever

The answer is simple

Fans during Gibbs 1.0 = Satisfied

Fans during Gibbs 2.0 = Not Satisfied (for good reason)

[SackMachine]

This is what I think. Im 20 years old and I havent seen the 'Skins win ever, basicly. Doug WIlliams won the SB when I was 1 and Rypied when I was 4. I didnt become a full fledged fan till about right before Gibbs came back. So what the young fans are going through is that they only really know losing. For us, 2005 was like the superbowl or something. So after a while, you kinda get used to it and thus more condusive to trashing the team because its what we've been seeing since as long as we've been following the Redskins. It's hard to defend consistent losing.

As opposed to the confident bunch of fans that were there for Gibbs I.

I will say this though, I am as loyal as ever. And when they do win someday, it will be the greatest day of my life

That sums it up.

[WARLORD1863]

In 1989, when the Redskins were in a slump, on MNF the fans were chanting "Joe must go"

This was a guy who had been to 3 Superbowls and won 2 in the past 7 years

The difference. No ES back then

In the past decade or so we have had our hopes up to astronomical levels, and we were right to have such high hopes. We brought in terrific coaches (or so it seemed) but one after another was given the pink slip by Snyder. Top-notch players came, did mediocre work, and left. Then we heard that the man who brought Washington to 4 superbowls, and won 3, was coming back to SAVE this team.

Fans are fed-up with having high hopes (legitimately, not just because the beginning of every season brings high hopes) and having it crushed. Every year I hear the same thing from sports commentators, "The Redskins are the best team on paper and make all the right moves in the off-season, so what the heck is wrong with them?" We hear that almost every year, and yet we continue to struggle to win games.

I'm not one of those "the sky is falling" fans who can't appreciate a 2-1 record. But last game our team failed to show up in the second half. It was one of the most horrific collapses I've ever seen the 'Skins go through, and I'm not just saying that. It's an incredibly painful reminder that our team has only been good enough to get to the playoffs one time in the last several years, and even then it was obvious that our team had a mountain of problems. This past loss also reminds us that we were 5-11 last season, and that to the rest of the country the Redskins are not a good football team.

With all the hype, all the money spent, all the optimism, and all the talk... I'd like our performance and our record to reflect it. It's fatigue that eats away at fans. Fatigue from losing. But every game that the Redskins win is like a birthday, new years, christmas, and the 4th of july all rolled into one... because winning has become a rare moment of joy.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

In general, I hate these "Everything was better in the old days" arguments. These are generally the last bastion of a scoundrel.

So...let's drop some knowledge:

1. RFK was not a better stadium than FedEx. FedEx has myriad problems but RFK was a pit. It was an ugly, unpleasant stadium with too few seats. The reason we look back at it with fondness is because the teams that played there were good. If we had played in Cleveland Municipal during those years, people would yearn for it. If we had played in a high school stadium, people would yearn for it. If the years at RFK were like the years at FedEx, people would have no fondness for RFK. You don't see any Bengals' fans yearning for Riverfront, do you?

2. People may very well be less patient than they were 20 years ago. I don't know what relevance this has though. Fifteen years should be enough time for a franchise to get its act together. And four years should be enough time for a coach to learn how to orchestrate a two-minute offense. Gibbs gets criticized now because he has a losing record and is no longer the great game-day coach he used to be.

3. Finally, the 1980s are nothing but fond memories at this point. Jason Campbell never saw John Riggins play. We really need to let go of the nostalgia and focus on the future.

[mdskins75]

In general' date=' I hate these "Everything was better in the old days" arguments. These are generally the last bastion of a scoundrel.

So...let's drop some knowledge:

1. RFK was not a better stadium than FedEx. FedEx has myriad problems but RFK was a pit. It was an ugly, unpleasant stadium with too few seats. The reason we look back at it with fondness is because the teams that played there were good. If we had played in Cleveland Municipal during those years, people would yearn for it. If we had played in a high school stadium, people would yearn for it. If the years at RFK were like the years at FedEx, people would have no fondness for RFK. You don't see any Bengals' fans yearning for Riverfront, do you?

2. People may very well be less patient than they were 20 years ago. I don't know what relevance this has though. Fifteen years should be enough time for a franchise to get its act together. And four years should be enough time for a coach to learn how to orchestrate a two-minute offense. Gibbs gets criticized now because he has a losing record and is no longer the great game-day coach he used to be.

3. Finally, the 1980s are nothing but fond memories at this point. Jason Campbell never saw John Riggins play. We really need to let go of the nostalgia and focus on the future.[/quote']

I have to disagree. RFK was better because the fans knew when to make noise and when to be quiet. Sorry but the fans seemed a lot smarter back then. Yeah you are right the past really means very little in 07. But RFK was louder and opposing fans didn't come in like they do now.

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

In general' date=' I hate these "Everything was better in the old days" arguments. These are generally the last bastion of a scoundrel.

So...let's drop some knowledge:

1. RFK was not a better stadium than FedEx. FedEx has myriad problems but RFK was a pit. It was an ugly, unpleasant stadium with too few seats. The reason we look back at it with fondness is because the teams that played there were good. If we had played in Cleveland Municipal during those years, people would yearn for it. If we had played in a high school stadium, people would yearn for it. If the years at RFK were like the years at FedEx, people would have no fondness for RFK. You don't see any Bengals' fans yearning for Riverfront, do you?

2. People may very well be less patient than they were 20 years ago. I don't know what relevance this has though. Fifteen years should be enough time for a franchise to get its act together. And four years should be enough time for a coach to learn how to orchestrate a two-minute offense. Gibbs gets criticized now because he has a losing record and is no longer the great game-day coach he used to be.

3. Finally, the 1980s are nothing but fond memories at this point. Jason Campbell never saw John Riggins play. We really need to let go of the nostalgia and focus on the future.[/quote']

agreed on all counts. RFK was only good because the team that played in it was so good, the stadium is a hole, ive been going for the past 3 seasons to watch the nats play. obviously its different, but the stadium is still the same: a small rundown hole in a crappy location.

the redskins killed teams in the 80s, so people were willing to put up with some speed bumps every now and then. the last 15 years has been like a roadblock.

wins = fond memories. nothing more, nothing less.

[Brandon Lloyd Christmas]

I have to disagree. RFK was better because the fans knew when to make noise and when to be quiet. Sorry but the fans seemed a lot smarter back then. Yeah you are right the past really means very little in 07. But RFK was louder and opposing fans didn't come in like they do now.

lol at fans being smarter. what a sweeping generalization. you ever think its louder at fedex, just maybe, because theres 30,000 more people? hmm.

[Commander Adama]

No, but having a history of losing for that many years is a factor whether you accept it or not.

In fact, if you don't want to take history into the equation.... then let's cancel out Gibbs' previous Super Bowls..... and how many would think Gibbs would still be here right now if it weren't for them?

I would also say that Gibbs brought us back to the Playoffs his second year back, which is more than any other Coach that came here since Joe Gibbs had left.

[Commander Adama]

2. People may very well be less patient than they were 20 years ago. I don't know what relevance this has though.

Well I thought this was a discussion forum. Oh I get it the acceptable threads are as follows:

1. Bash Gibbs

2. So-and-so should start

3. Power Rankings

4. The game has passed Joe Gibbs by.

5. Articles bashing the Skins

6. We suck

I am sorry I deviated from the "relevant" post topics.