Sociological question about Skins fans in DC

[ddub52]

I was born and raised in south Florida. Im pretty sure that DC doesnt match up when it comes to the amount of transients that pass through.

[33]

When I hear people say that "nobody is actually from DC," I think of all the kids I went to school with, who were from here just as I was.

I'm actually third generation, but alas I no longer live in the area.

I think that the Skins have had a fan base for generations. My grandparents had tickets from before Pearl Harbor. They used to tell me about that infamous game.

I think that's one factor out of many, however. If the NFL wasn't the premier sports league in the U.S. right now we might not be talking about this.

Popularity of the sport, excitement of the franchise going back for years and years, having many big and talented personalities (Baugh, Sonny, Kilmer, Huff, Lombardi, Allen, Riggo, etc.), etc.

I think we also have to factor the viral spread of it. People who don't care about football much become fans and know what's going on because it can be so contagious.

[Gold21]

My personal reason is I am just a football fan. Baseball hasn't been "America's Past Time" in a long time in my eyes. Basketball isn't anywhere like it was back in the days of Bird, Jordan, Magic, and the likes.

I mean seriously, I started to get in to baseball, mostly through video games at first. Then the whole steroid thing struck, I think that pretty much killed baseball. And as far as hockey goes, the strike ruined any hope of me ever becoming a fan of the sport, my uncle however has beocme a huge fan of the caps over recent years. But to go on strike when your making more money then most people to play a game? Stop whining.

Baseball just isn't a popular sport as it once was, It shocks me even more that they can actually afford to pay these players outragous saleries, granted most have other sources of income, but if it was based off soley what you make in a season there is no way A-Rod would ever sign a contract like that.

The chase for the single season homerun record between Sosa and McGuire was great for baseball and even that was deminshed by the whole "steroid" thing from Mac. I mean seriously some of the greatest records of baseball have been tarnished by this, that to me takes the whole nestalga out of the game.

I tried my best to get into basketball, well NBA anyway, college is always fun to watch especially in March. But Basketball, except for your superstars like lebron and the likes, the others just seem to be hangng on to others coat tails, not husting down the floor, sloppy play. It's like "Hey I've gotten where I wanted to now I'm done" type thing.

DC will always, always ALWAYS been home to the Washington Redskins. Seriously, they should have just let Snyder move them back to DC. They would have been far more happy with it in the long run, without a doubt in my mind. The only reason the Nats opening game sold out was mostly because it was just that the very first game in the new park, heck most of themprobably didn't even follow the Nats as closely as the media and the team would like to think.

[SkinsDukes]

It's an interesting question....I'd say we are all fortunate to be involved in the extended family that is Redskins fandom. I think all of us understand innately that the Skins have a special "feel" to them that many other sports teams lack. It's the bond of remembering family times rooting the team on, of going to your first game, or of watching Riggo score the winning TD against the Dolphins.

The Redskins are bigger than all of us, bigger than our everyday lives, and yet they are a part of us...the reason we look forward to Sunday afternoons in the Fall, the reason we are talking football now as Spring comes on. One thing is for certain, I can't imagine how it feels to root for a football team that doesn't have that special feel, fortunately we'll never have to know.

[dfitzo53]

I guess my question would be, is there a city that has a professional football team (or even big time college football team) that supports another professional sports team in their town better than their football team? I just consider the sport of football so dominant that pretty much every town that has a team, supports it better than any other franchise they have. Off the top of my head the only town that might buck the trend is Boston with the Redsox.

It would be interesting to know how this breaks down along sex lines. Speaking only based on my casual observation during my time in northern Indiana, I recall far more female Cubs fans than female Bears fans.

It varies from city to city, and DjTj did a pretty good job of picking out cities where the football team isn't necessarily the favorite. (Although New York splits its attention between two football teams but only one baseball team at the moment.) Which, without intending to hijack the thread, makes me think of another question...how many sports teams have started in New York and moved someplace else?

[#98QBKiller]

I can't pinpoint it exactly but the Skins are king when it comes to DC sports for sure. I would say that it has something to do with Gibbs bringing us the 3 Lombardis but my parents tell me that the Skins were just as popular here before Gibbs.

[Rob Mexico]

To be honest...there is something about the Redskins that just gets people excited. It is a the best sport in the world. I don't think there is a way to explain it.

HAIL!

[C.Taylor]

Of course having 3 championships compared to one in the other sports, but second and most important factor is DC was a blue-collar city for a long time.

When was Washington a blue-collar town?

[chipwhich]

When the Wizards put Michael Jordan on the floor, we sold out every game.

Washington only seems like a bad sports town because our other teams are TERRIBLE.

Caps hold ALMOST every and I mean EVERY BAD Record in hockey history.

The Bullets/Caps have been at the bottom of the barrel for many more years than not/MOST of their history here.

8 games of required attendance in a busy city is not much to ask for.

You put a stud on the court like Michael Jordan, this place would be a basketball mecca.

Just sayin'

[RedskinsNation]

because it's football, the world's greatest sport

baseball and basketball don't even come close, let alone hockey, to touching the greatness of football

EXACTLY.

NFL dwarfs all other sports....furthermore the Redskins have only EIGHT home games vs. 81 in MLB and 41 in NHL/NBA. Eight home games is VERY few....not only that but EVERY game regardless if home or away is almost like a playoff game. One regular season NFL game is 10 times more important than a regular season game in any other sport.

[MintHillSkinsFan]

(Although New York splits its attention between two football teams but only one baseball team at the moment.)

???????? Did you mean one National League(Mets) and one American League(Yankees) team?

[Old Bay]

A lot of very good points so far, but I think part of the issue is coverage. I know most people have cable/satelite now, but I don't. I can't watch any of the other sports really besides football. I actually do like hockey, but besides going to a couple of Caps games this year, I haven't been able to see much outside of ESPN, and even that is very limited. Every week you can expect to see the Redskins on television or on the radio. It's just easier access. I think if you want to truly follow the other sports you have to be very devoted to it, at least in this town.

That exposure helps create the die hard fans. One of my first memories was a Redskins vs. Cowboys game on tv and I have no such memories of any of the other sports.

[RedBeast]

Baseball, Hockey, Basketball, Soccer...whatever...

There is only sport, and in that sport, there is only one team. HAIL SKINS.

Born in Bethesda, lived a bunch of places but I AM A REDSKINS FAN FOR LIFE.

Transient fans? Yea we got 'em, eventually they go home - back to their mamas, where they belong.

'nuf said.

[dfitzo53]

???????? Did you mean one National League(Mets) and one American League(Yankees) team?

No, I actually meant that I'm a dumbass. :doh: :laugh:

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Are the Yankees more popular than the Giants? Maybe.

But consider this: The Yankees don't sell out every game. (Okay. They will sell out every game this year but this is a special case, being the final season of the Stadium and all).

Here is the Yankees average attendance this decade:

2000: 37,956

2001: 40,807

2002: 42,736

2003: 42,785

2004: 47,788

2005: 50,499

2006: 51,858

2007: 52,739

The Giants draw 78,000 to each and every game.

Just sayin'.

Football is a different dynamic.

(And in reality, the team that New York wants to care the most about is the Knicks. But, well, you know. When the Knicks are good, no other team in that city matters).

[Toast20622]

EXACTLY.

NFL dwarfs all other sports....furthermore the Redskins have only EIGHT home games vs. 81 in MLB and 41 in NHL/NBA. Eight home games is VERY few....not only that but EVERY game regardless if home or away is almost like a playoff game. One regular season NFL game is 10 times more important than a regular season game in any other sport.

Also those 8 homes games are usually played on a Sunday afternoon.

[scuppajones]

Personally I think the majority of fans in this area suck. I am a fan of all four DC teams, Redskins, Caps, Wiz, and Nat's. Every single game I go to fans get there late and leave early.

In the 4th quarter of a Skins game tied with 10 minutes to go the fans start filing out.

In the 3rd Period of a Caps game 10 minutes to go scored tied, fans start filing out.

In the 4th quarter of a Wiz game 5 minutes left scored tied, fans start filing out.

In the 7th inning of the Inaugural game of the new Nationals stadium score is 2-1 fans start filing out.

It doesn't make any sense to me, to buy a ticket to a game sit through 75% of it and then leave before you see the conclusion, why even come in the first place?

DC has the worst sports fans of any major city.

[Larry Brown #43]

When the Wizards put Michael Jordan on the floor, we sold out every game.

8 games of required attendance in a busy city is not much to ask for.

You put a stud on the court like Michael Jordan, this place would be a basketball mecca.

But you're proving my initial point here. For this place to become a Wizards town, we had to put Michael Jordan on the floor. And that's a fleeting situation. MJ is no longer here.

As I mentioned in my original post, the Skins could have Heath Shuler at QB, yet support for the Skins remains high. We don't have to have the NFL's version of Michael Jordan on the field for interest in the Skins to be strong.

There are some big cities that DON'T sell out their 8 home NFL games, yet we always do. As another poster mentioned, LA doesn't even seem to want an NFL team.

And it goes beyond mere ticket sales. It's about water-cooler conversations and talk radio. It's not at all unusual to hear Skins talk on the radio in March, for example.

[Larry Brown #43]

Here is the Yankees average attendance this decade:

2000: 37' date='956

2001: 40,807

2002: 42,736

2003: 42,785

2004: 47,788

2005: 50,499

2006: 51,858

2007: 52,739

The Giants draw 78,000 to each and every game.

Just sayin'.

Football is a different dynamic.

[/quote']

Kind of apples and oranges here. The Yankees play 81 home games, while the Giants play 8. I think the Yankees are definitely more a part of the fabric, the conversation, and the blood of that town.

Interest in the Giants rises and falls. But the Yankees are religion up there.

Again, it goes beyond ticket sales. It's about what's discussed in bars, at the dinner tables, at the water coolers, and at the construction sites.

It doesn't make any sense to me, to buy a ticket to a game sit through 75% of it and then leave before you see the conclusion, why even come in the first place?

DC has the worst sports fans of any major city.

I agree that DC sports fans generally are bad, but there are other large cities where the fans are worse. Off the top of my head, Atlanta and Miami sports fans are much worse than DC fans.

Like it or not, the Skins have the longest-running sellout streak in football, dating back to the 60s. We have to get some points for that. And that fact goes back to the original question/premise of this thread.

[Valenski]

C-a-p-s Caps Caps Caps!!!!!

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

Kind of apples and oranges here. The Yankees play 81 home games, while the Giants play 8. I think the Yankees are definitely more a part of the fabric, the conversation, and the blood of that town.

But that wasn't the case in the 80s. The Mets were the more popular team in New York then, because they were the better team with the young stars.

In 1987, the Yankees were almost certainly the number three or four sports conversation in New York as the Mets were outdrawing them by 10,000 a game.

[L30L]

DC United has won 4 MLS titles and plenty of international tournaments.

It's a damn shame most on this site ignores them but can mention the Capitals.

[RFKFedEx]

Tickets are easy to get for most Skins games b/c we have 92,000 seats. If we had 70,000 seats like most NFL stadiums, we wouldn't have have an empty seat problem plaguing the upper deck. On the flip side of that, 70,000 seats would make tickets more expensive and harder to get in the secondary market. DC is a Redskins town and nothing else. Recent championships and the fact that the NFL is king of the world are the main reasons why. I enjoy attending 20 Nats games a year, but only b/c tix are $5, I can easily move to better seats, and baseball is a great passtime until September when FB returns.

IMO Best pro sports scenes per capita of citizens in their respective markets are:

1)Green Bay. Nuff said.

2) St. Louis Cardinals. A baseball town that's as passionate as most good football towns. Nearly everyone in St. Louis is in tune w/the Cards, way more so than the Rams. Also, a non transient population that is not ethnically diverse by big city standards (it's mostly white or black) and consistent success on the field all contribute to St. Louis scene. Can't compare it to NY or Boston b/c there are still many people in those two towns who don't care about baseball.

3) Detroit Red Wings. Never been to a Wing's game but you can see the passion. Cold weather, a winning tradition, a blue collar fan base all contribute. Only a local horrid economy and years of winning are keeping their playoff games from selling out today.

[ronhobie]

The answer to this question is simple. The Redskins play football and the other teams don't.

[Larry Brown #43]

DC United has won 4 MLS titles and plenty of international tournaments.

It's a damn shame most on this site ignores them but can mention the Capitals.

The NHL is somewhat of a niche league, but MLS is much more so. The league has been in existence for what, 10 or 15 years? The NHL has been around for 91 years, and the Stanley Cup is considered by some to be the most storied trophy in all of sports.

I think that's what it comes down to, to be honest. Granted, the Caps have never won a cup, but I think the league the Caps play in has a lot more credibility than MLS does.

Until MLS establishes more history and credibility, I think most will continue to lump DC United in with the likes of the Washington Mystics.

And I'm not bashing soccer as a sport. I actually like some soccer. For example, I really enjoy the World Cup. My mother is from Ireland, and I dig Irish soccer (Eircom League).

What I'm saying has more to do with the leagues in question than the sports in question.