WP: Michael Wilbon- Fan Depreciation

[Aghar]

I'm growing very tired of this crap against Skins fans. I was there, and yes I was disappointed. Not nearly as much in that as the fact that our HOME team gave the Steelers fans something to cheer about ALL GAME LONG! There are plenty of other teams with stadiums that hold alot of fans, and plenty see their fair share of opposing fans invade their territory. It is up to the TEAM, to keep those opposing fans quiet, and get their own fans involved in a game with a good performance.

I think the only reason this is a factor was because the Steelers fans make themselves look big with waving the towels. I was at Giants stadium last year, after a snow storm, when it was -whatever wind chill. The Giants fans ALL left after halftime and left the stadium only half full. Half full of Redskins fans!! Hear anything about that? Not really. Hear about how the Giants fans were booing Eli and Jacobs? Not really. Hear about how they were chanting for "The Hefty Lefty" right before halftime? Not really.

Get over it. It was one game and the media has made it into a spectacle like it has never happened any other time or any other team.

So, next Sunday night, as always our fans will be loud as hell to start the game. If the team plays well and does what they can do to the Cowpukes, our fans will get louder, and louder, and louder. And last Mon. night will be a distant memory. If they lay an egg on the field, expect more of the same. And if the players say ,"It pisses me off", how about earning those millions and give your fans something to cheer for?:2cents:

Hail!

[WhoRUSupposed2Be]

I don't think there will be more Dallas fans than there was Pittsburgh fans this next game. Monday night was a "Perfect Storm". Everyone knows how much traffic sucks on a mid-week game, and people know that if they sell their tickets, they will get way more than face-value for them. I went to the Bears game last year on Thursday night (which in my opinion did not have as many people there as this steelers game) and it took me over 4 hours to get there, when I am coming from Reston.

Perfect Storm Points:

At least 2+ hours commute for most anyone (meaning most people won't get home till no earlier than 1 am).

The Election was the very next day and most people had to get up earlier than normal to vote and have it not impact their normal work day. Some voting lines were at least 2 hours in some places.

The Steelers have not played at Redskins Stadium for a home game in 22 years. And as naive as some people are, they do have a bigger fan base in D.C. than most people would think. They are willing to spend $150 for a ticket in the $400, while a Skins fan is not because they would rather see a division rival game on a Sunday.

I would be VERY surprised if the Dallas game is similar to this game. I know I will be there in Section 418! HTTR

Very nice explanation and I did not take the election into consideration.

[FedexFieldInsider]

Anyone who chose to sat at home has no right to call out the fans who were at the stadium for not being loud. We weren't the problem. You were.

I woke up at 4:30am and was at work at 5:30am. I got off at 2:30pm, went home and got changed. I left for the game around 4:30pm and stayed until 0:00 was left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Then, I had to sit in the Orange lot's mess of a traffic jam trying to get out while Steelers fans walked past our car rubbing it in. I didn't get home until about 3:00am, and then had to wake up and go to work again the next day. I refuse to hear any other fans excuses on why they couldn't go.

[RedskinsNation]

WE Score, WE Stop the other Team on D and WE WIN then the opposing teams fans shut up and there arent 48 threads about them hooting and hollering and Wilbons pudgy self doesnt have another chance to display his Washington DC sports HATRED that has been long known but few admit he holds.

Its really simple.

Its a shame that the Steelers sent this area, the media and the fanbase into a frenzy.

Dont people realize that the Steelers TAKE OVER every stadium in which they play?

Its not just a FEDEX thing.

[elkabong82]

Too bad all the Skins fans who showed up for the HOF couldn't give the same showing on Monday night. We do have a strong fanbase, but we really let the ball drop on this one. Those of you looking to blame the team after the loss also need to be blaming the fans, cuz they didn't give much of a showing either.

[JC#17]

I highly doubt that Fed Ex will be run over by Cowboy fans considering its a division game and a rivalry.

Some people can't make it to every home game, get over it. Skins fans do have other things going on in their lives other than the Redskins.

I sold my Steelers tickets to Redskins fans, but season ticket holders can due whatever they like with their tickets, they certainly aren't cheap.

[Rocky21]

If anyone (elitist Mike Wilbon) thinks there are fans of the Cowboys who are coming to the game next week because the owner of the Redskins 40 years ago was a bigot is delusional.

The Redskins have the largest African American fan base in the league.

Wilbon is a fool. See text in my sig.

[War Paint]

I wish we had a new stadium, like a new version of RFK.

[Stugein]

I wish we had a new stadium, like a new version of RFK.

Then we could all look forward to PSLs and even less real fans would be able to afford tickets.

[SKOALSKIN]

Great article.

I have never, ever been so ashamed of our "fan"base as I was Monday night. That was absolutely disgusting.

I wouldnt place the blaim on the fan base. The fact is Snyders run over the past 6-7 years has turned a lot of people off. FedEx at 90k is simply too big for an NFL stadium. The payoff for having a smaller stadium (as pointed out by wilbon) is a higher demand for tix and also a better atmosphere to watch a game.

There are 63,000 registered fans on this board. If we filled the stadium with all of us that would still leave roughly 27,000 available seats. There are two ways for this to change. 1. The team needs to continue to produce a good product to drive up a desire to attend games. 2. They need a new stadium. We know the latter isn't likely to happen in the next 10 years.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

One thing that seems to be unsaid, is that there are STEELER fans who have SEASON tickets. Yes, this is true. Why? Probably because there are so many Pittsburgh area transplants in this area, and many of them - coming from the AFC and rarely playing Washington - actually root for the Skins in the NFC.

No chance. If they are Steelers fans with season tickets to the Redskins, then they are not good Steelers fans. I would guess that Pittsburgh and Washington play at the same time 10-12 times every season. Why would you have tickets to another team that prevents you from watching your team?

[Da Truth]

Bottom line, there was a rack of pittsburgh fans there because there are alot in this area

Folks sold there tickets partly due to how bad rush-hour be here during the week

Seems like it will always be a problem for Monday night joints..we have good fans man

[WhoRUSupposed2Be]

Anyone who chose to sat at home has no right to call out the fans who were at the stadium for not being loud. We weren't the problem. You were.

I woke up at 4:30am and was at work at 5:30am. I got off at 2:30pm, went home and got changed. I left for the game around 4:30pm and stayed until 0:00 was left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Then, I had to sit in the Orange lot's mess of a traffic jam trying to get out while Steelers fans walked past our car rubbing it in. I didn't get home until about 3:00am, and then had to wake up and go to work again the next day. I refuse to hear any other fans excuses on why they couldn't go.

Well, the vast majority who sit at home or attend to bars are ones who can not afford them. Myself included!

[westcoasthog]

Good article...and I definetely agree about the all burgundy uniforms...weak!

[BuryYourDuke]

Great article. He's right. The games, especially the night games, have become miserable.

[dreamboater]

And there is no possible way Dan is going to build a smaller stadium. I know he wants to win but something tells me he likes to make money too.

[wvuskinsfan]

i went to the game and still made it to work on time, didnt seem to bother the 15k steeler fans who were there. Granted most of them didnt come from pittsburgh last night so when people all ways brag how they travel when they really don't. Skins fans for the most part when it comes down to it do travel from the dc to see the team recent example detriot this year 10k skins fans is what i heard.

The day after the grave first thing my dad said was no way that happens in rfk, to rowdy and to hostile for other teams fans for that to go down. Then i thought that my grandfather is probally turning in his grave about monday, he was the biggest skins fan i knew he liked the team way back in the 50's. My dad hates going to games now b/c its not the same experience like it used to and he looks like as hassel some times to go with how much and the problems with the worst located stadium you could have, As for wilbon crying about fans being drunk and rowdy and swearing, it happens everywere and it happend at rfk, the vet, three rivers all those old stadiums back then. The problem seems to be is people are raising some kids to soft, kids are going to learn to swear big deal. College games are way worse any way and at wvu games or most no one cares if kids are around

[hail2skins]

Again, decent article by Wilbon, but I think some of the points in his article tend to be exaggerated:

1) Size of the stadium: As I mentioned in other posts, sure, there are 92K seats, but maybe about 70K (including the 8K obstructed views added by Snyder) are general admission seats. The rest, if I'm correct, are premium (club/loge/suite/dream) seats. Most of the newer stadiums are probably around 60K gen admission and about 7-8K premium. I can see a lot of premium seats being put up for sale online and gobbled up by Steeler fans, but there were also a lot of Steeler fans in the uppers and lowers, which I assume are largely held by individual owners, although perhaps a good number are also owned by companies or government......I don't know.

2) Traffic and drunken behavior: The complaints about traffic is something I can't understand. The solution is to plan ahead and get to the stadium early. As for after the game, my mom and I usually stay until the final gun, and wind up getting to New Carrollton to drop her off at the train by 5. Then I zip onto 50 to the city and onto 95 and am usually home by 6. Sure, we crawl a little getting out of the lot, but with 90K folks there, what do you expect? As far the behavior with the alcohol and language, I know its been publicized in recent years, and indeed this season we've had two instances of people vomiting nearby in my club section and have witnessed two near-fights in the next section over. But is it really that prevalent in the stadium? The behavior that makes me the most upset are the clueless dolts who choose to walk in front of you while play is ongoing. At Monday night's game, after Campbell threw his first INT and we challenged it, there was like at least a five minute period while the officials reviewed. And some dope, who had already been up and down at least five separate times already, decides to get up right after the challenge is over and play had resumed.

As far as the excuses about traffic, elections, etc being bandied about for why people sold their tickets.......well, those factors didn't seem to be an inconvenience for the multitude of Steeler fans who showed up, the large majority of which I'm sure have jobs and who intended to vote the next day.

I'm just wondering how many tickets are sold by season-ticket holders on a regular basis, and if most times they're purchased by Skins fans, but Monday night was an exception due to the big Pitt contingent either in the immediate area or within driving distance. In any event, it just seems to me like, if Wilbon is correct, even season-ticket holders don't want to come to the games because of this perceived inconvenience. If they can't drive to Landover from, say, Fairfax in 30 minutes, its not worth it to them. They only want it to be a 1 pm to 4 pm experience.......hell, look at how empty the upper deck usually is at game time. Anyway, I think its too bad, and doesn't speak very highly of the ticket-holding part of the fanbase.

[Taylorfan2179]

I've been disgusted with fans at fedex for awhile, this article is dead on. Every game I have been to in the last 5 years I stand and scream on every down we are on D, Every single game I'm asked to sit down and typically its on third down! People go to the games like they are baseball games, next game I go to if someone asks me to sit down on third down Im just going to tell em to f off and stand up. Pathetic fans.

[Larry Brown #43]

I'm just wondering how many tickets are sold by season-ticket holders on a regular basis, and if most times they're purchased by Skins fans, but Monday night was an exception due to the big Pitt contingent either in the immediate area or within driving distance.

I think there's some merit to this line here. I'd say many season ticket holders do sell their tickets regularly, but usually it's Skins fans gobbling up those seats, so we don't really notice it.

This time, the Skins fans had to compete with a rabid fan base for the same tickets, and we saw what happened.

I think the same thing is going on with the upcoming Skins game at Baltimore. Fans of both teams are trying to get tickets, and the prices are going through the roof as a result. But you just wait and see...there will be a tremendous Skins contingent at that game. And that's not a knock on Ravens fans necessarily...it's just that they're competing with Skins fans to get tickets to the same game. I'm guessing it will be at least 25% Skins fans in Baltimore for that game.

[twobags95]

Again to anyone that sold thier ticket to a Steeler fan. Don't come back to FedEx. Those of us that lose our voice week in and week out don't want your help!

[SkinsNumberOne]

No chance. If they are Steelers fans with season tickets to the Redskins, then they are not good Steelers fans. I would guess that Pittsburgh and Washington play at the same time 10-12 times every season. Why would you have tickets to another team that prevents you from watching your team?

There are a lot of fans who really like live sports and will root for a team they like and watch live in lieu of sitting at home and watching their more favorite team every week.

I think there are more than a few Steeler fans in this category. Granted, my sense of how many there are is vague, but the fact that they exist has to be true; a Steeler fan behind me in the lower level said it himself. He didn't say he was a Redskin fan, but he did imply he was a season ticket holder. I didn't engage him in conversation because I was obviously a bit moody. Watching your team get trounced does that.

[jasjhughes]

What is happening is the Redskins ticket office has thousands upon thousands of tickets they sell on an individual game basis. Most of these seats don't sell for crappy games like AZ, NO and St.L.

However, most those tickets do sell for premium opponents like Dallas and Pitt., thus you really notice the opposing fans.

Places like Philly and Dallas where there are only 65,000 seats, most of which belong to season ticket holders who attend the games.

The first part's true enough, (I got suite seats for $99 against StL) but I have been able to get tickets in Dallas about a dozen times, often for less than face, and had no problem getting tickets in Phillie this year.

[da#1skinsfan]

I've been disgusted with fans at fedex for awhile, this article is dead on. Every game I have been to in the last 5 years I stand and scream on every down we are on D, Every single game I'm asked to sit down and typically its on third down! People go to the games like they are baseball games, next game I go to if someone asks me to sit down on third down Im just going to tell em to f off and stand up. Pathetic fans.

Totally agreed. Thats what I do every time...turn around and say no, this is a football game, YOU stand up.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

There are a lot of fans who really like live sports and will root for a team they like and watch live in lieu of sitting at home and watching their more favorite team every week.

I think there are more than a few Steeler fans in this category. Granted, my sense of how many there are is vague, but the fact that they exist has to be true; a Steeler fan behind me in the lower level said it himself. He didn't say he was a Redskin fan, but he did imply he was a season ticket holder. I didn't engage him in conversation because I was obviously a bit moody. Watching your team get trounced does that.

I'm sure they exist, but they have to make up the vast, vast minority of the fans who attended the game on Monday night.

The point is, even if 100 of those "Steeler" fans who miss most Steeler games to watch the Redskins at FedEx Field actually exist, then about 20,000 Redskin fans still sold their tickets to Steeler fans for Monday's game. And that is the main point.