Redskins fighters shooting a UFO with lasers?

[Hubbs]

I'm excited about the new screens. They look great, and the operators did a good job in their first real test. I very much appreciate the organization's attempts to make games more fan-friendly. They're definitely steps in the right direction.

However....

The fact remains that there's a difference between what the PR guys are doing an how they're doing it. And, honestly, a lot of the "how they're doing it" part induced more than a few cringes in my section last night. Nothing was as bad as the fighter animation they showed before each half. People who were at the game will know what I was talking about. Corny beyond corny. On top of that, before nearly every replay they would first flash a graphic describing the replay that would cheer on what had just happened in the same manner that parents would cheer on their nine-year-old playing in a PeeWee game. "Great run!" "What a play!" "Amazing!" Really? Is this football or Bring It On VII?

I know, I know. I'm nitpicking. This is all small potatoes. But if we're gonna do this, I'd like to do it right. A huge cheese factor isn't doing it right.

[McD5]

The video you are referring to is an attempt to create what Bruce Allen brought to Tampa:

The Bucs of course, have easier visuals to work with. Without offending a segment of the population, I'm not sure what the Skins can do to compare to what the Bucs have.

I definitely welcome that change. If you have ever seen a Bucs game live, compared to a game at Fed Ex in the last decade, the difference has been palpable. The fans get loud there in Tampa. And just like in Washington, they too have an open air stadium. Little differences like that video, or the song Crazy Train on the opening kickoff can make a large difference in crowd noise.

The next major visual change you are likely to see in Fed Ex is charitable banners all over the stadium, as Allen brought to Tampa. He takes charity and the community seriously. I'm not talking about serving turkey on Thanksgiving. I mean real charity and community involvement. Warrick Dunn is a great example.

In Tampa, much of the lower bowl is plastered with huge banners for current players on the team. To earn such a banner, there is a financial charitable requirement. I believe it is $50k or $75k per player, per season.

In the past, we have had players skipping out on multiple autograph sessions. In Tampa, they have rookies donating $50k and up to community charities. It's a large difference.

That bonds the city to the players. Allen is huge on that. He will upgrade the entire gameday experience, and how the city views its team(not Dan's team.)

[Capt. Kaos]

I really liked the Redskins fighters blowing up the Bills UFO.

As far as the "Great Play" - "What a Run" animations before the replay I didnt see anything wrong with those either.

I think some people forget that this experience is supposed to be entertaining, that not every fan in the seats is a 40 something male that knows the game of football like the back of their hand. My 13 yr. old enjoyed the animations, all of them especially the "Get Loud ..... Louder" one.

[spjunkies]

Show a few Indians shooting buffalo's with bows and arrows DUH...... wait.

[Hubbs]

The video you are referring to is an attempt to create what Bruce Allen brought to Tampa:

The Bucs of course, have easier visuals to work with. Without offending a segment of the population, I'm not sure what the Skins can do to compare to what the Bucs have.

I definitely welcome that change. If you have ever seen a Bucs game live, compared to a game at Fed Ex in the last decade, the difference has been palpable. The fans get loud there in Tampa. And they also have an open air stadium. Little differences like that video, or the song Crazy Train on the opening kickoff can make a difference in fan participiation.

That's the thing. They're pirates. A pirate animation makes sense. We're supposed to be Native American warriors. If we can't come up with an animation that's P.C. enough, then we could use a CGI Redskin-logoed football player (like the actual Buccaneer in that video) and have him tackle opposing player animations at landmarks around the city or something. But fighters shooting lasers at a goofy-looking UFO? If you're gonna defend that, then you'd have to defend pretty much any combination of nouns picked out of a hat and turned into an animation.

I agree with what you say about the Tampa fan experience as a whole, by the way. I've been to games at FedEx, M&T Bank, and Raymond James, and RJ was by far the best. But it wasn't the best just because they threw any idea at the wall and tried to make them all stick. It was the best because it all fit together, it all made sense within a theme. Nothing we're doing fit together beyond the fact that it was covered in as much burgundy and gold as possible.

[WSHRedskins3ATLBraves3]

The video you are referring to is an attempt to create what Bruce Allen brought to Tampa:

That is the worst intro video I've ever seen.

I like what we have done with the highlights and background music. An entire animation like that would not get me fired up at all.

Does anyone else remember the highlights we would run and then at the end, they would show the clip from Gladiator where Russell Crowe would say "On my signal, unleash Hell"? That got me hyped.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQxMggqkSoc

It's at 1:25 in this video.

[SonnyandSam]

I found the Redskins jets and UFO intro pretty corny, also. I am hoping that it was a test run and they are saving something special for opening night against the cowgirls.

Consider they have not had more than a few weeks to put things together. I don't know how long the new stadium video crew have been under contract.

The OP is nitpicking....let's give them a few games to get to know the new system before we complain too loudly.

[McD5]

That's the thing. They're pirates. A pirate animation makes sense. We're supposed to be Native American warriors. If we can't come up with an animation that's P.C. enough, then we could use a CGI Redskin-logoed football player (like the actual Buccaneer in that video) and have him tackle opposing player animations at landmarks around the city or something.

I agree with what you say about the Tampa fan experience as a whole, by the way. I've been to games at FedEx, M&T Bank, and Raymond James, and RJ was by far the best.

Well he is trying to create something similiar in DC. As you said, he is kind of limited to what he can do based upon our team name. He will come up with something though. Nations' capital....fighter planes...it was a first effort without showing actual war footage that people would object to.

And I don't believe it is a wild coincidence that after hearing it rumored for so many years, that the jumbotrons finally got installed shortly after he arrived.

He has a lot of pr work to do, to overcome the decade of nickeling and diming from Snyder. He has to change the entire perception of the team.

[McD5]

That is the worst intro video I've ever seen.

It's actually a great video, that encompasses many elements. Including the local area--the gulf.

At the end of that video, the pirate ship inside the stadium also shoots off loud bursts like cannonballs would make.

It gets people fired up and rowdy. Then crank Crazy Train, and you can barely hear yourself think.

Good way to start a game.

[hail2skins]

I did like the video prior to the Skins players being introduced, with the emphasis on tying the team back to the city. "We Are Washington!" Hell yeah!

[Hubbs]

Consider they have not had more than a few weeks to put things together. I don't know how long the new stadium video crew have been under contract.

They started construction on the screens the day after last season ended, which means they knew they were coming before then. They've had a while to put an animation together.

[Redskins Anonymous]

The video you are referring to is an attempt to create what Bruce Allen brought to Tampa:

The Bucs of course, have easier visuals to work with. Without offending a segment of the population, I'm not sure what the Skins can do to compare to what the Bucs have.

I definitely welcome that change. If you have ever seen a Bucs game live, compared to a game at Fed Ex in the last decade, the difference has been palpable. The fans get loud there in Tampa. And just like in Washington, they too have an open air stadium. Little differences like that video, or the song Crazy Train on the opening kickoff can make a large difference in crowd noise.

The next major visual change you are likely to see in Fed Ex is charitable banners all over the stadium, as Allen brought to Tampa. He takes charity and the community seriously. I'm not talking about serving turkey on Thanksgiving. I mean real charity and community involvement. Warrick Dunn is a great example.

In Tampa, much of the lower bowl is plastered with huge banners for current players on the team. To earn such a banner, there is a financial charitable requirement. I believe it is $50k or $75k per player, per season.

In the past, we have had players skipping out on multiple autograph sessions. In Tampa, they have rookies donating $50k and up to community charities. It's a large difference.

That bonds the city to the players. Allen is huge on that. He will upgrade the entire gameday experience, and how the city views its team(not Dan's team.)

You must not have been there the last few seasons. Raymond James is an empty amusement park. Always hated that place; always will. (as somebody who pays the taxes to build that pewter piece of crap, i reserve the right to laugh at it.)

But it is a COMPLETELY different stadium. For example Raymond James holds something like 65k whereas fedex seasts 92,000. The pirate ship is cheezy, hollywood-wannabe (aka Orlando) makebelieve. Due to the fact that Tampa is a joke of a city, it has 1/1000000000000000000000000 the traffic as DC. To think you would compare such a fairweather fanbase with the Redskins faithful is laughable. IF it wasn't for that stupid pirate ship, half the drunk crowd would fail to notice they got into the redzone.

Sorry, I get that it's a nice stadium, but I have never felt it was this mecca of football. It is the Titans' stadium with a pirate ship in the endzone. woohoo...

I get the comparison because he came from Tampa, but they did that lame stuff before him.

you are 100% correct though about the fan experience carrying over to the players. That has always failed to translate at fedex, but then again it was plenty loud in 1999 at the playoff game. It was plenty loud when we beat Dallas to go the playoffs in 2007. Bottom line - we have to win. Redskins fans don't want gimmicks half as much as we want wins. We would watch this team play in the middle of the Sahara if it meant they kicked Dallas' ass.

[McD5]

then we could use a CGI Redskin-logoed football player (like the actual Buccaneer in that video) and have him tackle opposing player animations at landmarks around the city or something.

This idea of yours may work. I'm not huge on the futuristic element of it either. But unless they want to copy FSU's entrance, the options of showing indians in battle are limited.

[McD5]

Sorry, I get that it's a nice stadium, but I have never felt it was this mecca of football. It is the Titans' stadium with a pirate ship in the endzone. woohoo...

I get the comparison because he came from Tampa, but they did that lame stuff before him.

I'm not talking so much about the fans, as just the stadium. It at least has a theme to it. And people get rowdy. It's an event.

Compared to what was the empty, corporate feel of Fed Ex, it's a lot better. My God, we just got real jumbotrons for the first time. One of the wealthiest sports franchises on earth, and we can't even spring for a HD jumbotron? Come on. And let's hope they show scores from other games on it, as opposed to trying to charge people.

Major, major macro changes need to be made to this entire organization, and in how it has treated its fans.

Allen will take care of that. This is just one part.

[Redskins Anonymous]

I'm not talking so much about the fans, as just the stadium. It at least has a theme to it. And people get rowdy. It's an event.

Compared to was the empty, corporate feel of Fed Ex, it's a lot better. My God, we just got real jumbotrons for the first time. One of the wealthiest sports frandhises on earth, and we can't even spring for a HD jumbotron? Come on. And let's hope they show scores from other games on it, as opposed to trying to charge people.

Major, major macro changes need to be made to this entire organization, and in how it has treated its fans.

Allen will take care of that.

totally agree. Bruce Allen gets it on many levels. The HD jumbotron is sweet and way overdue. But what I notice is that people wax poetic about RFK not because it was a nice place but because it is where we won. We have to claim our house. Allen knows what RFK was like. He will reclaim it.

I still say the RayJay blows, but I see why people like it. It's just that I don't think Redskins fans need some guy shooting off flaming tomahawks everytime we get in the redzone/score. We invented that game; it's called HTTR!

[Chase M]

It's a pre-season video, no need to worry.

As for the Dallas Vs. Redskins Opeaning day video it's a no brainer.

There going to show a classic, Guns Vs Bows battle/montage of our rivalary throwing in some clips with McNabb vs Tony Hom...I mean Romo sits to pee.

Butt Im in Florida so it's not like I'll get to see it anyway

[McD5]

totally agree. Bruce Allen gets it on many levels. The HD jumbotron is sweet and way overdue. But what I notice is that people wax poetic about RFK not because it was a nice place but because it is where we won. We have to claim our house. Allen knows what RFK was like. He will reclaim it.

You hit the nail on the head here. RFK had personality. Bouncing, unsafe bleachers these days would unfortunately equal lawuits. But they were awesome.

RJ also has personality. Not to mention incredibly hot cheerleaders whose clothing coordinator feels that they have to compete on some level with Mons just down the road.

Now it's time for Fed Ex to get some personality and character.

[Redskins Anonymous]

You hit the nail on the head here. RFK had personality. Bouncing, unsafe bleachers these days would unfortunately equal lawuits. But they were awesome.

RJ also has personality. Not to mention incredibly hot cheerleaders whose clothing coordinator feels that feel they have to compete on some level with Mons just down the road.

Now it's time for Fed Ex to get some personality and character.

:ols:Mons Venus cost us Super Bowl XVIII from what I hear. (It could also have been that the Raiders just destroyed us...)I heard Riggins was swimming in the pool at the hotel naked singing, "I'm popeye the sailor man." This is Tampa lore not Redskins'. But it's interesting the rumors about that game.

[HA1LV1CT0RY]

I personally liked the intro with the fighter planes.. I'm a fan of aviation in general, so there may be some bias there.

I also thought all the other animations to get you pumped were cool. Definitely beats the hell out of the crap we had before.

[Soup]

I have to disagree completely... My little cousin went to the game and the thing he kept on telling me was the redskins planes on the big screen.

Just remember its not just a game for 20-30 year olds

[Redskins Anonymous]

I have to disagree completely... My little cousin went to the game and the thing he kept on telling me was the redskins planes on the big screen.

Just remember its not just a game for 20-30 year olds

True, but we had the world's biggest lightbrite before. What more could they want?

[ACW]

:ols:Mons Venus cost us Super Bowl XVIII from what I hear. (It could also have been that the Raiders just destroyed us...)I heard Riggins was swimming in the pool at the hotel naked singing, "I'm popeye the sailor man." This is Tampa lore not Redskins'. But it's interesting the rumors about that game.

I could see Riggins doing that

[Redskins Anonymous]

I could see Riggins doing that

I don't want to believe it, but I could see him doing that, too. Maybe it's just a better mental image to think that a strip bar cost us that game than to think that the Raiders just beat the crap out of us. It was Mons Venus; that's what I keep telling myself - especially when they talk about dynasties or the team of the eighties. It was Mons Venus...

[ACW]

I don't want to believe it, but I could see him doing that, too. Maybe it's just a better mental image to think that a strip bar cost us that game than to think that the Raiders just beat the crap out of us. It was Mons Venus; that's what I keep telling myself - especially when they talk about dynasties or the team of the eighties. It was Mons Venus...

Well, that and Marcus Allen.But man, Allen was a BEAST that postseason.

[SkinsHokieFan]

Fedex can get very very loud.

You just need 90,000 VT fans jumping to "Enter Sandman"

Boom. Great entrance, crank up enter sandman after a cool highlight video, everyone jumps up and down

Just wait till you hear how loud it is on September 6th. Hopefully us Redskins fans can step it up 1 week later and beat that noise

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