For longstanding Redskins fans, is the thrill gone?

[greenspandan]

my earliest memories of my life are of watching Super Bowl XVII with my dad.  So I've been a fan since about 1983, literally as long as I can remember.

 

last season was probably the roughest for me.  it was the first time in 30 years that i intentionally didn't watch a game (falcons).  the product on the field was such utter miserable garbage in every phase (save for a tiny handful such as garcon, morris, kerrigan and sometimes hall) that i just couldnt see the point of watching.  i did watch the last two, just because i was rooting for garcon to break monk's record (why not).  i've never cared less about the outcome of a regular season game.

 

this coming season, i think there is a lot to look forward to! 

 

which i guess goes to show some people never learn.  sigh.

 

it's taken a LOT of disappointment over the years, but yes i have to say it is finally taking its toll.  i may have reached the point where the hope is not nearly as bright, anticipation not nearly as sharp, as it usually is this time of year.

[Dub70s]

Never...........!

 

I wil stick by them as long as they represent the DMV as the Redskins or whatever. Whether up or down year....I wear my colors!!!!!!

[Braxford]

Been a fan since I was five years old and will be till I die. I get up for every season, because that is the nature of being a fan or a player. Its the nature of sport. I have seen rough years, Super Bowl years, and pretty good years. Being a fan is not my life, but it is a huge part of my life. I love to hear good news about players improving, hearing about good things in their life. I feel for players when they get injured or have negative things occur in their lives. Being a fan is like being on a roller coaster but so is life. Ups and downs, and anything can happen. That is why when the Skins do well it is great because I feel like I am a part of the team. Rooting them on and standing with them while overcoming all the challenges in football to succeed. Sure that might sound corny, but that is me being a fan. To anyone who is down on the team, I totally get it. Just think of how great it will feel when the team succeeds and you are there to support it. In it for the long haul!

HTTR!

[pjfootballer]

The "thrill" gets less and less with every passing year.  I can remember a time when the Redskins were not doing so well, but I had my other teams (O's, Caps and Bullets) to fall back on.  I could count on at least 2 of my big 4 to be playing well.  Not so much anymore. Seems like the past 20+ years, all I get are 1st and 2nd round playoff exits from all my teams. Other than the 98 Capitals Stanley Cup run, I have only a mere Maryland Terps 2002 NCAA BB title. It's been a rough 20 years.  I still root for my teams, but the thrill has certainly wore down in the last 20 seasons.

[Inigo Montoya]

No way for me, I'm excited every year for each and every game... I watched every minute of every terrible game last year. I was pissed I couldn't finish watching the KC demolition because CBS moved to a more competitive game, or maybe it was against the Eagles (or both).

 

It's not fair, because i don't give anything else in my life this much leeway!!!

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

I'm 40, and it's entirely possible that I'm burned out on football in general. I think there is just too damn much of it. And it's not as violent as it used to be. Except when it is entirely too violent and I feel bad for watching it.

[hail2skins]

I'm 40, and it's entirely possible that I'm burned out on football in general. I think there is just too damn much of it. And it's not as violent as it used to be. Except when it is entirely too violent and I feel bad for watching it.

LKB, great point which has nothing to do with the Skins W-L record over the past 20 years, and more along the lines is that due to the rule changes and (understandable) concern for player safety that its pretty easy for one to have a more jaded view than before. Seems like any kind of big hit is going to get flagged and the lack of fundamentals displayed on the field when it comes to tackling is appalling.

 

The NFL is always going to be somewhat special due to the relative "finite-ness" of the product with each team only playing once per week, but you can't help wonder where its going with the expanded playoffs where 8-8 teams making it may be more of a common occurrence. Seems like it'll make the regular season product a little less special.

[skinsmarydu]

Imo, it goes back to fundamental tackling instead of knocking the snot out of someone.  I'd appreciate the effort a runner has to make with a LB hanging on, trying to pull him down rather than having the LB fly out of the air/off the ground intending to hurt.   

The hits are awesome, but there's a difference in a knockdown and a knockout(attempt). 

(It may just be a sentimental thing for us older folks.)

 

HTTR!

[Hail4Life]

No way, passion has not died and I feel like a kid on Christmas morning every Sunday the Redskins are playing and I've been a diehard fan for almost 30 years.  Even though the Shanahan experiment was overall a failure the 2012 season as well as the additions of Kerrigan, RG3, Al Mo, Rak, Reed, DJ and Coach Gruden over the past few seasons I feel that there is a lot to be excited about and we finally have some exciting players.

 

There have been seasons where I wanted to quit but I couldn't no matter how terrible they were, the very next Sunday I was super excited for kickoff!  I just love this team and there is nothing in the world that compares to the excitement, interest, and passion I have for this team on gameday.

 

Hence my name Hail 4 Life!

[SWFLSkins]

I hear you. I used to punch things when we lost. Nowadays I just shake my head and say "we suck". Which we do, consistently

I think part of it is the franchise and part of it is getting older and realizing how dumb caring deeply about football really is

 

 

The best part is having someone who used to work you over after a loss knowing you were an easy target get stunned because you were already on to doing something else right after the game, like yard work. lol. I had this occur a few times last year, they were stunned I wasn't pissed off, half drunk and going to let it wreck my week. I would say some of that is getting older and mostly it is as you said, realizing footballs overall importance in real life terms. I however have not lost hope, faith and fandom that the team will be good again, sooner rather than later. 

[AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy]

No.  The thrill be never be gone.  I love me some football.

[wysknz1]

I'll tell you what's taking a toll on me as far as football's concerned, the incessant commercials. I'm to the point I can barely sit through a game. I hate hate hate the commercials and the amount of them. Especially a game I am moderately interested in.The first commercial and I'm out. The game of football in general is just losing it for me. Also too many opinions and too much scrutinizing and second guessing of everything. Over analyzing etc etc.

 

But OK, once the season starts I'm on board.

[DaGoonie55]

Nope.  Every fan of every team feels what we feel now at some point or another.  It wasn't long ago that the Patriots, Broncos, 49ers, and the Seahawks were the cellar dwellers of the NFL. 

 

I'm just waiting for us to catch lightning in a bottle.  We've seen how dominant our team can be when everything is clicking and how poor we look when nothing is going right. It'll come together at some point.  I'm in this for the long haul.

 

There is nothing like watching our team play on Sunday with my peeps.  The whole family decked out in BnG, bellies full of good food, full of anticipation. 

 

Each season brings new hopes.  For most, each season ends in sadness.  For that team that puts it all together, they bask in the sunlight.  Will it be us this year?  Was 2012 a fluke?  We will soon know the answers.

 

Stay patient, Redskins faithful, we will return to greatness. 

 

Hail.

[fearlessNelms]

Been a fan for over 40 years, so I've obviously been through the good, bad and ugly. When the Skins are relevant and doing well, it adds a little spark to your every day life. I'm in a better overall mood, I pop out of bed with a little more energy and most of all, the holiday's are more enjoyable when the Skins are in the hunt. With that said, I'm to the point where I want my son-- who is 15 and a huge fan-- to experience the Skins as perennial contenders more so than I care for myself. The kid has gotten some cheap thrills in 2005, '07 and '12, but he has seen mostly dogs of teams and he never wavers. He sits and watches every game with me no matter what and wears his gear proudly every Monday no matter what.

 

Hope for the Skins always springs eternal in this household and though I do have my serious doubts that a run like they had from '82-'92 will not be seen again in my lifetime, the flame still burns and the Skins are still must see T.V. for me.

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

It's just different for me.

Skins are my favorite team but I'm just so prone to expecting spectacular awfulness that I'm a little more apathetic

Yeah we got Desean and odds are that our ST can't possibly be as bad as last year but I expect some calamity to happen by week 3.

I'm actually becoming a bigger overall sports fans as a result. I used to only really watch my teams games but now i enjoy the sport now

[Bubble Screen]

I'll tell you what's taking a toll on me as far as football's concerned, the incessant commercials. I'm to the point I can barely sit through a game. I hate hate hate the commercials and the amount of them. Especially a game I am moderately interested in.The first commercial and I'm out. The game of football in general is just losing it for me. Also too many opinions and too much scrutinizing and second guessing of everything. Over analyzing etc etc.

But OK, once the season starts I'm on board.

No offense, but blaming commercials as a reason for not watching, is silly.

Invest in Sunday Ticket. Switch to other games. Change channel to Redzone. Check on fantasy team. Heck, just DVR game and speed through commercials. Problem solved.

[Bubble Screen]

I'm 40, and it's entirely possible that I'm burned out on football in general. I think there is just too damn much of it. And it's not as violent as it used to be. Except when it is entirely too violent and I feel bad for watching it.

Too much football? That's not possible.

[Riggo-toni]

It's just like being a crack addict-I remember how intoxicating it once was back in the 80s, I know it will never be anything like that again...that the few occasional highs are always fleeting, that every time I come back for me I am damaging myself and will end up disappointed. I know it's no good for me and I really wish I could stop, but I just can't.

[pop0422]

I was born in 87 but dont remember much of the sb teams, although for the 91 season my dad had a vhs recapping the whole season and thats all I used to watch and thats how I became a fan. Ive never seen us get past the divisional round of the playoffs, nor have I seen us go to the playoffs two years in a row. I'll probably cry if we make the superbowl one day.

 

But year in and year out I get as excited as I did when I watched that 91 season recap. Needless to say, I am excited for this year! I dont even think we are gonna be great, but I wanna see how our offense is gonna play as there are weapons on that side of the ball. And Im just hoping that our defense can get it together.

 

Like Mama There Goes That Man posted earlier, "hope is an amazing thing." Here's to hopefully having a good year this year and us having something to play for in december.

[TD Riggo]

As a 45 year long Skins fan, I'll admit that your original post made me stop and think "Oh YAY. Another coaching change." But for the first time since Gibbs was rehired, I DO feel optomistic this year compared to the last few years of Shanahan/Zorn. We finally have a franchise QB who looks to be back on track from his stellar 2012 season, and a coach whom at least seems to be less "ME!ME!ME!ME!" and vindictive, and has had success with much less of a roster in Cincinnati. I also know of Jay Gruden from years ago when he was a QB, so I know that he is a great guy, a very good QB (and thus understands the position), and a good coach. So .. I have not lost "the thrill," but I am also wary that yet again we are embarking on a new, unknown adventure.

[diehardskinpsoup]

The thrill is never gone.  I have been a fan since 1982, when I went to my first game (up until that time, I was a huge Earl Campbell fan...so I liked the Oilers).   When I was 19, I realized I was a diehard fan (1994).   Since '94, I have watched every game, every season, reagrdless of our record.   I have screamed and cried.  Laughed and celebrated.   I bleed burgundy and gold and will always be excited 365 days a year, about my team.  I have 2 former Redskins Jerseys on my carseat (McIntosh and Campbell) and I have goosebumps about this current season.  I think it will be as exciting as RGIII's first season, with more wins and another playoff berth.   Redskin til I die.

 

HTTR!!!!

[deepball1]

It's just like being a crack addict-I remember how intoxicating it once was back in the 80s, I know it will never be anything like that again...that the few occasional highs are always fleeting, that every time I come back for me I am damaging myself and will end up disappointed. I know it's no good for me and I really wish I could stop, but I just can't.

exactly. I am addicted to my Redskins. I get butterflies before the first game of the year and feel like I am going on my first date. I am investing in a big screen television for this coming season. Currently I don't even own a t.v. So that says something about my excitement. I also don't believe that the 80's were any better than today, because it's really about the promise of things to come. It's about the excitement of looking forward to the possibilities and the renewed excitement. You cannot live in the past so while the last three Superbowls were great, I am looking forward to the next one.

 

I have already begun making big plans for the whole season because I have never been more optimistic about my team than this year. Sure, there are a lot of "IFS"...if this and if that.....but they aren't unrealistic fantasy if's....I am nowhere near Redskins Park and I can feel the changes from here. I can feel the difference in the morale and attitude from here in my home where I am typing this.

 

Some of you are worried about the Skins defense, and yet I can tell you that this years scheme will be totally unlike the boring and stiff defenses from the last 4 years. In fact, because of better special teams, better field position, and a better offense, I am confident that the Skins Defense will end up dominating some of the teams they play. We will have trouble with San Francisco out there, we will have trouble with Philly up there, and ROMO will of course cause problems, but we don't have to beat up and dominate every team just to have a winning record. THis team is more than capable of finishing 10-6 or even 11-5 with a little luck. I am pumped up and ready!

[wysknz1]

No offense, but blaming commercials as a reason for not watching, is silly.

Invest in Sunday Ticket. Switch to other games. Change channel to Redzone. Check on fantasy team. Heck, just DVR game and speed through commercials. Problem solved.

Not solutions I'm interested in.

[BKSkinsFan]

For me, the thrill is not gone, but the lack of stability has definitely diminished my confidence.  I can't look at our schedule this year and have any expectations of games we can and should win.  

 

I will however still watch my favorite team every week, and hold on to hope that we have a solid foundation with Gruden that we can build on for many years.

[ComManDersFan57]

Been a fan for 50+ years. No the thrill isn't gone. When I walk into the stadium for the first game of the year, the agonies of the previous year are forgotten. New season, new beginning.

 

Can't believe no one has linked BB King yet. (Unless I overlooked it) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fk2prKnYnI