Does the overall ineptitude and fail of this franchise make you enjoy professional football less?

[kleese]

I checked the Seahawks and Broncos boards and no one is complaining about the league as a whole on those forums

The NFL will likely be fine. The guys from the 70's thought the game changed for the worse in the 80's and 90's when they took away the head slap, and the hand to hand combat for DB's/WR's. Recently read a book about the NFL in the 70's and the players from that era loathed what the NFL became in the 80's, which is considered by those who grew up in the 80's to be the glory years.

The league is experiencing record numbers in terms of viewership and perhaps there is no way to go but down and we will see a little decline. But I doubt it will be anything earth shattering. The league has always been good about getting out in front of their issues and not letting them take the game down. I suspect that's what will happen here. If the numbers start to dip and the NFL thinks it's because there are too many flags, etc then they will likely adjust like they always do.

Bottom line, i watched and enjoyed the games yesterday, as did the majority of fans I'd suspect.

When the Hall of Fame game is pulling numbers close to a World Series game, you know the league has some room for error.

[ComManDersFan57]

Before fantasy football I would only watch the Redskins, our divisional games and MNF. As a season ticket holder that drives 2 1/2 hours to get to the games, it's rare to be able to catch other games anyway. I can watch SNF if we have a home game at 1:00.

 

Fantasy football has sparked an interest in other teams that I wouldn't normally care about. Now I watch all the games if we're away or play at home on a Monday or Thursday regardless of the outcome of our game.

 

Sure, I'm depressed and frustrated after a bad showing like everyone on here, but I can still root for teams that play our division opponents. The Eagles loss was sweet. The Dallas win was depressing. The Saints looked as bad as we are, which in a weird way made me feel better about our loss. We aren't the only team struggling.

[Khun Kao]

It's really, really hard to keep being enthusiastic about supporting a team that has been unable to get out of its own way for the better part of 20 years.  Every time we get a glimmer of hope, its dashed...

 

I was in NY visiting my in-laws on Thursday.  They all support the Giants, but I've been trying to teach my 10 year old niece to love the Redskins.  She's been wavering in supporting the Redskins with her favorite uncle vs. supporting her home team (that all her friends & family support).  She watched the game with me and I simply gave up.  I can't keep asking her to support a team that doesn't produce when she lives in enemy territory.

 

I was heartbroken.  The team really let us down.

 

HTTR!

[VinnyIsThatYou?]

Honest question, do you have a harder time watching football after watching this abomination of a franchise?

 

For me it's very disheartening to see other teams actually execute basic football fundamentals while the Redskins poop all over each other on national TV.

 

The effort..has anyone witnessed a professional football team give up like the Redskins have?

 

 

Yes, I enjoy NFL football a lot less after I write off the Redskins season or become desensitized to their performance. I'm animated and emotionally invested in every play when I still think they're competing. There comes a breaking point though where I become numb to the team's performance. This year it happened earlier than usual. I still watch games, but it's more out of habit and sometimes feels like a chore if they're playing poorly. 

 

It does make it harder to enjoy other games for whatever reason. Especially if the Redskins are getting beat down on an early Sunday game. It is hard for me to watch the later game or even the Sunday night game. This week, I was over the Skins' loss by Sunday. I probably would have watched more NFL but the Nationals had a special game going.

 

I'll still watch some games especially when good QBs are playing, but I'm just not into the NFL like I am when the Redskins are still competitive. It makes it sort of depressing. If you have a college team doing well, or a team in another sport doing well, it's easier to decrease interest in NFL football.

[Rskins06]

The sad part is I enjoy the offseason moreso than the regular season now. At least the offseason offers some hope! It always seems by this time every year, it gets harder and harder to watch. But, I am a HUGE FAN and will continue to watch the Redskins every game in hopes this will be the game it all comes together.

[planter]

I still watch the big NFL games, and local Pat games, but follow fewer Skin "sources" as we tank and optimism fades...

[dsciambi]

Last year, I believe in the Kansas City game, I stopped watching. Every Sunday after I'd catch the box score and appreciate the fact that I had saved myself 4 hours and a little bit of heartache.

 

This year, I think I've only watched the first halves of every game. I probably won't bother to tune in for the rest of the season. It's just not worth it anymore.

[Bantu]

The sad part is I enjoy the offseason moreso than the regular season now. At least the offseason offers some hope! It always seems by this time every year, it gets harder and harder to watch. But, I am a HUGE FAN and will continue to watch the Redskins every game in hopes this will be the game it all comes together.

The fact you enjoy the offseason more means you suffer from Redskins fan-itis.

[kleese]

Last year, I believe in the Kansas City game, I stopped watching. Every Sunday after I'd catch the box score and appreciate the fact that I had saved myself 4 hours and a little bit of heartache.

This year, I think I've only watched the first halves of every game. I probably won't bother to tune in for the rest of the season. It's just not worth it anymore.

And that's what it boils down to, lose for long enough and the fans will bail. Ultimately, it is a "fair weather" syndrome, albeit more understandable if a fan has stuck out the storm for 20 years and then has just had enough.

For me, I'll watch even if they do this for 20 more years. I've decided I'm a Redskins fan and unless at some point rooting for them clashes with some sort of moral stance I have, I'm just going to keep doing it forever, get what I can out of it, and that's that.

[Diesel Hog]

I am a Redskins fan only and not a big fan of the NFL.   When the Redskins are bad, I lose interest in the NFL.

 

This is pretty much it for me.  Lately I've tried Fantasy just to try and somewhat follow other teams, but even still, I don't care.  I love the Redskins, but I don't know why.  They depress me on so many levels, losing is just one of them.  

 

When they do ok to well, I'll follow a few other teams more closely, particularly the NFC East / teams we play.  I also like the other "losers" (misery loves company), so I'll catch up on Cleveland and Buffalo occasionally.

[pietrographic]

I think last night something broke in my brain. Sack fumble, 7 points to NY. Two drives of making Eli ****ing retarded face Manning aka the terrible Manning march down the field just throwing the ball really high to Anthony Mix 2.0 while our linebackers and defensive backs blow coverage over and over and DON'T TURN FOR THE ****ING FOOTBALL. +7, +7.

 

Then we're driving down the field at the end of the half with a sure touchdown and chance to be down only 7 despite our terrible showing, and Logan ****ing Paulsen coughs up the ball. Then the Giants get up to the 40 in spite of terrible clock management, we force a 3rd and long at the 40 with 7 seconds left and Victor Cruz, one of the few players in the NFL I would love to see get hit by a bus while he's salsa dancing around in the street, catches a pass and struts backwards out the sideline with 1 second. +3. 24-7 at the half. That's how frequently the Redskins ****ing blow ironically.

 

Even then I stuck around. I was already at an 8 on the 1-10 scale of anger and despair, but I stuck around like I do every ****ing time year in and year out because I must be retarded or something. I promise myself, if they come out in the 2nd half looking better, I'll stick around. We go straight down the field and score. 24-14, our defense makes a stop, our offense is rolling again. Then Kirk Cousins throws an interception. Ok, it happens. If the Giants score here I'm out. I don't turn games off but if they go up 31-14 I'm not going to watch the remaining 25 or so minutes of football.

 

We get an interception, what a miracle. They review it and elect NOT to put points on the board for the Giants, another total ****ing miracle given the fact that we're something like 0-4 on challenges this year when we really should be 4-0 or at least 3-1. Anyway, the smallest glimmer of hope sweeps back into my mind. For just a moment I thought "hey, maybe we'll manage to dig ourselves out of this...maybe this is a game changer..." then BAM Kirk Cousins comes straight out and gives the ball right back to the Giants.

 

I don't even know what happened after that. I turned the game off and went upstairs to play Counter-Strike, which was far more enjoyable than watching the Redskins absolutely suck penis on national television for the 54001924818th time in my life. I saw the score before going to bed, hung my head ashamed of the team, wondering aloud "why the **** am I devoted to this pile of scrubs with no hope of success???" 3 years now and we're still starting Tyler Polombus, a player who could be upgraded by placing a folding chair at the right tackle position. This team is going nowhere.

 

Then I climb in bed, turn on the TV, decide I'll put on the daily show for some laughs. They have an entire segment on the Redskins name featuring some of the dumbest redskins fans you'll ever find, and a bunch of pissed off Native Americans. It was the final kick to the testicles of the evening. I hate this stupid team and the only thing we all have left to cling to is our past, history, and identity and they're taking that away too. The name will change, we'll go with something stupid, safe, boring, innocuous, so as not to offend the easily offended. We'll become another franchise with a bland and nonsensical name with no history or pride. Like the ****ing Jaguars, the Wizards, the Phoenix Coyotes, who ****ing cares anymore?

 

Who honestly can say they give a **** what happens to this baby **** burning dumpster tire-fire of a franchise at this point? I'm not sorry, I don't apologize, **** the Washington Redskins. Everything we do is wrong. I can't take this **** anymore. I no longer enjoy watching football. I cannot root for another team, but I can't for the health of me continue to subject myself to this one. It's been 23 years for me of not turning the game off, putting off other things on Sunday so I didn't miss a single second of the futility, pain, misery, stupidity. I barely remember anything of when we were great, all I remember is ****ing garbage and being the laughing stock of the NFL. The Washington Redskins are a joke and we're all the punchline.

Thank god for this post! This means we are going to beat the Seahawks Monday night for sure. If for nothing else, but to keep this poor souls last glimmer of hope alive! Thank you kind sir!

[dsciambi]

And that's what it boils down to, lose for long enough and the fans will bail. Ultimately, it is a "fair weather" syndrome, albeit more understandable if a fan has stuck out the storm for 20 years and then has just had enough.

For me, I'll watch even if they do this for 20 more years. I've decided I'm a Redskins fan and unless at some point rooting for them clashes with some sort of moral stance I have, I'm just going to keep doing it forever, get what I can out of it, and that's that.

 

I don't know that I'm fairweather. I'm 30 years old. I barely remember the 1991 team, but I was so young that I didn't actually watch the game (I just remember going to a big Super Bowl party). I've stuck with the team for my entire adolescent and adult life. But there's only so much a person can take.

 

When the team doesn't show any desire to win, why should I?

 

I get the impression that those who were old enough to remember the 80's teams probably have a bit more patience with the Redskins. For the people my age and younger, though, I have no idea why we do it.

[kleese]

I don't know that I'm fairweather. I'm 30 years old. I barely remember the 1991 team, but I was so young that I didn't actually watch the game (I just remember going to a big Super Bowl party). I've stuck with the team for my entire adolescent and adult life. But there's only so much a person can take.

When the team doesn't show any desire to win, why should I?

I get the impression that those who were old enough to remember the 80's teams probably have a bit more patience with the Redskins. For the people my age and younger, though, I have no idea why we do it.

Not saying I blame you, just pointing out that by definition, having your fandom fade with losing or rise with winning is fair weather. I think people hear that term and think "bandwagon" which is different to me. That's someone who doesn't give a rip and just hops on for a brief ride when things are going good.

Again, I'm not being critical of you or anyone else personally. If you are not getting enjoyment from the experience then you shouldn't do it. It's not worth forcing yourself to do something you don't enjoy. That's dumb. For me, being a fan is still fun. The process of it. That's part of the fun for me. They absolutely try to make it as painful as possible, but I won't let them take it all away from me.

[Rodriggo]

Of course it does. Losing *****.

 

Tho my enjoyment of football has waned for years ever since I first saw Short Cuts.

 

Realizing there's less than 30 minutes of action in any given game was a revelation....sitting through 3+ hours of penalty stoppages, replays, dumb ******* commercials is such a ******* time drain and not even remotely enjoyable. Slather bad, embarrassing play on top of that and you got Redskins football.

 

Honestly, I can't remember the last time I didn't multitask for a full non Redskins game.

 

Without RedZone I don't know what I'd do either.

[StephenB]

I think the team's never-ending suckfest has made me an even bigger NFL fan.  It makes me appreciate good football.  Knowing that we are going nowhere year in and year out allows me to just sit back and watch football and enjoy without a strong emotional tie.

[kvarlo12000]

I'm enjoying professional football less now than ever before, but think its more of the overall NFL experience with the rule changes, slow pace, announcers that take it upon themselves to make social stands by not saying a team nickname, rules handcuffing defense, emphasis on player "safety" etc.

I feel this way as well. I was an avid football fan. I am becoming kinda meh about it now for all the reasons you have stated.

[MattSchewe]

Yup. after Thursday Nights performance I had no desire to watch Football on Sunday. I guess its a good thing. I see once again The Redskins are in the crapper yet again in the NFC East. Different coach same ole you know what.

[thebluefood]

I am a Redskins fan only and not a big fan of the NFL.   When the Redskins are bad, I lose interest in the NFL.

This is pretty much how I feel. The Redskins are less a football team than a symbol of civic heritage for me, which is kind of how I see all D.C. teams, but especially the Redskins since they've been in town since 1937. 

[elkabong82]

Nope. I love football and a week earlier watched this team do very well. This was a bad game but thread seems like a big overreaction especially just 4 games in and us suffering the injuries we have. This also could have gone in many other threads.

[Son of Gadsden]

Yes. 

 

I love the game more than the Redskins. I watch every game I can possibly watch every week. However, I only keep track of off season events from the Redskins. Now I don't keep track of the Redskins in the off season. I don't keep track of cuts and signings throughout the year. I don't read Redskins news and events. I don't listen to NFL radio stations. I don't watch ESPN or NFL Network shows. I don't trash talk other people. Basically I don't do anything that makes being a fan fun. My team is a disgrace, it's not fun to watch. I watch the games silently, then I get into the game when my team isn't playing. Why watch the cuts and signings when nothing has changed for the past decade? Why expect it to change now? 

 

A name change would be detrimental for me. If this team ever changes its name, I'll be jumping ship to Carolina. It's my new home team anyway and though I'm a loyal Redskins fan, I won't tolerate a team that isn't loyal to its fans. Loyalty is not a one way street, and what we have seen on the field for the past 10+ years has been an insult to the fans who invest their money into this team.

 

So yes, it puts a sour taste for the game in my mouth, and takes some of the fun out of the game. However, I still enjoy watching other teams play, and I'll probably never stop watching the game. 

[ToaCommander]

I am like most here. When the Skins suck I do not want to see football and avoid watching sportscenter for a whole week until our next game.

[VinnyIsThatYou?]

Surprisingly, I actually really enjoyed the games today. Had both TVs set up and enjoyed myself. Would have been better had we won for sure, but today wasn't bad. Maybe we should play all our games on Thursday and get our beating out of the way BEFORE the weekend.....

That's the thing. It's not as bad if there are some days in between the losses. Or if the Redskins are playing Monday night, it doesn't effect my attitude the day before. But the Redskins play most of their games in the early Sunday slot. 

[kleese]

That's the thing. It's not as bad if there are some days in between the losses. Or if the Redskins are playing Monday night, it doesn't effect my attitude the day before. But the Redskins play most of their games in the early Sunday slot.

It's why Monday Night is my preferred slot, Sunday Night is second, late Sunday is third, early Sunday is fourth, and Thursday last...

[dballer]

I got mad props for all you generation Y or Millennial fans, I think it's harder for me because I remember the golden years from the late 80s to early 90s.

 

You guys have witnessed some horrifying football since 1993.

 

Yeh evidently I watched them a couple of seasons before but the first season I can actually remember was the 1991 season...pretty far downhill since then...

[playoffsplz]

In my youth I'd watch this team until the bitter end. Back when I didn't have any responsiblities and/or didn't have any other pursuits besides chasing girls. I started to falter around the '09 season. Obviously, the 2012 season was incredible. I hadn't been that excited about Sunday football since I was a kid. It was fantastic. Still, I remember that last game, when we were up 14-0, and I remember I kept saying out loud "He shouldn't be in the game". It was obvious to me, and it was clear what was going to end up happening.

 

Last year I virtually stopped watching football about half way through. I catched a few big games and the playoffs and I keep up with what's going on with the league (largely due to fantasy football), but my interest level was an all time low. After Thursday I suspect I'll be right back where I was last year. I don't even have a desire to watch the Dallas games, which is terrible.

 

OP hit the nail on the head. Watching other teams play basic fundamental football, and then watching our Skins take a huge dump on National TV year after year is embarrassing. This team, no matter the coaches or scheme, just flat out gives up. The amazing part is that it happens every year (outside of '12) like clockwork. We are essentially the Raiders of the NFC.