Roanoke Times:Hot tickets

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http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/news/story158829.html

Hot tickets

Why make the trip to Landover, Md? The Redskins are always entertaining, and their fans know how to have a good time - win or lose.

By Ryan Basen

ryan.basen@roanoke.com

Phil Gleason was ticked off. The Sterling resident, a Redskins season ticket holder, had seen the team through plenty of highs and lows - mostly lows - in the five-year reign of meddling Redskins owner Dan Snyder.

But a four-game losing streak in October and early November pushed him to his limit. To display his frustration, Gleason printed several copies of an 8-by-11-inch sign and brought them to FedEx Field as he tailgated with a friend before the Redskins' game against the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 9.

Gleason summarized his displeasure: "Parking - $25. Ticket - $75. Drink - $6. Bloodsucking owner who knows nothing about running a football team - PRICELESS!"

He was just one of thousands of grumpy fans lingering outside of the Redskins' home stadium in Landover, Md., that morning. All of them hoped the Redskins would have more success against the Seahawks than Gleason did in getting the attention of a flashy woman who drove by him in a BMW.

The Redskins did, beating Seattle 27-20. Still, it will be a while - if ever - before the millions of diehard Redskins fans like Gleason accept Snyder and embrace him as the face of their favorite team.

Much of that attitude stems from the team's spotty record since Snyder took over in 1999.

But some of it comes from things Snyder has done that tangibly affect the team's fans, specifically : The Redskins have charged the most money per ticket in the NFL, and they charge many season ticket holders $25 per game to park in one of the stadium's nearby lots.

So why would you want to go to a Redskins game? Especially with big-time college football - at Virginia Tech - just a short drive away? Well, to start, the Hokies' last home game was Saturday . The Redskins still have three regular season home games left .

Never mind their record. The Redskins are always entertaining. They were a hot ticket in the 1980s and early '90s when they won multiple Super Bowls. They are still a hot ticket these days, whether they are 3-1 (earlier this season), 0-5 (to start 2001) or, like two weeks ago, 3-5 and riding a storm of bad publicity.

If nothing else, the Redskins are one of pro sports' biggest melodramas, up there with the Yankees, Lakers and the ESPN series "Playmakers."

They are so important to the District and the region surrounding it that corporations shell out millions of dollars for club boxes so their executives and clients may be seen at a Redskins game (except when they head inside for more wine and cheese, or to avoid the cold weather).

But you don't need to be a corporate back-scratcher to enjoy a Redskins game at a "reasonable" price, as a recent trip to six-year-old FedEx Field revealed.

The team used to play in RFK Stadium in North east Washington, D.C. Many locals long for those days or ask for a do-over in Landover because FedEx Field lacks the classic feel of RFK. But the new stadium has its benefits.

Commuters had to drive through the teeth of the city to get to RFK. FedEx Field is located off an exit of the Capital Beltway (495) in Landover, 250 miles northeast of Roanoke. On a Sunday morning, traffic is usually light until the 495 exit.

It's not as hard to get a ticket as you may think. The Redskins' three remaining home games include one Nov. 30 against the New Orleans Saints and another Dec. 27 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Both games fall on holiday weekends, when season ticket holders may be out of town.

If you cannot secure tickets before heading to the stadium, don't fret. At RFK, scalpers had no problem getting double face value for tickets. But that stadium seated only 55,000-plus. FedEx Field fits more than 80,000. Scalpers asked as little as $20 for $75 tickets before the Seahawks game.

(One had the audacity to offer me only $5 for an extra ticket. My pride on the line, I refused, reasoning that the unused ticket would be worth more on eBay later on. Bruce Smith's late pursuit of the all-time sack record that day nearly proved me right.)

Games against the hated Dallas Cowboys (Dec. 14) and the Eagles will fetch much more, so your best bet for an affordable ticket may be to go next week.

Another benefit of FedEx Field is tailgating. You not only save money grilling food for yourself - as opposed to paying $7 for a tiny chicken sandwich inside the stadium - you'll also experience the full camaraderie of going to a Redskins game. Thousands of fans gathered in the stadium's color-coded parking lots in the late morning of Nov. 9.

Redskins fans are very passionate, but they are also well-behaved as a whole. Sure, a few of them downed too many cold ones and ripped into former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin on live TV before the season opener in September. But it's not like they're Philly fans. They don't throw snowballs at Santa Claus or try to sneak tanks of nitrous oxide into the stadium for an in-game high (Eagles fans have done both).

Redskins fans have become increasingly impatient, though, which was obvious Nov. 9. During the game that day, a group of people behind me sarcastically yelled "Super Bowl" and "coach of the year" to head coach Steve Spurrier after every big Redskins play.

After the Seahawks scored a touchdown on their opening drive, the Redskins defense was loudly booed. An interception return by Seattle's Damien Robinson may have turned the sellout crowd against the Redskins if Robinson hadn't been stripped from behind near the goal line by Redskins receiver Laveranues Coles.

That one play may have saved the season.

By the fourth quarter - after the stadium disc jockey played the same obscure song at halftime (Black Box's "Everybody Everybody"), after fans in Cowboys and Giants jerseys had been derided and taunted often, and after the Redskins rallied to tie it - many in the crowd were chanting "Let's go Redskins."

The offense didn't disappoint, scoring the game-winning touchdown on a trick play seconds later. After a controversial loss to Carolina last week, the Redskins are 4-6 heading into tonight's game at Miami.

How will the crowd be at next week's home game? Depends on the outcome tonight. I know one thing for sure: I'll be there, win or lose.

If you go ...

Landover, Md., is approximately 250 miles northeast of Roanoke. Allow close to four hours of driving to get there, and allow for at least 15-30 minutes to park, depending upon what time you arrive at the stadium. For directions to the stadium, visit www.redskins.com/mapdir.asp.

Get a team-issued parking permit if you can. Otherwise, there are plenty of public pay lots nearby. Expect to pay $20 or more. For a map of the stadium's parking lots, coded by color, and details about where to park if you do not have a permit, visit www.redskins.com/parking.asp. Parking lots open four hours before kickoff. For a list of what items can be brought into the stadium, go to

www.redskins.com/stadguide.asp.

The stadium is near both the Landover Metro Station (orange line) and Addison Road Station (blue line). Shuttle buses run every 15 minutes from the Metro stations to the stadium. Visit www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm for the locations and directions to these stations.

Any remaining tickets may be bought by calling the Redskins at (301)276-6050 or (301)276-6800. You may also want to check eBay or newspaper classified ads. Plenty of scalpers will also be selling tickets in front of the stadium.

For more information, visit www.redskins.com/tickets.asp. Tickets in the 400-level are the most affordable, selling for $75 at face value after taxes. For a seating chart of the stadium, visit www.redskins.com/seating.asp.

If you decide to stay, Landover has several chain hotels, including Ramada, Days Inn, Courtyard, Doubletree and Howard Johnson.