Erosion Of The Redskins Fanbase

[SprintBomb]

9 minutes ago, DCSaints_fan said:

It’s a moot point. I can’t see the league ever allowing Snyder to move the Redskins.

Maybe the league will step in due to how poorly run this team is. With the history the Redskins have and being in such a large market, the league stepping in is a possibility. It's happened before with other teams like the Giants in the 70s. 

[Conn]

22 minutes ago, alwaysaskin said:

I missed most of the game after the first Giants TD, ended up playing D&D, it was way more fun, I never thought it would come down to that

 

 

Girlfriend and I picked up D&D as a hobby a couple years ago, it's gaining in popularity big time in my generation, we found a great group.

 

Good choice, way more fun than watching this **** show. 

[alwaysaskin]

2 minutes ago, ConnSKINS26 said:

 

Girlfriend and I picked up D&D as a hobby a couple years ago, it's gaining in popularity big time in my generation, we found a great group.

 

Good choice, way more fun than watching this **** show. 

It was much more fun, enjoy your campaigns 

[Conn]

17 minutes ago, SprintBomb said:

Maybe the league will step in due to how poorly run this team is. With the history the Redskins have and being in such a large market, the league stepping in is a possibility. It's happened before with other teams like the Giants in the 70s. 

 

What's the history on this? 

[stoshuaj]

12 minutes ago, ConnSKINS26 said:

 

What's the history on this? 

Maybe this?:

 

1979: After 15 years without a playoff appearance, and the embarrassing “Miracle in the Meadowlands”, Giants owner Wellington Mara was desperate to get the ship righted. Mara would turn to NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle for advice; on the recommendation of Rozelle the Giants hire George Young to run the day-to-day operations of the team. Young, had success in a similar position with Baltimore Colts years earlier, and had been serving in the front office of the Miami Dolphins. Young, who was the first true General Manager in franchise history, began by replacing Head Coach John McVay with Ray Perkins.

[Conn]

7 minutes ago, stoshuaj said:

Maybe this?:

 

1979: After 15 years without a playoff appearance, and the embarrassing “Miracle in the Meadowlands”, Giants owner Wellington Mara was desperate to get the ship righted. Mara would turn to NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle for advice; on the recommendation of Rozelle the Giants hire George Young to run the day-to-day operations of the team. Young, had success in a similar position with Baltimore Colts years earlier, and had been serving in the front office of the Miami Dolphins. Young, who was the first true General Manager in franchise history, began by replacing Head Coach John McVay with Ray Perkins.

 

Ah okay. So it required the owner seeking help. 

 

Not at all what I hoped lol

[NoCalMike]

I have missed very few games in my lifetime.  As it stands now, Haskins potentially getting his 2nd start, with  full week of prep & 1st team reps might be the only reason I tune in (and it is not a given he is starting, especially with Jay's buddy Colt McCoy looming).   

 

Even when the team has been bad in the past I don't think I ever planned to miss the game when there was nothing specifically preventing me from being able to watch it. 

 

That could change very soon.

[Rogue Jedi]

THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH:

 

What I'm about to say may trigger a certain demographic of fans, but it's the cold-hard-truth. What I'm going to touch on may be suited for the tailgate, but hopefully the Mods let it slide as it pertains very much to the topic of this thread, and a very critical point as well.

 

The erosion of the fanbase was inevitable. It's not one single thing that caused it, but instead a myriad of situations that created the perfect storm for a shrinking fanbase that just doesn't seem interested anymore.

 

Let's get the obvious out of the way; the losing. This has been well-discussed and the performance of this team over the past 20 years has already been dissected in various threads across the this board. Not gonna go too much into this is has been beaten to death already.

 

But now I'm going to go into the meat of this essay. I'll start out with the overview of the fanbase. This is a Washington D.C. based sports team, and by understanding the demographics of D.C. metropolitan area, it will paint a better picture on to why this franchise's support is either at, or pretty close to, rock-bottom. I understand we have fans across the U.S. and even the world, but statistics would prove the bulk of the fanbase pretty much resides in the DMV area.

 

Now, this might be a hard pill to swallow for some, but outside of NYC and LA, the D.C. metro-area is liberal-town USA. Now, I don't really care what side your political leanings are, but this is an inarguable known fact. All you need to do is look at the voting records. It's also an incredibly diverse area with people of all different races, religions and backgrounds. Life around here is high-stress, all about the grind, but there is also a plethora of other entertainment outlets and things to do, and people quite frankly don't have time to waste on an franchise that's been inept for 20+ years. Yeah, the Browns have a loyal fanbase, but there is jack-**** to do in Cleveland and Ohio in general, so the Browns and Ohio St. is really all they have. The DMV area has options.

 

So I'm sure as you are reading, you know where I'm heading at this point in the conversation; The gigantic pink elephant in the room. The name-controversy. Whether people want to admit it or not, it's still a cloud that hangs over this franchise. There are major football writers, media personalities, commentators to this day who still only acknowledge us as "Washington". (PFT is a huge example). 

 

Now, this is not an argument for or against the name-change. I'm just stating that is is documented that the fanbase is split on the subject, and thus created a fission within fans. Not exactly the situation you want to create a long-lasting, endless fan support. This kind of controversy is not what you want to sustain a fanbase, and as I mentioned above, the demographics of this area are only going to get more diverse and more liberal. You can be the biggest Trump-guy ever, but not even he can stop that from happening. People need to come to terms with that reality. 

 

So now, in the DMV area you have a younger generation that is more "woke" as they say. And in 2020 and beyond, a franchise with a 20 year losing history named "Redskins" is gonna be a tough sell to new fans. Hell, at this point, I believe the bulk of the fan base that pays attention and the few that goes to the games are in the 40+ age range. Without new fan support, this is how franchises die.

 

And then you have Dan Snyder. He was widely unpopular with fans even when he first bought the team. His on-field track record is self-explanatory, but it's his off-field antics which really sour the fans against this team. The guy doesn't even listen to the fans, and amidst the controversy, all he did was stomp his feet like a child, and make himself look like an ass. This guy has no clue about the pulse of the D.C. area.  People around here don't take kindly to people like him, so there should be no surprise why more and more people tune out of the Redskins and are more into the Nats and Caps, seemingly every year. They won't support a douchebag like Snyder.

 

It's difficult for even me to come to terms with, but every day it seems this franchise has no future. This organization has a failure to change with the times,  and with paired with the losing and the controversies, it's difficult to generate fans. I'm not even sure if a few winning seasons will bring the fans back. Unfortunately, with revenue-sharing, Snyder will always have the money to sustain a franchise, but he will inevitably have no fans to fill his stadiums. It will eventually just become some puppet franchise with an owner, FO, coaches and players, but no fan support. The only thing that will possibly fix this is a clean-slate, a complete wipe down from top to bottom. Maybe something new that can invigorate the old and the new. But if it's business continues usual, then you know that will happen. Deep down inside of you, even the most loyal fans know what is inevitable.

 

You want to know how the erosion of the fanbase came about? I just laid it all in front of you. 

 

I highly recommend the novel "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe.

 

For those that want a quick summary of the book: Change is inevitable. Get used to it.

 

Snyder should give it a read.

 

 

[Conn]

I don't know if we're still not allowed to address that discussion in The Stadium, @Rogue Jedi, but I agree with everything you say there.

[Rogue Jedi]

@ConnSKINS26 yeah I was iffy on it and put a disclaimer to the moderators, but it very much ties into the topic and redskins football as a whole. I was thinking it would feel even more out of place in the stadium, as that's supposed to be non-skins related board.

[ThomasRoane]

14 minutes ago, Rogue Jedi said:

 

So now, in the DMV area you have a younger generation that is more "woke" as they say. And in 2020 and beyond, a franchise with a 20 year losing history named "Redskins" is gonna be a tough sell to new fans. Hell, at this point, I believe the bulk of the fan base that pays attention and the few that goes to the games are in the 40+ age range. Without new fan support, this is how franchises die.

 

 

I've got five kids that are in the "woke generation."  They don't give a damn about the team name.  Only a few white liberal writers beat that drum.  My kids know the problem starts and ends with Dan Snyder.  Period.  End of story.  If you keep the same owner and change the name, the colors, and the location it won't make a damn bit of difference with Snyder in charge.  I'm so very close to rooting for the KC Chiefs.  I happen to think that Native American team names is an honor and will always support them.  

[daveakl]

The fan base has been eroding for years.  The Panthers took western Carolina and have been spreading east ever since (they win, we don't). Philadelphia and Pittsburgh took northern and western Maryland. Baltimore took central and eastern Maryland. All that was left was DC and Va.

 

Now think of time spent watching sports as a fixed asset each person can allocate. The rise in the Nationals and Capitals has taken a large portion of that available time away from the Redskins.

[profusion]

Eh, don't overthink it. It's all down to winning and losing. Dan Snyder's odiousness would be overlooked if the team was winning consistently.

[Rogue Jedi]

1 minute ago, ThomasRoane said:

 

I've got five kids that are in the "woke generation."  They don't give a damn about the team name.  Only a few white liberal writers beat that drum.  My kids know the problem starts and ends with Dan Snyder.  Period.  End of story.  If you keep the same owner and change the name, the colors, and the location it won't make a damn bit of difference with Snyder in charge.  I'm so very close to rooting for the KC Chiefs.  I happen to think that Native American team names is an honor and will always support them.  

 

That's cool, but It's still an erosion of a fan base. I just told you how it is a perfect storm.

[Conn]

1 minute ago, ThomasRoane said:

 

I've got five kids that are in the "woke generation."  They don't give a damn about the team name.  Only a few white liberal writers beat that drum.  My kids know the problem starts and ends with Dan Snyder.  Period.  End of story.  If you keep the same owner and change the name, the colors, and the location it won't make a damn bit of difference with Snyder in charge.  I'm so very close to rooting for the KC Chiefs.  I happen to think that Native American team names is an honor and will always support them.  

 

It's completely anecdotal, I'm sure for your kids who grew up with it, that's true. Lots of kids growing up in the DMV area aren't even paying attention to the team though, and don't have that built-in, um, tolerance. Damn I live in Boston (a decidedly NOT PC place historically but lots of young people in the city center, from all over) and don't know a single person who is cool with the Skins name. I get killed for it. I will wear hoodies and merch that has the logo sometimes but not the full name, essentially. I can feel people reading it and having a reaction as I walk around the city, I don't wear that stuff anymore. Talking people from the ages of 20-35, it's awkward. Older people don't usually seem to notice. But college students, young professionals, people just working in restaurants, whatever. It's not seen as normal here and wasn't where I lived in CT either, a decidedly more rural area. 

[@DCGoldPants]

Shame you can't organize the ignoring of the team by the fan base. No callers or messages to sportstalk shows, near nothing in visits to the team website. Total silence since anger doesn't work. 

 

 

[PleaseGoForTheWin]

17 minutes ago, Rogue Jedi said:

Yeah, the Browns have a loyal fanbase, but there is jack-**** to do in Cleveland and Ohio in general, so the Browns and Ohio St. is really all they have. The DMV area has options.

 

As a Clevelander, and as someone who was raised here, left for a decade, and then returned home with a different perspective, I disagree with you strongly here. Cleveland has three professional sports teams, and frankly, over the last decade the Browns have been the least exciting of them. We have a world class orchestra; a world class art museum (and no, I'm not throwing those terms around--research it if you care to); there's a great food scene here; we have the Rock Hall; we're a stone's throw from one of the world's great roller coaster parks, Cedar Point; we have a handful of islands out on the lake that are delightful; we're very close to Cuyahoga Valley National Park; there's ample skiing and snowboarding and cross-country skiing here; Case Western Reserve is a first-rate university; we have the Flats; there's the West Side Market and the neighborhoods and restaurants surrounding it; there's a great music scene here; we have historic playhouses that bring in all of the biggest shows (such as Hamilton); and I could go on and on. Cleveland can be a tough place--the winters are punishing and there's a lot of racial tension here and there's a lot of post-industrial blight--but it's far from a dying/dead city, and the only ones who say that there isn't anything going on here are people who have never been here or spent much time here. 

[mammajamma]

the caps are competitive every year (and won a championship), the nats are back in the playoffs and are playing like one of the best teams in the league, the mystics (i know, nobody cares) have the best player in the league and just won game 1 of the finals. DC united has a new exciting stadium with one of the most exciting players in the league..

 

my point is... not sure why we keep wasting our time & money with possibly the worst franchise in the nfl, when there are so many better options within DC sports

[Csup]

32 minutes ago, profusion said:

Eh, don't overthink it. It's all down to winning and losing. Dan Snyder's odiousness would be overlooked if the team was winning consistently.

Synder could be head of the mafia and I could care less as long as he hired a real GM and kept his distance from Redskins Park.  

[purbeast]

If you guys see someone wearing this hat, say "Hey purbeast I know you from extreme skins forums!"

 

[veteranskinsfan]

Also, Washington DC is a transient market.  Locals stay for a while and then move on to other cities.  Retirees are forced to leave the DC metropolitan area because it is too expensive to stay there.  Young people switch jobs and go West or to New England or to the Midwest.  No one stays with one company for 30 years any longer.  Just like these players who are no longer loyal to their teams.  They take the money and run to another team just for the money.  So fans do not want to buy the jerseys of players who may not be on the team for more than one or two years.  Rooting for the same team for 20 years that keeps losing gets old real fast.  This franchise keeps talking to Joey T. and Riggo and keeps holding on to the past since the present and future looks bleak as long as Snyder refuses to leave.

[abdcskins]

I think this is the worst we've been in two decades, and that's saying something.  Seriously, this team is baaadddd.  The lowest point of this pathetic franchise.

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

It cannot be understated how much they’ve lost people under 30. 

 

I know one Skins fan my age. I have a decent sized circle. Most root for another team and actively despise the Skins. All born and bred in PG County within in a stones throw of the stadium. I routinely get heckled for wearing Skins gear around town. That isn’t an exaggeration. 

 

It’s not dying. It’s dead 

[skinsfan1523]

I wonder if the players will cry after next week when fedex inevitably turns into Gilette stadium south, and get beat by 40.

[Csup]

6 minutes ago, skinsfan1523 said:

I wonder if the players will cry after next week when fedex inevitably turns into Gilette stadium south, and get beat by 40.

I don’t think the skins players care enough to be upset.