Death of a Fanbase

[No Nonsense]

22 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

This is me in a nutshell, however I haven't crossed over into won't let the game dictate my weekend territory.  I still feel obligated to watch.  But the emotional side of it is gone.  I actually kind of miss it, even though it was negative emotions more often than not.

That’s where I’m at. I don’t get excited no more. I don’t watch the pre-game programs anymore. I tune in right at 1:00 and hope for the best and expect the worst.

[RichmondRedskin88]

Just now, No Nonsense said:

That’s where I’m at. I don’t get excited no more. I don’t watch the pre-game programs anymore. I tune in right at 1:00 and hope for the best and expect the worst.

Better than me.  I always turn it on 5-10 mins late now cuz I figure what’s it matter anyway?  I other watch us get destroyed on time or a few mins late.  It’s quite amazing I don’t just don’t play golf instead.  Wasting a perfectly good afternoon watching trash football. 

[ThomasRoane]

25 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

This is me in a nutshell, however I haven't crossed over into won't let the game dictate my weekend territory.  I still feel obligated to watch.  But the emotional side of it is gone.  I actually kind of miss it, even though it was negative emotions more often than not.

 

I'm pretty much with you and @skinsfan_1215  Honestly, the only reason I play Fantasy Football is because our team sucks so bad.  I need something to scratch the football itch.  (The NFL is still king of all sports - combined)  At least I get to watch some good performances.  My family and I picked the KC game because based on previous experience we anticipated that the WFT would sink back to mediocrity.  We've seen this pattern for about 21 years now.  At least we'll get to watch one team play at an NFL level.  We'll still cheer for the WFT of course but we fully expect to be outnumbered.  

[Idaho fan]

I still care... but not as much.

 

My son (26) and I try to make it to a game every year.  Last year was the first we missed in a while.  We recently bought tickets, airfare etc. to Las Vegas as its a fun city, direct cheap flight etc.  We love football and enjoy the experience even when "our" team plays like garbage.  

 

Ive never been to a game at FedEx.  We often talk about going to a game in DC.  I love visiting DC.  Have watched the Caps at home.  The fan experience at FedEx sounds so bad that I cant see us ever going.  You expect to be a minority fan on the road.  You expect to take a little teasing etc.  But to go to FedEX - which is by all accounts a dump where the opposing team's fans are in high numbers and where the home team is an embarrassment makes no sense to me - someone living on this side of the country.  The experience of the stadium, the crowd, the travel is the fun part.  Football while the reason in many ways has become secondary.   I find that Skin fans at road games are passionate and fun to be around so I don't see our tradition stopping anytime soon but I also don't see the point of a home game for us either.

 

[Koolblue13]

1 hour ago, Sacks 'n' Stuff said:

The fanbase didn't die. It was murdered.

 

[Renegade7]

If NFL woulsnt step in to save the Los Angeles franchises from leaving back in the day, why the belief they'll step in for the DC franchise failing?  Theres not much if any history to shownthe NFL stepping in to save franchises from themselves, even historical flagships.

[Boss_Hogg]

6 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

 

"fanbase was murdered"

composite sketch of the perpetrator 

Edited October 11, 2021 by Boss_Hogg

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

20 minutes ago, kleese said:

however, I do think there might be some underlying disingenuous posts here— people venting about “not caring” when it appears they still do.

Perhaps the proper term is "care a lot less" in comparison to how much we did before.

 

We obviously still care somewhat, or we wouldn't be here discussing it.  But then how much of that is just simply out of habit, who knows.  For example, I still plan to be available to watch the team play every Sunday at 1.  But no matter what's going on - gone are my loud claps that drove my wife crazy or the yells when something bad happens, that made my wife wonder if I was going to live to see another game.  I can think of two moments that elicited excitement from me in the last year and both were Heineke related.  The scramble to the pylon in the playoff game and the throw to the corner of the end zone to RSJ against the Giants.  So it's not entirely gone but nowhere even close to what it once was.

[No Nonsense]

3 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

If NFL woulsnt step in to save the Los Angeles franchises from leaving back in the day, why the belief they'll step in for the DC franchise failing?  Theres not much if any history to shownthe NFL stepping in to save franchises from themselves, even historical flagships.

I think today is a little different from what it was back then. Take it for what it’s worth, but the NFL/Goddell has publicly stated that they want the Bills to remain in Buffalo. Where could the WFT move to that would increase in value. I still believe having a team in Washington DC means something. 

[thebluefood]

I was also at the game Sunday - first one since I saw Darrell Green for the first and only time in person in his last season. I looked around the stadium and was amazed by how many Saints fans there were. Hell, the guy who sold me his ticket on Seat Geek is a Saints fan (nice fella though). And honestly - I wanted to go to the game because, on top of my genuine love of live sporting events, I realized I hadn't been to see them since I was a boy and figured I ought to. It was almost like going to visit a relative who you used to admire based on all the great stories your dad would tell you about them but they had long since burnt out.

 

I got into football as a kid because this town didn't have a baseball team. Baseball was, and is, my first love but this franchise is a civic institution - interwoven into its DNA in ways people from outside of the area can't seem to comprehend (though they seem to about the Cubs in Chicago and Red Sox in Boston - Washingtonians, apparently, aren't capable of having such close ties). I like football but I loved this team feverishly. But then the Nats came to town and immediately filled my heart. Then I got into hockey in time to learn what some folks around here have known for decades: that they'll punch you in the gut in new and exciting ways, year after year. And by the time I experienced the greatest catharsis of my life by attending the Nationals victory parade in 2019, I realized how little this football team meant to me, at least compared to how much they meant to me when I was 8 or 9-years-old. They used to be my pride and joy, in winning and losing. Now? They're like an estranged relative who, over time, I've come to realize has given me few moments of joy vs. many moments of grief.  

 

And a fun little postscript about my day: I took the train from Baltimore to New Carrolton, caught the Orange Line into the city, the transferred onto the Blue Line to go to Morgan Blvd and walk to the stadium. Guess what's in full, clear view to and from the stadium. If you said "the rotting, hollowed out carcass of RFK Stadium," you'd be 100% correct! And it seemed oh so appropriate.

 

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

33 minutes ago, BudLighticke said:

Losing to the Saints to go 2-3 is what has everyone mailing it in? 

Not at all.

 

It's that it was the last game for a while where we saw potential for a win.  Perhaps the last hope to see the defense turn it around some.  Heineke's limitations that a lot of folks were concerned about were on full display.  It was a sobering loss.

[profusion]

1 hour ago, Dissident2 said:

I agree the stadium and the experience that goes with it is horrible. But that's not at all the biggest problem. The problem is the franchise itself. I remember being at the 2005 game against Dallas where we utterly destroyed them 35-7 or something like that. THAT was an amazing atmosphere, very reminiscent of RFK. The place was packed with Skins fans and everyone was going absolutely wild. It was by far the best FedEx experience I've ever had, and it was proof that even with all its faults, that place could still be home to a great fan experience if the product on the field wasn't out to eat your soul every week. 

 

Not giving that garbage stadium a pass at all, but it's the least of our concerns. As long as Danya remains, there is no hope for this franchise. It's like painting over dry rot. 

 

I'm sort of old-school when it comes to stadiums. It's a big concrete bowl with a grass field in the middle. I didn't care for the NFL's push to make it an upscale "experience" about 20-25 years ago. I don't need cigars, microbrews or padded seats. I need a cheap beer, a hotdog, a ticket I can afford without budgeting it like a European vacation, and a non-embarrassing team to loudly root for. Working plumbing fixtures also help, but you can forgive a lot if the football's good!

 

FedEx sucks, but I'd deal with it if the team was worth it. A fancy palace won't mask the scent of decay in Snyderville.

[SoCalSkins]

16 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

If NFL woulsnt step in to save the Los Angeles franchises from leaving back in the day, why the belief they'll step in for the DC franchise failing?  Theres not much if any history to shownthe NFL stepping in to save franchises from themselves, even historical flagships.

Forbes still has Washington as the 7th most valuable NFL franchise. The NFL isn’t ever doing anything to Snyder. The other owners are happy with his ineptitude.

[BudLighticke]

4 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

Not at all.

 

It's that it was the last game for a while where we saw potential for a win.  Perhaps the last hope to see the defense turn it around some.  Heineke's limitations that a lot of folks were concerned about were on full display.  It was a sobering loss.

I don’t disagree with that really, but I don’t think the season is over by any means. There are still 12 games left and if heineke can cut down on some of the reckless throws, we can definitely move the football. I remember how many ducks and terrible balls cousins threw early on too, like that 4 pick giants game I believe it was. People don’t seem to realize that at the end of the day, that was his 6th career start.

 

Not at all saying he’s the guy, but the Saints have a damn good defense and we still were able to move the ball frequently throughout the day. 
 

The defense showed signs of life, but still entirely too many gaffes and big plays given up at the least opportune times. I’m starting to think the unit really is just bad overall, but again, long season to figure it out. We started 1-7 I believe last year, and one thing I do know, is that the team in place won’t quit on Rivera. Definitely a sobering loss, but not quite ready to pull the plug yet. Our schedule is brutal though.

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

8 minutes ago, BudLighticke said:

Definitely a sobering loss, but not quite ready to pull the plug yet. Our schedule is brutal though.

These two things pretty much go hand in hand.

 

We get a pissed off Mahomes followed by Aaron Rodgers in Lambeau.  That’s staring 2-5 right in the eyes.  Then they have Denver on the road, of whom isn’t great, but could still easily send this team into the bye at 2-6.  

I considered the Saints a must-win, a game where they had to right the wrongs of weeks past and show some level of improvement.  That didn’t happen in the least.  You think this is bad, steer clear of here after about 2:30pm next Sunday, when they head to locker room down 4 scores. 

 

 

Edited October 11, 2021 by BatteredFanSyndrome

[tomwvr]

22 minutes ago, No Nonsense said:

I think today is a little different from what it was back then. Take it for what it’s worth, but the NFL/Goddell has publicly stated that they want the Bills to remain in Buffalo. Where could the WFT move to that would increase in value. I still believe having a team in Washington DC means something. 

They could o move them

to London or to St. Louis .

 

I’ve heard rumors that St. Louis is in contact with the league over the rams leaving like the did.

 

36 teams will be in the nfl by 2030.

 

4 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

These two things pretty much go hand in hand.

 

We get a pissed off Mahomes followed by Aaron Rodgers in Lambeau.  That’s staring 2-5 right in the eyes.  Then they have Denver on the road, of whom isn’t great, but could still easily send this team into the bye at 2-6.  

I considered the Saints a must-win, a game where they had to right the wrongs of weeks past and show some level of improvement.  That didn’t happen in the least.  You think this is bad, steer clear of her after about 2:30pm next Sunday, when they head to locker room down 4 scores. 

 

 

If they are 2-6 at the bye you can say bye to Jack and if they don’t win 3 of the last 5 games against the NFC East you can say bye to ron.

 

 

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

1 hour ago, Burgold said:

Paraphrasing Cyndi Lauper. 

 

I just wanna have fun. That's all I really want. Oh, Redskins' Fans just wanna have fun.

Honestly this is truly all it is for me. I love football. I love the NFL. I just want to be a fun team. A super bowl is so far away from my mind that’s it’s practically impossible. I just want one fun season where we are good from week 1 on. Don’t even have to win a playoff game. Just win 11-12 games once. Like a normal franchise. 

1 hour ago, ThomasRoane said:

Unrelated but important question.

 

We're staying in Landover Saturday night.  Any suggestions on a good local restaurant?  Not a chain!  Preferably seafood.  TIA!

Hook and Reel at Woodmore town center is a good crab boil place. 

[skins4eva]

14 hours ago, SkipJackSkin said:

^ I don't disagree with your overall sentiment, but are you essentially saying Dan is just an idiot himself? Isn't it in his best interest to have a winning team, to make a great fan experience, etc? Doesn't it only benefit him, even if for all the wrong reasons? Also, why would other owners force him to sell?

I think Dan has zero emotional intelligence and deep seated insecurities. I think those two things together have lead him to where he is. The other owners don’t like him, and with an empty stadium in what should be a prime market, they are all losing money. 

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

1 hour ago, BudLighticke said:

Losing to the Saints to go 2-3 is what has everyone mailing it in? 
 

Frustrating loss and an overall really frustrating team to watch and follow over the years. But if for example terry gets his toe down we’re maybe talking about a different game, and everyone would be celebrating in the Heineke Hive thread instead. (I’m not trying to play the what If game, just pointing out how different the vibe could be with a play here or there).

 

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’d understand the sentiment of this thread more so if we got rolled 35-0. 
 

I do get the frustration though, we are so snake bitten. Any other team in the league with these defensive pieces wouldn’t be this bad. It’s almost just comical at this point.

I’m guessing you’re a newer fan? This thread really has nothing to do with anything related to the 2021 football product. It’s 30 years of misery. And it’s not an exaggeration. This is a pic from our first TD drive

 

 

1 hour ago, kleese said:

I’m glad this hasn’t happened to me. I figure the day I no longer really care if they lose, is probably the same day I no longer really care if they win, which is then the day I just no longer care. If I ever get to a point where I feel emotionless towards the team, I’ll be out. I feel like I’m in control of that though, so hoping it never gets there. 

To your point, no it’s not JUST about this loss of course, or this season… however, I do think there might be some underlying disingenuous posts here— people venting about “not caring” when it appears they still do. And for those that say it’s not just about the losing— let’s be 100% honest— if we were 5-0 right now, this thread wouldn’t exist. I mean it when I said the fanbase is dead— the numbers just aren’t there anymore. But winning would absolutely quiet the complaints and there would be at least a few more in the stands. 

Not sure how true that is. Attendance was bad enough during the 6-3 start in 2018 that players were complaining in the media. 

[Renegade7]

39 minutes ago, No Nonsense said:

I think today is a little different from what it was back then. Take it for what it’s worth, but the NFL/Goddell has publicly stated that they want the Bills to remain in Buffalo. Where could the WFT move to that would increase in value. I still believe having a team in Washington DC means something. 

 

London.

[No Nonsense]

3 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

London.

I still think that is a Goddell pipe dream. No matter how he tries to justify it, it makes no sense. And there’s teams that would be moved over there way before the WFT. 

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

32 minutes ago, BudLighticke said:

I don’t disagree with that really, but I don’t think the season is over by any means. There are still 12 games left and if heineke can cut down on some of the reckless throws, we can definitely move the football. I remember how many ducks and terrible balls cousins threw early on too, like that 4 pick giants game I believe it was. People don’t seem to realize that at the end of the day, that was his 6th career start.

 

Not at all saying he’s the guy, but the Saints have a damn good defense and we still were able to move the ball frequently throughout the day. 
 

The defense showed signs of life, but still entirely too many gaffes and big plays given up at the least opportune times. I’m starting to think the unit really is just bad overall, but again, long season to figure it out. We started 1-7 I believe last year, and one thing I do know, is that the team in place won’t quit on Rivera. Definitely a sobering loss, but not quite ready to pull the plug yet. Our schedule is brutal though.

Yeah this thread or rant/whatever has very little to do with football or Heinicke or Collins. 
 

I just happened to be at the game yesterday. 

[SoCalSkins]

5 minutes ago, Renegade7 said:

 

London.

You are joking right? Moving to London would drop the value from 7th and down to 31 or 32. 

[dyst]

The off-season continues to be the most exciting time being a fan of this team because you can get lost in the possibilities. Once the regular season hits, so too does reality.

 

I remember waking up early to catch the radio pre-shows, then at 11, I’d watch the local tv show before hitting the national one at noon right before kickoff.

I had DVR back then so even after the game I would re-watch the game immediately multiple times throughout the week.

 

A loss was such a devastating feeling but now, I am almost emotionless. The loss never hurts. 

Edited October 11, 2021 by dyst

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

There’s not gonna be a team in London unless it plays at Wembley. And even then, good luck getting fans in there because the Premier League plays on a lot of Sundays especially the teams that play in London like Arsenal, Spurs, etc.