What Has Happened to the Redskins' Fan Base?

[KB24]

Growing up, one of the things I remember sports announcers saying about the Redskins is that they had a very knowledgeable fan base. But, lately, I've seen that same fan base do some things that make me scratch my head.

If you go to other Web sites, you'll notice fans suggesting that the Redskins give up high draft picks to acquire big stars/head cases who may not fit with the system or the locker room. The worst part is that this has been the strategy since Dan Snyder bought the team and it's netted a 70-79 record with one playoff win. Additionally, teams like the Steelers, Patriots, Colts and Giants mainly used the draft while treating free agency as a supplement to their roster-building. This strategy has netted Super Bowl wins for the aforementioned teams.

I've also noticed fans asking silly questions on message boards -- questions that, in my opinion, a "knowledgeable" fan base would never ask. They've included, "Can we as a sixth-seeded team host a playoff game?" "Why was that play called a touchback?" "Why are they running the ball here (when there's less than two minutes left in the game, the opposition has no timeouts and you're trying to run the clock out)?"

Then, the games themselves have turned into a breeding ground for violent, foul-mouthed fans who feel like they need to drink themselves to oblivion to have a good time. You also have people who are conducting business in the stands and don't care about the game. People who leave or return to their seats when a play is in progress. People who want to start the wave in the fourth quarter of a close game when the Redskins offense is on the field. People who are more concerned about getting on the jumbotron than what's happening on the football field. People who are jumping up and down screaming when the Skins have the ball on a crucial fourth-down play. And those who keep wondering why that little clock in the corner keeps counting backwards from 40.

(Okay, I made that last one up, but you get the idea!)

Thoughts?

[Schneed10]

I do get frustrated when fans ask silly questions or propose ridiculous, maddenesque trade ideas. But then I look at the fans around me here in Philadelphia, and I'm reminded to be appreciative that at least we're not like them!

I think overall we're a pretty smart fan base. Inevitably you're going to have some n00bs that need to be dealt with. But we're better off than a lot of cities, methinks.

[Mwoody85]

Between the price (tix, food, etc.), the alcoholic fans, and the fans that sell their tix to fans of other teams, I'm starting to prefer watching at home. It seems like the % of cowboy fans at FedEx goes up ever year.

The other time the "limited" knowledge of the fan base shows is during post game radio call-in programs. Sometimes it’s painful to listen.

[skinsguy]

KB24, I've been wondering the same thing for awhile now myself. I think a lot of it has been bred through a decade and some change of losing. When the team was winning consistently in the 80's, fans didn't have to question every little move because they trusted the team and it's coaches that the moves were well thought out.

I'm hoping the new Jim Zorn era will curb some of this. As far as the drunks in the stands, there's only so much you can do in those regards. I've always questioned why people insist on drinking at sporting events.

[freddyg12]

When the Skins left RFK, the danny ushered in a new era. RFK was home to old standing season ticket owners & people that really knew & cared. Not that those same people aren't at fedex. When you jump from 52,000 to 90,000 it's inevitable you'll suffer a loss of quality.

Consider fedex a 'pop music' or 'fast food' version of Redskins football. Maybe that's harsh, but fedex really symbolizes the danny's biz imprint on the skins even though he didn't build it. It's been about style over substance & that's how he's operated in free agency... unitl NOW!!

The comments you make about fans wanting the skins to make the splashy moves, indicates that a lot of people must buy into the danny's past moves, or they simply don't know much recent skins history. It's good to see that the owner & front office seem to have really turned over a new leaf & will be running things quite differently now. We'll see how many fans catch on & support it.

I know people on the warpath are behind the new approach, the fair weather fans will be too once we start winning consistently & JC becomes a star.

[Redskins8588]

Originally Posted by freddyg12

When the Skins left RFK, the danny ushered in a new era. RFK was home to old standing season ticket owners & people that really knew & cared. Not that those same people aren't at fedex. When you jump from 52,000 to 90,000 it's inevitable you'll suffer a loss of quality.

Consider fedex a 'pop music' or 'fast food' version of Redskins football. Maybe that's harsh, but fedex really symbolizes the danny's biz imprint on the skins even though he didn't build it. It's been about style over substance & that's how he's operated in free agency... unitl NOW!!

The comments you make about fans wanting the skins to make the splashy moves, indicates that a lot of people must buy into the danny's past moves, or they simply don't know much recent skins history. It's good to see that the owner & front office seem to have really turned over a new leaf & will be running things quite differently now. We'll see how many fans catch on & support it.

I know people on the warpath are behind the new approach, the fair weather fans will be too once we start winning consistently & JC becomes a star.

Mr. JKC built the new Stadium, Not the "Danny". Danny got the stadium when he bought the team, in fact the stadium was named after JKC...

[Soup's Uncle]

I think in general, Redskins fans are very knowledgable. I often will be out somehwere with a jersey on, and I'll break into conversation with total strangers about the Redskins.

My whole family is Redskins fans, and I was discussing the draft in depth with some of my uncles yesterday. They knew a hell of a lot more than I did about different prospects and such.

I think like any sports franchise, you get people who are idiots, but I feel like we're alot better than Eagles or Cowboys fans. Cowboys fans excuse for being fans of them is that their "America's Team" or some BS like that. Eagles fans are the most obnoxious people in the world. I know b/c I'm friends with a bunch of them.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

In general the internet allows more people to have a voice than ever before. The majority of fans in the 80's could have been a bunch of slack jawed yolkles but you hardly ever got to hear them because they could only talk with other idiots in the room or call into to the radio after the game. Now we have a chance to read every little asinine thought that enters someone's mind as soon as they think it up.
I think the fan base for every team seems to have been dumbed down because of this.
Plus, if want to hear a bunch of idiots trying to talk about football you should come up here to Baltimore and take a listen to the majority of ravens fans.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by ArtMonkDrillz

In general the internet allows more people to have a voice than ever before. The majority of fans in the 80's could have been a bunch of slack jawed yolkles but you hardly ever got to hear them because they could only talk with other idiots in the room or call into to the radio after the game. Now we have a chance to read every little asinine thought that enters someone's mind as soon as they think it up.
I think the fan base for every team seems to have been dumbed down because of this.
Plus, if want to hear a bunch of idiots trying to talk about football you should come up here to Baltimore and take a listen to the majority of ravens fans.

I was just about to post something similar. In this day of 24/7 instant media coverage, the internet, and sports talk radio... the fans' voice is more prevelant than ever. And that's not always a good thing as we all know.

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by ArtMonkDrillz

In general the internet allows more people to have a voice than ever before. The majority of fans in the 80's could have been a bunch of slack jawed yolkles but you hardly ever got to hear them because they could only talk with other idiots in the room or call into to the radio after the game. Now we have a chance to read every little asinine thought that enters someone's mind as soon as they think it up.
I think the fan base for every team seems to have been dumbed down because of this.
Plus, if want to hear a bunch of idiots trying to talk about football you should come up here to Baltimore and take a listen to the majority of ravens fans.

I was also going to say the internet happened.

The internet has enabled stupid people worldwide to be noticed.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by Buster

I was also going to say the internet happened.

The internet has enabled stupid people worldwide to be noticed.

Some of the content in this thread is kinda off the wall (The first few pages are solid), but I'll throw my opinion in the ring.

I don't think this "decaying fanbase" phenomenon is exclusive to the Redskins. I think it's going in all of sports and much of society, but I'm not trying to be a sociologist here. IMO a few factors are responsible for what a lot of people perceive to be a less intelligent, less genuine group of football fans:

As Buster and several others pointed out, the internet is responsible for a lot. The blogosphere is massive nowadays. Anyone with internet access and an opinion can be heard- i.e. the "trolls" we refer to on this site.

Also, I think as technology has advanced, so has the "on demand" concept that is evident in every industry and every aspect of life. Everything is about bigger, better, faster, and what can rake in the most $$. We want what we want when we want it, and technology has made it easier to cater to this mindset. So in general people have become more critical, more impatient, and less thoughtful. One immediate way to equate this to football is how quickly we on this site want to jump on every free agent available. And as far as the Redskins, the way Danny in the past has tried to buy every good player available. We're also very fast to criticize.

Couple all of this with The Danny's commercialization of the Redskins brand, and more losses than wins during his ownership, and whammo. You get what appears to be a "dumbed down" fan base. Like I said though, I think you'll find this with a lot of fans in a lot of sports. It ain't just the Skins.

[Soup's Uncle]

Yeah, Ravens fans suck too. I'm friends with some of them as well.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by Soup's Uncle

Yeah, Ravens fans suck too. I'm friends with some of them as well.

Their fans are basically the only reason I hate the team. Hell, I sort of liked them up until just after they won the super bowl and all their fans started thinking they were the greatest team in the history of the sport and that their SB win was the only one that mattered.

[SmootSmack]

I have been an extremely vocal critic of the fanbase. There are indeed several great, passionate, knowledgeable fans (as noted on this very fansite). Unfortunately, there are plenty of ignorant fans (also noted on this very fansite). I don't think though that it's necessarily worse than it was 20 years ago. It's just that back then the mass of morons had no platform with which to express their views. But now, thanks to podcasts, chat rooms, blogs, etc. they can no longer be shut up and their idiotic voices must be heard. Of course, the same holds true for the intelligent fans that had no place to speak before.

Edit: I won't go any further since I just saw AMD's post which echoes what I'm saying (or I guess, I'm echoing what he's saying)

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

B] Of course, the same holds true for the intelligent fans that had no place to speak before. [/B]

You're 100% right about this. Fans are probably more informed now than they ever were in the past because of the amount of information that it available to them at the click of a button. We can now use the internet to track the salary cap, a player's injury status, legal status, situational stats, draft prospects, depth charts, etc.
I guess it's just a matter of taking advantage of the resources to become more knowledgeable.