Redskins’ popularity wanes - PFT

[RedskinRat]

Yeah, I know it's sacreligious to post links to PFT...

Still.....

Redskins’ popularity wanes - PFT

The Associated Press reported that Monday’s practice may have had the lowest attendance ever in the 10 years the team has been training at its facility in Ashburn, Virginia. Tight end Chris Cooley, who’s in his eighth training camp with the team, said the number of fans in camp isn’t even close to what it used to be.

No mention of the economy? Oh, come on!

[GMScud]

Bad economy + lockout + losing team does not = fans eager to support/spend money. Pretty simple.

[NC_Skins]

Hopefully he'll sell the team. One can hope and dream.

[skinsfaninok]

Originally Posted by GMScud

Bad economy + lockout + losing team does not = fans eager to support/spend money. Pretty simple.

I used to go to spring games at OU but have stopped recently, just too hot and honestly not that exciting.

[Monkeydad]

Plus 105-degree heat indexes...

Another opportunity to bash the team...yawn.

I bet it's a league-wide "problem" with smaller crowds at practices.

[RedskinRat]

I wasn't sure if it was the typical anti-Skins slant I see on PFT, but it did seem they left out a major component.

Not sure how many people still hate Dan.

[Schneed10]

The lockout alone is a major reason for this. The training camp schedule wasn't out until just a few days ago; fans usually get to plan around the open practices for weeks.

[CultBrennan59]

Heat, expected loosing team, Shanahan not always showing the 11 on 11 on the closer field, gas prices to drive there/economy...yeah I don't expect many fans to be there. I don't plan on going there again under Shanahan's regime, unless we win the super bowl or get Andrew Luck

[MTK]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

The lockout alone is a major reason for this. The training camp schedule wasn't out until just a few days ago; fans usually get to plan around the open practices for weeks.

Yup, a lot of people probably scrapped their TC plans with the lockout.

[GMScud]

Training camp is only a part of it. You're seeing less interest in the regular season, too. Kind of like the whole remove 10,000 seats for "party decks," and then later on we find out it's really because they couldn't sell those seats.

I have only been to one regular season game in the past two years, haven't been to a training camp since Gibbs' final season, and I purchase a pretty limited amount of Redskins stuff.

Winning would help. A lot.

[mlmpetert]

For me the primary issue is the owner. Im not bringing it up to bash him but people just flat out dont like him. Girls that dont really know anything about football but like getting togather to chat and "watch" the game probably cant name more then 3 or 4 players on the team but they know who Danny Snyder is and that they dont like him. Thats not normal for most teams. People just dont like him. You add on consistant loosing and it makes for disinterest in the team. You pile on a lockout, bad economy and hot temps and you get a 1/5th attendence of whats normal.

From PFT

Part of the issue may not be specific to the Redskins: The lockout may have turned off fans, or just made it harder for them to plan ahead for a trip to training camp. But some of it is specific to the Redskins, and particularly owner Dan Snyder. Longtime Redskins fan Justin Caballero told the Associated Press Snyder is the reason fans are turned off.

“I know some who have gotten rid of their tickets,” Caballero said. “The owner — that’s the biggest one I get, they don’t like the owner. And they don’t want to give him no more money.”

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by mlmpetert

For me the primary issue is the owner. Im not bringing it up to bash him but people just flat out dont like him. Girls that dont really know anything about football but like getting togather to chat and "watch" the game probably cant name more then 3 or 4 players on the team but they know who Danny Snyder is and that they dont like him. Thats not normal for most teams. People just dont like him. You add on consistant loosing and it makes for disinterest in the team. You pile on a lockout, bad economy and hot temps and you get a 1/5th attendence of whats normal.

From PFT

People would like Danny more if we were winning. Scud is right, winning would change things.

[Ruhskins]

Honestly, the people that don't like Snyder need to get over it. I am not going to defend any of the stupid things he did in the past, but right now he is a non-issue for the team. He's not making any decisions nor is he interfering with the team, he's just signing the checks. Personally, event the whole law suit against that newspaper is a non-issue for me, and it really shouldn't be for anyone as it relates to the team (which it doesn't).

I'm not saying that people should like Snyder, but unless he start f*cking the team up by interfering with operations or hire sh*theads like Vinny again, Snyder doesn't affect whether I like the team or not. And it really shouldn't affect anyone, but some people get easily distracted by non-important things.

That being said, I think this whole popularity issue with training camp probably has more to do with the lockout, the economy, and the heat rather than Snyder. PFT probably posted that article since they really haven't had anything to report about the Redskins.

[mooby]

I'm planning on going to TC sometime this week or next, and honestly, even though I'm excited and looking forward to it, I can see why people would wanna stay home. Nobody wants to sit in 100 degree heat to watch a team that's gone 10-22 over the last two seasons. And the fact that it's going to take me almost half a tank to drive all the way out there and back doesn't help either.

[rbanerjee23]

Just need to start winning and the whole situation will reverse itself.