Fall of the Redskins Empire on the Horizon ? ? ?

I would never think the Redskins would decline in popularity enough that there long time sellout streak would end, but Czaban thinks its plausible with the way Daniel Snyder has run this franchise lately (he must've taken the FRANCHISE DEMOLTION course with Al Davis !!!!). He does mention that the die hard Redskins fans are slowly making way for the more fair weather Redskins fans, who are more likely to blow this team off if they continue to be nothing more than a borderline playoff team. I wonder if he is still looking at replacing FEDEX FIELD with a newer stadium at the soon to be demolished RFK site ? ? ? ? I'm sure the Cowboys new $1 billion stadium is making him super jealous for a better stadium, even though FEDEX is barely 10 years old.


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January 29, 2008

Empires, Inevitably Do Fall


Day 21 of the Redskins coaching “search” here in Washington. Here’s more…

Monday’s new “name” was NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci. You could perhaps draw some lines between him and Zorn (Holmgren) and make sense of it. If it happens.

I think he’d be a disaster. Maybe worse than Fassel. At least Fassel will hump it hard to make this work. Mooch seems like a coaster, who enjoys the world of “never wrong” on TV like Jimmy Johnson.

I am also against hiring anybody from the broadcast booth. If guys were any good at actually coaching, they wouldn’t be putting on pancake makeup on Sundays. If anybody really wanted them, they would have pulled them out of the booth with an offer.

Bill Parcells is a Hall of Fame coach, who had a pretty fast car talent wise in Dallas (he did help build it) and an aggressive owner who isn’t clueless about football like Snyder.

So how did that work out?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I think that an economic collapse of the Redskins Inc. under Snyder is under way. I think home blackouts within 10 years are very much a real and present danger. Here’s why.

The “core” fans of this team from the 80’s and beyond, are deserting the stadium in droves. While Snyder is able to replenish them with newbies from the waiting list, they are hardly as loyal as the ones you have effectively run out.

The stadium experience is absolutely abysmal. Even on a sunny day, when the Redskins win by 21. It’s an assault on your wallet (prices), your senses (the P.A. system) and possibly your safety (rampant drunken idiots).

Oh yeah, it takes all day too. Big fun.

The Washington Nationals ascendancy in this town is just beginning. Just about everybody is under-rating what kind of force they will be on “share of fan” in the sports entertainment market.

The Nats’ new stadium will be a fan-friendly gem. Drinking will be the mellow, take me out for a summer day and have some beers affair, not the “let’s chug vodka and throw a brick through an opposing fan’s window” kind of driking. After figuring out the parking mess, fans will probably say: “hey, what a great experience.”

This will sharpen the nagging realization that FedEx Field is an abomination.

It will only take a 10-15% drain on fans who switch out Skins season tickets for the Nats to deal Danny a staggering punch. Don’t get me wrong. These people will still consider themselves “Redskins fans”, they just won’t spend at Danny’s joint.

The depth of a fan (or even corporation’s) wallet is not limitless, even though Snyder acts as if it so.

When you merge the Nats’ effect, with deepened Redskins discontent with Snyder’s continuing amateur hour act, and mix in 3 straight really bad seasons – look out! With an over-built stadium (92,000 is absurd) there will be a real scramble to keep the blackout rules from creeping in.

Go ahead, think it won’t happen. Say “not to us! We’re the Redskins! Look at our tradition!”

From where I sit, this current franchise feels nothing more than an expansion team, swaddled in the same colors and logos as the one I loved growing up.

Otherwise, nothing is the same.

The stadium experience is exactly the opposite of the communal, electric, close-knit vibe of RFK. The owner is unaccountable to the public, won’t conduct interviews to justify decisions, and is in utter contempt of the average fan – of whom he has not, and will not engage in a single act or promotion of outreach like a Ted Leonsis or a Mark Cuban.

And yeah, the last time the Skins were really good. Like legit good, not just “hey, they are kinda good” good, was 1991.

That’s 18 years ago. I did the math.

Feels like forever.

Maybe Snyder’s economic collapse of the Redskins model is just wishful thinking on my part. Or maybe not.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect the Washington market to stop loving football OR the burgundy and gold. But Snyder’s economic model of filling FedEx field and then gouging fans to the point of pain, has no birthright to continue indefinitely into the future.

When a collapse in a market or sector occurs, do people usually say: “Hey, I see a collapse coming!” No. Otherwise it would be called a “slow decline” not a collapse.

See: “Bubble, Dot-Com.”
See: “Bubble, Housing.”

Et al.

When conditions for a collapse become readily apparent, it is usually too late to do anything about it.

My feeling is that because Snyder has so little feel for the average fan he’s gouging, does virtually nothing to reach out to them, that he’ll be shocked when the waiting list dries up, and season ticket-renewals plummet.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Oh yeah, one more thing. I don’t understand much about what’s happening with Danny’s operation of Six Flags. Most of this article goes well over my head. But it sure does sound bad.

Assuming this thing plays out badly, as some predict, I ask you this: “Since buying the Redskins, what other business has Snyder prospered with?”

Just asking…

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A lot of positive response to yesterday’s entry comparing Danny and Vinny to the two dorks in “Superbad.” Let me try to add one more layer that one emailer suggested.

Who is “Fogle” in this scenario with the Redskins? You know, the super-dork with the absurd fake ID named “McLovin.”

I think Fogle is Gibbs. Here’s why.

Using Fogle’s fake ID to score the booze was a far-fetched longshot. Just like Gibbs returning the Skins to glory. But Fogle was all the dorks had. Just like hiring Gibbs was all Snyder had in the wake of the Spurrier disaster.

Also, in the movie, it works out pretty well for Fogle in the end. He gets to cruise around with the cops, shoot guns, get drunk and ultimately bang the super hot chick at the party.

And his exit was spectacular, artificially raising people’s image of him by fighting the cops shirtless while in handcuffs.

Not unlike Gibbs, whose exit was graced with a vibe of how dignified he handled tragedy, and one last playoff run.

Like Fogle, the whole thing worked out pretty damn well for HIM, even though the two guys who hired him to do his bidding, pretty much ended up failing.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Here are some questions I would love to get a straight answer on, but I know will never be properly addressed.

To Dan Snyder
Was Gregg Williams ever “close” to getting the job during his four interviews? Did he talk himself out of the job with a philosophy you did not agree with?

Was there ever a $1 million buyout for Gregg if he did not get the head coach job?

Have you asked other owners advice on how to hire a coach?

Was there a personality conflict between Cerrato and Williams? If so, what was it about?

To Joe Gibbs
Did you ever specifically endorse Gregg for the job, and what did Snyder say to you once he decided against it?

If Snyder ignored your recommendation for Williams, do you feel disrespected?

Now that yourself, Al Saunders, and Williams are gone do you feel that what was “built” over four years has been dismantled?

Did you give Snyder any other coaching candidates, and did he follow up on them?

 

It fell the day Jack Kent Cooke got gone.

 

Yep.

 

Guess I never really have considered them an empire since Gibbs left the first time.

 

Sure Steve. Sure. Steve's been here long enough to know this is the wrong town to be dropping this line. It's been pretty limitless the entire time I've lived here. In Baltimore and DC.

Most fans are gonna dig until their own financial problems keep them from doing so - not because the PA system is too loud. Yes, Fed EX blows moose cocks, but it's never full anyway - win or lose. And that ticket money is still coming in even if some folks are at the house watching.

 

Link, sds?

 

From Czabe.com . . . Czaban's FALL OF THE REDSKINS Rant (Go Midway down Page)

 

FEDEX Field not full for Redskins games? I thought with the 30 year waiting list for season tixs, every game would be sold out and seats full with a capacity of 90,000+.

I can see where your coming from where a long time franchise like the Redskins should never run out of fan loyalty, but if they continue to be a just average franchise, folks will find other ways to spend their money. Especially if 1) the 'Nats start getting good and 2) the Skins keep jacking up the price on everything at FEDEX FIELD (i.e. parking fees, concessions, season tixs, etc.) without a return. I mean, Cowboys fans are going to be paying way more at the new stadium in Arlington for everything in 2009, but they know that the Cowboys are for the foreseeable future going to be a Super Bowl contender**




** plus that 60 yard long center hung scoreboard is going to be nice to look at duriing the game !!!!

 

It is sold out, but there are thousands of no shows. For the Panthers game last year, I was able to get six tickets together for WAY below face value. 50 cents on the dollar to be exact. There were tons of empty seats all over the stadium even though it was a beautiful day in November that didn't require a coat.