BGO.C.D.: The fans don't know. They think they do. But they don't.

[Boone]

These were the words of a Redskins bigwig during a meet and greet over more than a few drinks 6 years ago. The staff of another burgeoning Redskins...

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[The Burgundy Ghost]

great write up Boone,
I always hear that "the fans don't know anything" from the "experts" and that's the general consensus from the teams.

Yet, I have generally made comments in games seconds before the "experts" say the same thing.

Had the Redskins hired me, or most of the posters on BGO as a consultant a few years ago, maybe we wouldn't have had the problems with the lack of a O-line and have to hedge our bets on guys who are either past their prime, have injury histories, have no experience, or have been busts.

I'm not a football guy and would never want to be a GM, but from being a fan of football for almost 25 years has given me enough knowledge to identify problems early enough to try to prevent the meltdowns that this team has seen throughout the past few years.

 

[Jimbo]

I'm guessing that "bigwig" was Karl Swanson. Looks like the big arse he is right about now. Nice piece, John!

 

[brandies]

Well, Snyder is a fan, and he has been controling the team. The team sucks; so at least one fan is clearly ignorant.

 

[Bulldog]

It really doesn't matter

The bottom line is WHATEVER fans think about specific moves they may in fact be wrong or mis-informed, but NO ONE can obscure the results:

This team is now 4-10 in its last 14 games.

How does Cerrato explain that away?

 

[servumtuum]

Boone, once again you express, with amazing eloquence, what many of us think and feel. Congratulations on a fine piece of writing.

And if the "bigwigs" and anyone else have doubts about fan knowledge-particularly as regards the Redskins situation, you could reasonably ask one damning question-why, then do so many others do it so much better than you do if indeed you know so much?

 

[Henry]

You've been holding that in for awhile, Boone, haven't ya?

I know exactly how you feel.

 

[China]

I miss Jim Mora's press conferences. He was always full of good quotes. I think that anonymous Redskin official stole that line from him:

You don't know. You just don't know. You may think you know, but you don't know. And you never will.

 

[Neophyte]

Great piece, Boone. Just great and, I fear, right on. I begin to wonder if my beloved team will ever be relevant again in my lifetime.

 

[riggins44]

Great article, Boone. I am one of those ignorant fans. Yes, it was me who kept believing next year as I bought more and more merchandise. But no more.

We don't know much about the dynamics or details of the players and their personal lives, but then again I don't need to. Just need to see them produce on Sundays.

Snyder would be smart to study how Jack Kent Cooke built and ran this team. While at it study the Rooney family and even the Patriots. He may learn how to run a team.

But this bigwig to call the fans stupid. Well...without us he is out of work. The fans ultimately pay his salary. If we don't buy things and tickets...now we see who holds the cards.

 

[Sarge]

Call Karl and ask if he still thinks we don't know what we're talking about

 

[Yusuf06]

I'm guessing that "bigwig" was Karl Swanson. Looks like the big arse he is right about now. Nice piece, John!

IF the "bigwig" in question actually was Swanson, how bitterly ironic would that be given the fact that PR is the one area the team has mucked up (with a capital F) even worse than personnel? I'd never ask anyone to disclose a confidential source. However in this case that's not necessary anyway. All one needs to do is lookup "hubris" in the dictionary to see who's picture is used to define it.
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[Sarge]

danny fired everyone in the PR department 10 years ago and has gone through a number of people since then. Hell, in one stretch he fired something like 4 PR people in two months

 

[Hog Fever]

Great piece Boone.

I tell you something I do know; I am quickly becoming apathetic about this team. I think there is a growing segment of fans who feel the same way. These aren’t band wagon or fair weather fans either. These are folks who have had season tickets for longer than Dan has been alive.

They know that the issue here is not just Jim Zorn.

They know that Dan and his cronies have turned a once proud franchise into a punch line.

They know that without a fundamental change in the organization our current situation will not change.

If the owners of the team choose to insult and chide the fans for not being “in the know” they do so at their own peril. It just makes it that much easier for current fans to find something else to invest their time, money and emotional stability in.

 

[Yusuf06]

Boone, once again you express, with amazing eloquence, what many of us think and feel. Congratulations on a fine piece of writing.

And if the "bigwigs" and anyone else have doubts about fan knowledge-particularly as regards the Redskins situation, you could reasonably ask one damning question-why, then do so many others do it so much better than you do if indeed you know so much?

I think it's probably more relevant to ask (as I often have over the years) if the fans know the importance of the trenches, team identity, consistency etc., then how is it the "bigwigs" haven't learned it yet? After all, you're comparing them to competent NFL team management when these morons haven't even figured out the stuff most of us average fans know...well that we think we know, but really don't.
Posted via BGO Mobile Device

 

[Henry]

Eh. Nevermind.

 

[Pravda]

Great piece Boone.

I tell you something I do know; I am quickly becoming apathetic about this team. I think there is a growing segment of fans who feel the same way. These aren’t band wagon or fair weather fans either. These are folks who have had season tickets for longer than Dan has been alive.

They know that the issue here is not just Jim Zorn.

They know that Dan and his cronies have turned a once proud franchise into a punch line.

They know that without a fundamental change in the organization our current situation will not change.

If the owners of the team choose to insult and chide the fans for not being “in the know” they do so at their own peril. It just makes it that much easier for current fans to find something else to invest their time, money and emotional stability in.

I think that's exactly right Hog Fever. Too many more years, seasons (months?, weeks?) of this and I think a lot of the core, hard core fanbase is just not tuning in on a regular basis.

Will they still look at the paper to see the score? Yeah, probably, but I don't think they're buying the season tickets and filling 90,000 seats, and buying millions in beers, hot dogs and paraphenilia.

Perhaps, that, in the desperation that it was cause in Snyder's office, will finally get something going in the right direction. I sort of doubt it though.

As long as Snyder controls this organization, I think the franchise is in trouble. I just don't think he's changing anytime soon--

There have been lessons aplenty in his time here, but none have really seemed to fundamentally refocus his energy and management style. And frankly, if you don't get it after 10 years of practice, I don't think the next decade or two will be much different.

Sally Jenkins was and is unfortunately right about him.