Official Game Thread & BGO Blind Pig: Week 18 - WFT at New York Giants

[Boone]

The guys talk about all things name change, the Dirk Diggler standard, and the upcoming road clash against the hapless New York Giants.

 

[Canadian Hog]

Amazing work as always, guys! Thoroughly enjoyed it and missed not being there last night.

Mark, you mentioned very early in the pod that you believe they are gearing the name change to the next generation of fans. On that front, here is an interesting tidbit...I have an 8 and 10 year old at home who are both into the game. They both know enough about the teams, players around the league, watch with me here and there, etc. I have never forced the Redskins on them, although my youngest, through osmosis I guess, would probably tell you loosely that the Redskins are his favourite team. When I showed my boys the latest Making The Brand and explained why Redwolves was out, they interestingly both stated "that sucks!" Likewise, when I tell them about other possibilities like Commanders or Admirals, they give me the "what are those" looks.

I guess what I am trying to get at is that unless they have a rabbit up their sleeve, I think they will find a way to muster disinterest even with the young ones.

It makes winning in 2022 all the more paramount.

 

[Om]

Amazing work as always, guys! Thoroughly enjoyed it and missed not being there last night.

Mark, you mentioned very early in the pod that you believe they are gearing the name change to the next generation of fans. On that front, here is an interesting tidbit...I have an 8 and 10 year old at home who are both into the game. They both know enough about the teams, players around the league, watch with me here and there, etc. I have never forced the Redskins on them, although my youngest, through osmosis I guess, would probably tell you loosely that the Redskins are his favourite team. When I showed my boys the latest Making The Brand and explained why Redwolves was out, they interestingly both stated "that sucks!" Likewise, when I tell them about other possibilities like Commanders or Admirals, they give me the "what are those" looks.

I guess what I am trying to get at is that unless they have a rabbit up their sleeve, I think they will find a way to muster disinterest even with the young ones.

It makes winning in 2022 all the more paramount.

Thanks, brother. Missed you and Bob keeping us in line.

For what it's worth, what I was trying to convey about my impression that the Team is targeting the name-change thing to a younger audience wasn't about the name itself--though I'm sure their focus group studies take that part seriously--but in context of our discussion about how they've teased the announcement out for two years. I was thinking they are likely hoping to generate some excitement around the reveal more among young people than toward those of us who have been around and following the franchise for decades. I know I'm a helluva lot more jaded about it all at 61 than I would have been at 11, or 31.

As to the eventual name itself? I'm not confident my first blush reaction will be positive no matter what it is. I've spent 50 years being a Redskins fan ... so anything else to me is going to be a come-down. But I'm hopeful that any instant real dislike I have for the new name will diminish over time and I'll at least grow to accept it. It probably took 10 years for me to get over "Wizards" ... so I recognize I may be looking at a slow evolution. Though maybe at 71 I won't even remember they changed it ... erg.

And as to the winning part? Absolutely. I have said and will say that until the cows come home (where do they actually go?) ... if and when this becomes a winning franchise again, fans will come. Old fans and new fans alike. Everyone loves a winner, even those who aren't crazy about the name of the team.

*

Oh, and my sincere apologies for subjecting anyone to the old-white-guy Brick House chair dance at the end. WTF was that.

 

[SkinsOrlando]

Enjoyed it on my drive in this morning, I agree that this team is a PR disaster, Derek's point of making it a "moment" for the next gen of fans rings true. The local team fandom that Mark spoke about, I'm not so sure in this day in age that's the case anymore because of social media, internet in general, the way games are presented with being flexed and certain markets not getting local games (Jax, Miami) in FL notoriously get bumped off local tv. From what I see in Florida, most younger fans are just are attracted to a winner, why so many Pats fans exist in central Florida, same with Yankees and Red Sox, no local connection and the Rays can't sell out a game even when there a World Series contender, the Bolts do have a relatively loyal fan base but again, they've been winning. The name change is what it is and I expect them to have some mundane name but nothing really moves the needle until a consistently contending product is put on the field. If we lose to close out the year against this awful Giants team I will commence incessant bitching galore, hmmm maybe it'll be a thread. Please no Matt Ryan, a statue is not what this team needs.

 

[Chris]

Derek was correct on fans wanting to feel included. Even fans being lured into thinking that the opportunity to chime in on the new name was authentic seems pretty disingenuous now. The name was most likely decided on before that campaign started.

To Mark’s point on follow the money on the Today Show thing, why would a national non-sports platform even care? The Washington NFL franchise has been nationally irrelevant for decades. Would a rebrand of Cincinnati, Detroit, Jacksonville, etc garner national interest? It not like Green Bay is unveiling a new team name. And who is the team going to drag onto the set for the 4 minutes that will be allotted? Tanya, Jason, and Ron?

I guarantee that week is not a sweeps week.

 

[Chris]

Amazing work as always, guys! Thoroughly enjoyed it and missed not being there last night.

Mark, you mentioned very early in the pod that you believe they are gearing the name change to the next generation of fans. On that front, here is an interesting tidbit...I have an 8 and 10 year old at home who are both into the game. They both know enough about the teams, players around the league, watch with me here and there, etc. I have never forced the Redskins on them, although my youngest, through osmosis I guess, would probably tell you loosely that the Redskins are his favourite team. When I showed my boys the latest Making The Brand and explained why Redwolves was out, they interestingly both stated "that sucks!" Likewise, when I tell them about other possibilities like Commanders or Admirals, they give me the "what are those" looks.

I guess what I am trying to get at is that unless they have a rabbit up their sleeve, I think they will find a way to muster disinterest even with the young ones.

It makes winning in 2022 all the more paramount.

Nothing like a cadre of older men/people? attempting to identify an idea that young people will consider cool (or fire?).

 

[Om]

Derek was correct on fans wanting to feel included. Even fans being lured into thinking that the opportunity to chime in on the new name was authentic seems pretty disingenuous now. The name was most likely decided on before that campaign started.

To Mark’s point on follow the money on the Today Show thing, why would a national non-sports platform even care? The Washington NFL franchise has been nationally irrelevant for decades. Would a rebrand of Cincinnati, Detroit, Jacksonville, etc garner national interest? It not like Green Bay is unveiling a new team name. And who is the team going to drag onto the set for the 4 minutes that will be allotted? Tanya, Jason, and Ron?

I guarantee that week is not a sweeps week.

Its a fair question, brother. All I was offering was a possible explanation why they'd opt to make the announcement there. Some money tie-in is the only way it makes any sense to me at this point. I'll be curious to see what if any explanation we ever do get as to why they chose a morning show. Like I said I always expected them to use the international media extravaganza of the Super Bowl to make the announcement.

 

[Boone]

The Today show hosts won’t boo guys. I don’t think it goes much deeper than that, lol…

 

[Chris]

Its a fair question, brother. All I was offering was a possible explanation why they'd opt to make the announcement there. Some money tie-in is the only way it makes any sense to me at this point. I'll be curious to see what if any explanation we ever do get as to why they chose a morning show. Like I said I always expected them to use the international media extravaganza of the Super Bowl to make the announcement.

Yep, I was agreeing with you. The SB makes too much sense. You know, an audience that actually gives a shit.

 

[Chris]

The Today show hosts won’t boo guys. I don’t think it goes much deeper than that, lol…

But does Mildred in Illinois care?

 

[Om]

Maybe, brother Boone. Then again, if it was just concern over getting booed live, they could just issue a press statement ...

 

[DieselPwr44]

Great pod guys! That was the first time in a long time that I watched a threesome and actually felt good about it afterwards! I totally expect them to screw up the name change and it’s roll out. It’s what they do best.

 

[Chris]

Samm is going to get his first NFL reception on Sunday. It will pull him within 5 of Curtis Samuels.

I’m predicting it will be a TD on a goal line play.

 

[Om]

 

[Neophyte]

Great job, gents. You guys make a great trio like Rush, The Police, and ELP.

I'm still with Mark on this name thing, go with Washington Football Club/Team and forget it. There is going to be a large segment that is unhappy and thinks the choice is dumb no matter what the name is. I rather a lot of anger over no mascot than a lot of one perceived as being stupid.

I do agree that the team has missed yet another solid op to reconnect with the fans. How many passes do we give Jason Wright before we decide that maybe he isn't any better than the last several guys? And yeah, I'm serious about that. We are seeing the same damn mistakes under him that we saw under Bruce. When is the honeymoon over?

 

[SilentThreat]

 

[SilentThreat]

 

[Miles Monroe]

Friends of ours were at the game, it didn't get any fuller from the pick they posted from the second quarter