On Taking a Stand and Redskins Fandom

[Ax]

The name change sucks beyond measure, but if we walk away we in effect justify the majority knee-jerk reaction. F that.

Respectfully disagree. Walking away, while the battle is still going on, would be impossible to justify.
But if the name change happens, that's the end of the game. We lost, It's over. And it can never be replayed. There is no rubber match.
They won. There's nothing left to justify at that point.

The options are to find ways to try and justify it, and then willingly accept it.
Or find a new game to play.

 

[Boone]

There goes Ax off to write his new hit single, 'Alone in my principles'...

I don't think 'accepting it' has anything to do with it. Shit happens. We're not 5 years old where we can wish reality away. Sometimes in life, you lose the argument. It doesn't make you wrong and the other guys right. And it certainly doesn't mean you agree with, endorse, or are validating the decision. But stomping home with your toys is just one option - not the only one. Life isn't always black and white. It's complicated.

I said that it wasn't my goal to convince anyone to change their mind, and it's not. Everyone obviously has their own view and right to it.

 

[Ax]

I see your latest hit "Surrender Is Sexy" is climbing the charts.

Oorah?

 

[Knightingale]

Love the OP Boone, pretty much sums up where I am on the subject.

I'm also have a foot in the Henry camp, in that I've been surprised by how little this truly bothers me.

I've been a Redskins fan since Superbowl XVIII and through that time I've seen players come and go. Coaches come and go. Owners go and come. I've seen changes in stadium and uniforms. And yet, none of those changes bothered me a jot, because the name was consistent and honestly evolution is part of life. Now we're faced with that constant changing...and it's a jarring thought at first. But as I started to think about it, I began to think... well the players are on the whole the same guys I rooted for last year. The colours will hopefully remain the same, the fight song, etc. And there's such new hope in the franchise with Rivera on board, Dwayne's second year and Young about to dominate. In the grand scheme of things it's such a small change. Fundamentally we've seen BIGGER changes to the organisation, changing the name changes practically nothing about this team.

But it's just that this one happens to be the NAME. The one constant for such a long time. The one thing we all identify with.

I'm not a Rivera fan...I'm a Redskins fan.
I'm not a Snyder fan...I'm a Redskins fan.
etc

After the initial shock wore off, I came around to the fact that I'll still be rooting for exactly the same team...it's just that identifier will have a new name.

And, it doesn't stop this awesome community from being a place to passionately discuss all matters pertaining to this team. It doesn't remove the history of this team, it simply adds to it. One day I'll be able to say "I was a fan of this franchise from Superbowl XVIII, I saw them win, I saw them lose, I saw them move from RFK to Fedex, I saw the Bruce Allen years and I saw them change their name in 2020"
This will be just a new addition to the history of the team I support and the community I love being part of.

And deep down...I'll always be a Redskins fan, never mind what they end up calling it.

 

[Boone]

I see your latest hit "Surrender Is Sexy" is climbing the charts.

Oorah?

Sooooo dramatic. Toughen up buttercup

 

[Win4us]

Well I hate the fact we lost the battle to these little punk bitches over their sensitive feelings & NOT anything offensive. But the NFL as a whole is taking turns I’m not willing to follow them into. Hasn’t happened yet obviously but the talk of Goodel allowing kneeling during the national anthem as well as playing a black anthem instead would be icing on the cake. There’s only 1 Anthem that should be played & it’s our National Anthem. Even if I wanted to I can’t let the misguided kneeling slide.

There’s sinister motives behind all of this and their objective is to divide us. Right now it’s working. We should not be discussing a team name that’s all of a sudden deemed racist by mindless parrots squawking over it 24/7. Yet we’re losing our team’s legacy over a very small few with zero merit or integrity, & all because our owner is not only a f’n idiot but gutless as well.

At this point I’m no longer invested like I once was, not even close to it. For me it comes down to if this team/league isn’t willing to stand up to corporate bullying that use SJW’s as a mouthpiece, then why should I as a fan back them anymore? I’m honestly torn on continuing, & if I do it will be as an occasional fan at best henceforth.

 

[Ax]

Sooooo dramatic. Toughen up buttercup

Struck a nerve, huh cupcake

 

[MikefromOH]

you guys really doing this?

we're all friends here...this fucking sucks, but if we cant get along, what are we doing here then?

 

[SilentThreat]

you guys really doing this?

we're all friends here...this fucking sucks, but if we cant get along, what are we doing here then?

nobody makes me bleed my own blood

 

[Enforcer]

Whether any fan stays or goes - I don't begrudge their choice. It's a personal one, and people will choose what they want to do.

One thing that is annoying that the last head coach under the Redskins official name is going to be that clown, Jay Gruden (and interim Calahan, I guess)!

 

[MikefromOH]

seriously...who in their right mind would have a problem with this? It...its...it's just beautiful, man.

Free Bird
Free Bird
Ramblin Man pattern
Wayward son drag
on 69....
ready, break!

 

[SilentThreat]

Whether any fan stays or goes - I don't begrudge their choice. It's a personal one, and people will choose what they want to do.

One thing that is annoying that the last head coach under the Redskins official name is going to be that clown, Jay Gruden (and interim Calahan, I guess)!

Technically it's Bill Callahan...

 

[Boone]

There are 2 other threads where people can piss and moan and howl at the moon to their hearts content. This is one I started verbalizing other possible approaches. My advice is - if something other than walking away in outraged protest bothers you, maybe stay the **** out of my thread?

 

[MikefromOH]

Much love, brother.

PS - moan and howl and the moon....nice one

 

[Boone]

Much love, brother.

PS - moan and howl and the moon....nice one

It’s not like I don’t have those exact same emotions. Trust me - I do.

 

[MikefromOH]

It’s not like I don’t have those exact same emotions. Trust me - I do.

I know. You have always been way more level headed than the most of us. It's always been a good thing in my eyes.

Back on topic for me:

I just feel like if I don't stand up for this it will just keep invading more and more of the NFL that I once loved. Now we have situations like:

The Black National Anthem
Drew Brees being drug through the mud while DeSean has barely a peep said about him
Colin popping up in the news almost daily

Just more and more things going on that have zero to do with football, and a mob mentality of driving people out who don't conform to whatever they want. I think I am just finally at my breaking point. The Skins aren't racist. Anyone with half a brain and looked up anything relevant would see that. When the Marshall statue was removed, I didnt hear anyone complain.

I don't think I have it in me to accept this and get excited for a season...that might not even happen.

 

[Bulldog]

I think the problem for this fan base is the total amount of body blows it has taken at the hands of this owner. Snyder has almost been as corrosive here as Art Modell was in Cleveland.

Snyder has by actions over many years shown himself to be a selfish, mean-spirited back-biter who throws other people in front of the fire when things don't turn out well - as evidenced by the 10 year reign of terror of Bruce Allen.

At some point the 'king' has to take responsibility for the welfare of his kingdom. And he is off on his yacht getting a tan while others are left to address the media.

The name change to me was something I expected to see years ago after the round of protests and media hate that reached a high crescendo in the mid-2000's. The fact the team was able to stave it off for another 15 years was somewhat surprising to be honest.

Again, Snyder's ownership has been filled with nothing but gaffes, actions which alienated fans and media, as well as complete failure on the field.

If Dan Snyder himself comes out and takes the podium to address the name change and take questions and be the point person for the organization in re these changes, then perhaps that is one half-step forward for him in facing the music so to speak.

That would be a positive step. A small one.

But if he pushes Ron Rivera out there and makes him address all of these changes having been in town long enough to just unpack his bags, then it will confirm to me that Snyder remains the coward he has always been.

 

[Win4us]

There are 2 other threads where people can piss and moan and howl at the moon to their hearts content. This is one I started verbalizing other possible approaches. My advice is - if something other than walking away in outraged protest bothers you, maybe stay the **** out of my thread?

So you’re saying you like Red Wolves now?

 

[DieselPwr44]

Other than bowing to the PC Crowd, the thing that pisses me off the most is some "fans" of this team telling me....

"It's just a name dude"

I'll let Fletcher give my response to that:

 

[DudeRedskin]

Jesus. The media frenzy continues unabated. I like Sarah Spain. For more reasons than she looks uncannily like my one that got away-but I digress. Yet to hear her say we need a name change, NOT to the Warriors, but to something that completely walks away from, without a backward glance, our "reprehensible and racist" past, is just, freaking arrogant and ignorant on a level I'd like to think I have seldom reached. I won't even waste time with the idiot bleeding heart Bill Plaschke. That dude has LONG overstayed his appointed time at the bully pulpit. This crap just blows. It is what it is, but go screw yourself if you expect me to condone or endorse it. Jeez.