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Our responsibility as fans (or lack thereof)

Jugband McGillicuddy

The Pro Bowler
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Most of us have been fans of this team longer than anyone actually associated with the team has been around. Bubba Tyer was the only employee that gave most of us a run for our money as far as tenure goes, and God bless him, he no longer has to worry about the Redskins.

When we say "we" in referring to the Redskins, it's a legitimate "we." This is OUR team. We ARE obsessed. And while we all come from the same place as far as our love for this team, we're all unique in our fandom.

I don't want to get into naming names, or some kind of internet pissing match, but there are a lot of different types of fans -- in this forum and elsewhere.

There are the Debbie Downers. Those fans that are NEVER happy. We could win a fourth Super Bowl, and these folks would find SOMETHING to complain about.

There are the Sunshine and Roses fans. These are the folks who believe the Skins can do no wrong. They're tougher to find these days, but they're the ones criticizing the Debbie Downers for not being "real" Redskin fans.

There are the schizophrenic fans. These are the folks (like me) who ride the roller coaster. We're on Cloud 9 one minute, and standing on the edge of the bridge the next. This is a truly miserable existence, because we allow ourselves to get excited, only to have our hopes repeatedly dashed.

There are the complacent fans. These folks have had their balls busted so many times that they have difficulty caring the way they once did. I wish I could join them. It'd be so much easier. But I just can't bring myself to say "it is what it is" over something as important as my Redskins.

I'm sure there are many other types that I'm overlooking as well. Fandom is like a fingerprint. I don't think any two fans are exactly the same.

I've hashed all this out to ask our esteemed membership two questions...

1. Do we as fans have a responsibility to this team in times like this?
2. If so, what is that responsibility?


HAIL.
 
I'm not sure about a responsibility to the team. I personally have a responsibility to myself. And yeah, life might be a little easier not caring quite as much, letting stuff slide off my back, sure. I can see that.

But then the highs aren't quite as high, are they? That seven game winning streak just kind of becomes another chapter in a "meh" book about the Skins. I prefer to remember incredibly fondly the unbelievable high we were all on when Jackson intercepted Romo last year. Or the fact that I cried in the shower when a) I heard that Gibbs was coming back and b) I heard about Sean's passing. Those moments of genuine emotion keep me going sometimes. I get them with my family for sure, but it's nice to experience them with my Redskins family as well. Scratch that, it's not nice, it's wonderful. Amazing.

We WILL win a SB with Griffin, and I can't wait to experience it with my wife, my kids, and all you crazy bastards. If I tell myself I don't care now, when things are the lowest, will I be able to get up for the high points?
 
The contrast between highs and lows is interesting in itself. I remember Bill Parcells when he retired the first time saying the highs weren't as high anymore, and the lows are much lower. Damn if I don't feel that way now. The losses sting a lot more than they used to. The wins are just, "OK, cool." I guess it would be different if we were 6-3, as opposed to 3-6, but...

I love the point about responsibility to yourself (ourselves.) That's dead on.
 
I, as a Redskin fan, have become conditioned to expect the worst and hope for the best. I can still take great joy in the ups but experience much less of the depression associated with the downs.

I must also admit that the killing of Sean Taylor, my favorite Redskin and favorite college player, impacted my psychological response as well. Games became simply that for me. Just games. The life and death importance that I gave them simply disappeared.
 
Nice assessment. Not going to lie that part of me would be highly amused with animal picture representations of each of these types. :D

I've always seen these games as something to invest in myself. I get annoyed with the losses more than upset. Each new game is a chance to shine, but damn if it doesn't suck when things go badly. I just can't bring myself to be upset with it longer than 30-60 minutes after the game though. I'll be pissed when a play goes bad, but release it right after. I blame the competitive athlete mindset in me.
 
I think Goaldie nailed it pretty good. And I mirror his remarks.

Except, I did NOT cry in the shower like a little pig-tailed girly man, when I heard Gibbs was coming back.





I was in the kitchen. Where big boys cry. ;)
 
Would the team survive without this group of avid fans here at BGO. Absolutely. What is our responsibility? Zero. Free will and all. I'm gonna go bury my head in the sand and dream about rainbows, puppy dogs, unicorns... maybe even Obamacare working. Peace out.
 
I live and die with how this team does. My day is nothing but sour faces and sick puppies.

I'm so bitter and angry I could spit nails and **** lightning bolts.

The complete opposite of last week.

My responsibility? **** any responsibility that some team THINKS I am supposed to have. I'll be here long after they are gone...and I was here long before most of them ever came around this team.


This pretty much reflects where I'm at. I'm pretty sure if you asked Dan Snyder what the fan's responsibility is, he'd be the first to tell you that it's the team that owes its fans some sustained and consistent success and that it's his job as the owner to figure out how to make that happen for them.
 
I'd say I'm in that last category. I enjoy the wins as they come and don't sweat the losses anymore. I don't parse out every little thing and try and decide who should be fired this week and what our game plan should be and what the long term prognosis/plan is. I mean, I'll talk about it here a little just to be sociable but I don't really think about it much anymore. And I don't pay ANY attention to the offseason anymore. Whoever we get, wonderful. I don't scour draft boards or the FA wire or any of that. Once a player puts on the B&G I hope they play well, and that's that.

I look out the window and admire the trees. I don't backseat drive. Life's too short and this team just ain't ever that good.

I will say that since my son has become such a big fan, that I do root for the skins to win a little more strongly these days because he loves the wins and really suffers the losses. I'm just glad I made him go to bed at halftime last night. :)
 
In the end it is about results.

Remember we went through SEVEN years of Norv Turner. Every draft pick will be a star, just be patient. The big free agents will live up to their contracts. After sipping tea here from 1994-2000, Norv was finally dumped and his response? He didn't get a chance to finish the job he started with the team :laugh: :laugh:

Well, here we are now in Year 4 of this regime. Yes, there have been some adversities to overcome, but there were also a lot of mistakes made, many in 2010 and 2011 which cost the team when the salary cap restrictions hit in 2012.

If we had found a capable quarterback in 2010 or 2011, or if we were able to upgrade the offensive line significantly, the current squad would be on much firmer ground.

But we ended up where we are. We have Griffin, but no line to protect him, no draft picks for 2 years to improve the team with impact players around him and a cap penalty to guarantee no quick fix via free agency.

The clock is ticking on Shanahan. Does he get a mulligan for 2013 because Griffin came in injured and the cap penalty equaled no net improvements over 2012? It's debatable, but I think a case could be made to bring him back in 2014 and give him a full offseason with cap room and a healthy quarterback and see what happens.

But if 2014 is not better and we continue to see inconsistent and at times downright boneheaded performances - penalties, blown assignments, double digit leads blown in the last quarter (remember Norv?????), then we have to bring in a new front office and staff in 2015.
 
I don't know what group I would fall into. While I live and too often die with the team, i don't let it effect me in any way. The Skins lost last night. Ya know what, there's not thing one I can do about it, so why should I let it ruin the night, or my day today. I'm no happier then any of you that we lost to a 1 & 7 team, but hey it's just a game. It's not life and death. None of us didn't have a job to go to this morning because the Skins lost. None of us lost a family member, or "woke up dead" :) this morning because the Skins lost.

I have enough to deal with in my life. If following a sport causes stress or unhappiness that effected the stuff that really matters, I'd stop following it.
 
I used to live and die with this team, but the descent of this organization since 1999 (outside of the Gibbs years) when Snyder/Cerrato were the laughingstock of the league took a lot of that out of me.

I watch the games now with fairly low expectations, although there are still instances where I don't want to be around people after a particularly bad loss, such as the one yesterday. That game really pissed me off :mad:
 
I don't know what group I would fall into. While I live and too often die with the team, i don't let it effect me in any way. The Skins lost last night. Ya know what, there's not thing one I can do about it, so why should I let it ruin the night, or my day today. I'm no happier then any of you that we lost to a 1 & 7 team, but hey it's just a game. It's not life and death. None of us didn't have a job to go to this morning because the Skins lost. None of us lost a family member, or "woke up dead" :) this morning because the Skins lost.

I have enough to deal with in my life. If following a sport causes stress or unhappiness that effected the stuff that really matters, I'd stop following it.

That all sounds perfectly rational. But for me my response to the Redskins fortunes isn't rational. Today sucked and I can tell myself all day long that 'it's just a game'. Won't get me out of the crap mood I'm in when we are losing.
 
I used to live and die with this team, but the descent of this organization since 1999 (outside of the Gibbs years) when Snyder/Cerrato were the laughingstock of the league took a lot of that out of me.

I watch the games now with fairly low expectations, although there are still instances where I don't want to be around people after a particularly bad loss, such as the one yesterday. That game really pissed me off :mad:

It pissed me off too, but I just have the ability to get over it within minutes.

That all sounds perfectly rational. But for me my response to the Redskins fortunes isn't rational. Today sucked and I can tell myself all day long that 'it's just a game'. Won't get me out of the crap mood I'm in when we are losing.

I use to be the same way, trust me. It's taken me years to get to this point, but it's my number one life rule now.... don't let things I have no control over control me.
 
I used to get soooo mad after losses that my wife worried that one day, I'd croak after a loss.

I would tell her that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, which means...I'm about freakin' immortal after the last 20 years. lol

Anyway, about two years ago, I'm watching this team in late December...Rex at the helm...even made the comment: "Give me an early Christmas present and at least be competitive vs the Patriots." Surprisingly, they were.

End of the game..the pass to Moss that failed and we lose another close game.

Nothing.

No anger. No frustration. Then that inner voice starts talking to me:

"This is who the Redskins are. No matter what coach...young,old,hot college guy etc...doesn't matter. Continuity,quick hook...old QB, unknown QB,young Qb...none of that seems to change anything. You just have to accept that and just be glad that you were extremely fortunate to see that brief moment in time when they were good and won SuperBowls."

RG3 comes along....and I swear to you...that first game vs the Saints last year, I bet you that was the least I've ever paid attention to a Skins game while it was playing in my living room. Oh,look here..he's completed 6 passes in a row? That's nice. Oh well...

Then the seven game win streak happens...and towards the end of that streak I thought..they are trying their damndest to light the "pilot light". We get to the last game vs the Boys and I'm thinking "every time we have an opportunity to step up, we never do...settle down." We win that game...the flame is lit.

You go through the off season thinking, the team finally has thing figured out and that we're paddling in the same direction...only to watch them stumble out of the gate and resemble nothing of what they looked like down the stretch last season.

Last night..as I was beginning to get mad..that old inner voice spoke up...." Bob..don't you remember?? You've seen this show before..you know how it ends...why are you getting mad?"

And you know what? He's right.

When you really sit down and think about our Redskins and this fanbase....I think this clip accurately depicts every kind of fan in the base and the Redskins themselves:



See..the thing is...The Redskins got the hydra phobie and they're locked up in the corn crib...none of us has had the heart(yet) to pull the trigger.
 
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I live and die with how this team does. My day is nothing but sour faces and sick puppies.

I'm so bitter and angry I could spit nails and **** lightning bolts.

The complete opposite of last week.

My responsibility? **** any responsibility that some team THINKS I am supposed to have. I'll be here long after they are gone...and I was here long before most of them ever came around this team.


This is me to a T, I am still pissed about last night. Anytime the game is brought up I can feel my face getting hot.....

The team owes us, the owner owes us, not the other way around. I listen to Cleveland sports radio, and I hope this fan base is never completely beat down like that one is.... And to be honest Browns fans are pretty damn loyal.
 
The pieces will one day be put together again by this team. When, I don't know.

I do know for a fact though (and I can say this with confidence) that the moment the clock strikes zero in our next Super Bowl appearance, and we are ahead on the scoreboard, there won't be a person on this board who won't say the pain and suffering wasn't worthwhile.

If the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow wasn't something worth waiting around for or experiencing as a fan, I suppose I would shake off the losses easily.

Personally, there's too much in it for me (in terms of personal happiness and satisfaction to be gained) to just move on and carry on like nothing ever happened when we fail as a team.
 
I'm in the live and die by the Redskins camp at this stage of life. Been a fan since 1968. Any life worth living is worth living to the fullest. Been through the Allen & Gibb's championships and feel a sense of entitlement. Its Redskins birthright to NFL Championships. I don't accept anything less. I experience the highest of highs and joy with them and must accept the lowest of lows no matter how painful. That is life as it is with the Redskins. You get your pads back on and get on with the next game.
 

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