Redskins linebacker tees off on fans

[Sarge]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/09/21/redskins-linebacker-tees-off-on-fans/


And the misadventures with Twitter continue.

According to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post, Redskins rookie linebacker Robert Henson didn't like the fact that fans at FedEx Field were exercising their First Amendment rights to demonstrate displeasure with the return on their investment in the price of a ticket to a football game by shouting "BOO!" at the home team during a sluggish 9-7 win over the Rams.

So Henson went off, Twitter style.

Steinberg has consolidated Henson's Tila Tequila-style stream of rants. Here's a condensed version of it.

"All you fake half hearted Skins fan can .. I won't go there but I dislike you very strongly, don't come to Fed Ex to boo dim wits!! No I didn't play but I still made more than you in a year and you'd [gladly] switch spots with me in a second, I was talking to the fans [who] said the crazy stuff, I'm use [to] heckling but I've never been booed in my own stadium. . . . The question is who are you to say you know what's best for the team and you work 9 to 5 at Mcdonalds. . . ."







Probably where this guy will be working in a year or two. At least he apologized

 

[Neophyte]

I can understand how he would be angry about that and how he likely doesn't understand where it is coming from. I don't understand his insulting the very people who are giving Danny the money to pay him with. Sounds like he needs a lesson in economics to me.

 

[China]

Not to mention that the fans were booing the offense and not the defense. I also like what Brian Mitchell had to say about it. If you aren't playing and don't have anything on the stat sheet, then you have no business complaining about the fans. Do something on the field and maybe you'll have a legitimate beef with the fans. And the economics thing he needs to learn as well, the fans pay through the nose to watch and can boo if they don't feel they're getting their money's worth.

 

[EatSleepRedskin]

He doesn't know the history of it and he doesn't understand the booing. All he hears is booing.

I might feel the same way. Fans shouldn't boo their team. But then again, I know the history of the team, and I understand why fans booed them.

 

[Hog Fever]

Reminds me of an old Benny Hill gag:

Fan #1 – “That’s crap man there were some people cheering.”

Fan #2 –“Yeah, they were cheering the booing.”

I can understand as a player that you don’t want to hear that type of reaction after a win. Still, he needs to grow up a bit and understand where this is all coming from. If there wasn’t a deep love for this team from the fans that show up week after week they wouldn’t bother booing at all, they’d just stay home. If this team doesn’t improve (and soon) Henson will be criticizing the fact that the visiting teams have more people in the seats than the home team. Who wants to cheer for a team that doesn’t hold themselves accountable for poor play? Maybe it will make them mad and they’ll have a break out game. Who knows?

This isn’t Philly. All the fans at Fed Ex want is something to be cheer about. At every opportunity the team gave them to do that, they did. It’s hard to get excited about three field goals and a nail biting win over a crap team. Yes, we’ll take the win but that’s not the point. If he can’t see that someone needs to get a muzzle on him quickly before this gets bigger than it already is and it becomes fans vs. players on some level. Players never win that match up, especially if your name is Robert Hansen.

 

[Yusuf06]

I have probably been one of the most critical fans of the team on ES over the years and now here. However, I don't think there's ever any reason to boo your own team. I just have a problem with it. There's plenty of ways to register displeasure, probably the most effective being to simply stay home. Of course there's always the option as well. Booing is just bad form though.

Even so, I find it interesting that the only one of the "Knucklehead LB twins" we drafted that made the team, mostly due to charity and luck, has the nerve to give the business to the fans this way. Ironically, his lack of mastery of english made it a case of self ownage..."...don't come to Fed Ex to boo dim wits!!" I know there was one dimwit they should have been booing.

 

[Sarge]

I have probably been one of the most critical fans of the team on ES over the years and now here. However, I don't think there's ever any reason to boo your own team. I just have a problem with it. There's plenty of ways to register displeasure, probably the most effective being to simply stay home. Of course there's always the option as well. Booing is just bad form though.

For years I've agreed with that sentiment. Ten years to be precise. Never have been a fan of the danny, but somehow he's always muddled along with just enough whatever to promise "next year".

But I've had it with this whole inept "organization". Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Gibbs, on his way out the door, recommended Zorn to the danny as a joke. Who knows.

And if we had ecked out a 9-7 win against the Gints last week, I'd venture to say there would have been zero booing.

But this was the RAMS. The RAMS. One of the suckiest teams in the league and we barely, barely, by the SKINS of our asses, beat them.

That kind of monumental lack of effort, along with the monumental inability to call a game, along with 10 years of the monumental inablity to run a football team, deserves some booing IMO

 

[Yusuf06]

I hear you Sarge and I hope you weren't taking my comment to mean that I somehow have turned into a believer in Lord Farquuad. I just have a fundamental problem with booing the players on the field. After all, even if some of the individuals suck or don't give maximal effort, they're not the ones responsible for their being there.

I just think there are better ways to show displeasure. Sadly, like you my fan mojo has gotten pretty low these days. In fact, it's gotten to the point where I don't even bother to wear my jerseys and such on gamedays anymore. It's not out of shame, it's just a general lack of excitement and hope for things ever getting better due to our dysfunctional F.O. and our pathetic joke of an owner.

 

[riggins44]

I'm one that can't boo the Skins. Just seems wrong to me. I can understand why many did. Just like them I am frustrated and tired of paying to see and inferior product.

At what point do the fans get tired of paying serious bucks to see a mediocre team and stop attending. Then we have blackouts and fans stop buying merchandise...this will hit Danny where it hurts.

 

[Sarge]

I hear you Sarge and I hope you weren't taking my comment to mean that I somehow have turned into a believer in Lord Farquuad.

Good thing I wasn't drinking anything when I read that


I think the whole crux of the matter is that the fans have finally, finally had enough of the danny and his ineptness. Maybe a few blackouts and ticket turn ins wouldn't be a bad thing

 

[Pappas]

http://www.comcast.net/articles/sports-general/20090921/FBN.Redskins.Twitter.Apology/

 

[servumtuum]

At what point do the fans get tired of paying serious bucks to see a mediocre team and stop attending. Then we have blackouts and fans stop buying merchandise...this will hit Danny where it hurts.

I think the whole crux of the matter is that the fans have finally, finally had enough of the danny and his ineptness. Maybe a few blackouts and ticket turn ins wouldn't be a bad thing

To be perfectly, if brutally, honest-I have to admit that I'm seriously thinking that this may be the ultimate solution to the problem. It's going to hurt the long term-and long suffering-fans who have been loyal to the Skins through good seasons and bad to have to resort to something like this but I'm beginning to believe that a change in ownership and/or front office philosophy is going to be the only way for the Skins to return to former glory.

 

[Elephant]

And I can't for the life of me imagine that after Jones unveiled his version of the 21st Century version of the Roman Coliseum, Danny boy doesn't have some plans of his own in DC.

My only concern is, does Danny start shooting from the hip again to build his Taj Mahal or does he start making better decisions to put a Championship team on the field first?

 

[Miles Monroe]

Good thing I wasn't drinking anything when I read that


I think the whole crux of the matter is that the fans have finally, finally had enough of the danny and his ineptness. Maybe a few blackouts and ticket turn ins wouldn't be a bad thing

How is this about the owners ineptness ? Please enlighten me, because what I see is a team with a lot of talent, a lack of discipline, and a head coach that's over his head.

We need better pressure on D, so our inept owner finds a way to hire big Al, drafts a stud, and adds an undrafted rookie with a big up side to help the D get to the QB. How is that inept ?

It's not the owner hanging onto the older guys on the O line like Randy, who only the dumbest out there expected him to make it through the season. You have to look to Buges on that for the most part, and Zorn partly. If Zorn says we need it, Snyder and Vinny will find a way to get it.

If people want to BOO, so be it. I don't care for it in any situation, but I can venture a solid guess that the people Booing weren't directing at the owner, but the ineptness of the play calling, the lack of production, and the general lack of focus of the players.

 

[Yusuf06]

How is this about the owners ineptness ? Please enlighten me, because what I see is a team with a lot of talent, a lack of discipline, and a head coach that's over his head.

Well, how about this for starters? Or, an alternate view of the same thing.

Then there's the .475 winning pct during his tenure.

 

[Pravda]

That twitter rant is pretty unprofessional--

Forget whether he was right--but insulting the people who are paying your six figure salary just reflects fundamental immaturity and shortsightedness.

The fans are paying the players to be entertained. If the product they paid (a lot of) money for is performing poorly, then the fans have every right to express displeasure.

Booing is not my style, but neither is insulting the people that pay me to do my job.

 

[Chris]

Robert who?

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

I was there and didn't boo......I 99.9% of the time will not do that. I did scream from 403 "COACH WILL YOU PLEASE THROW A FADE IN THE END ZONE FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!!!!!!"

But, the fans who did were justified. This is beyond sad and what's even more sad is that many expected this type of outcome myself included.

The fans support the team.....look how loud the fans got at the end when the Rams had one last chance to try and get the game winning FG......the crowd got loud but we all know that 9 points will not win many games especially when the team was inside the 10 four times.

The fans are frustrated (and have been for the last decade) and if the booing sent a message (apparently it did to Henson) then maybe just maybe that's a good thing.

In the DC/MD/VA area we love our Skins and if you play well here and find ways to win, as a player you will be treated with the respect that some places would treat royalty. It'd be nice to do that for some players who weren't a part of Gibbs 1.0.

 

[Miles Monroe]

Well, how about this for starters? Or, an alternate view of the same thing.

Then there's the .475 winning pct during his tenure.

The .475 is a direct reflection on the coaching, and when each guy was hired, there wasn't much complaining.

I'm not arguing the point of that the team hasn't fared well while Snyder has had control, but the fact that nothing he did caused the people to booo. The fact is, more often then not, we have the talent to win, and the lack of coaching to get it done. They boo the coaching staff, and the players. Snyder hired Zorn, but do you hear people yelling during the game, Snyder you suck..... Snyder you screwed us ? We may kill him on the forums, but people boo the team on the field.

Snyder's brought in some pretty good coaches, and at least one excellent prospect since he's owned the team. Marty and Gibbs didn't fare all that well, and Spurrier being the hottest prospect to make the move from college to the pros at the time didn't pan out either. People were generally happy with the hire of Marty, thrilled to get Spurrier, and Snyder was a God for getting Gibbs back.......... till none of it worked out.

Hiring Zorn has proven to be a bad move thus far, but being turned down by Steve Spagnuolo, Fassel lining up for the job wasnt gonna be the answer according to the majority of the fans and the FO. When your team isn't scoring, and you want to install a faster paced system, the guy that coached up one of the better QB's running the WCO in the league looks to be a good option for a jump up to OC and somebody to groom your QB. Hiring him prior to a head coach was off the wall, but in the beginning, the man was charismatic and talked the talk well enough to be given the head spot for lack of real options in the short time frame before the off season work was to begin.....

The real sad fact is, no coach thus far has been able to brake this organization out of the funk it's been in since Norve was coach. Not the hard ass coach, the hall of fame coach, or the hot prospect. The blame has to be directed somewhere, so people blame the person doing the hiring of the coaches, when the coaches are the ones that have failed.

If Cowher or Shanahan came here next season, most would be happy as pigs in slop. If they failed over the course of a season or two, it would be Snyders fault for hiring them. :doh:

Right ?

 

[Boone]

Hard to get my pulse up over this...

If Redskins players don't want to get booed - how about playing up to your potential - just occasionally. I think you'd likely be amazed at the support you'd get.

As for fans booing - I've always hated that. It's understandable, but pointless. I'm not surprised some players 'don't get it'. Its because they forget that the 'fans' they frequently view as idiots and a necessary evil are, at their core, far far more passionate about this franchise than all but a few players will ever be.

For them, it's a job, and it's a paycheck. But it's rarely if ever love, or hate, or agony, or ecstasy.

I don't expect Henson to get it.