The bill from the danny arrived today........

[Sarge]

To re-new or not to re-new. That is the question...............

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

I'm working on a blog entry as we speak about said topic.

 

[Sarge]

I'll be anxious to see your take

 

[Jimbo]

Vinny's gone, Shanahan-Squared and Bruce Allen are in, Danny has seemingly taken a step back and a new, punter-proof big screen/scoreboard is on the way.

Hope springs eternal. I say renew.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

I say renew also, because really - who are we kidding? We're gonna watch and go to the games. This is not up for debate.

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

I'll be anxious to see your take

The gist: there are a great deal of issues with FedEx and in some cases I would argue that you're better off staying home with a big HDTV (particularly preseason games and MNF/SNF b/c of the drunks), but the experience of watching the team live (hopefully they'll win more than 3 at home this season) is worth the effort, not counting the fun you have tailgating and spending time with friends/family.

And much like the FO structural overhaul, I think the TO is improving despite how much they pissed me off last season.

The actual blog post is taking me some time b/c my issues with the FedEx experience is huge.
Here's just my comments on it from another entry about the 2009 season:
http://walkingdeadmanblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/redskins-player-awards-pt2.html

Then you start running gestapo type tactics at FedEx when fans wish to show their displeasure by bringing in signs and wearing t-shirts calling for Snyder and Cerrato to be fired and that they are "dumb and dumber".

FedEx Field/Ticket Office: First the TO pissed me off when they talked of upgrades to those who renewed their tickets ("first come first serve, so renew early" the guy at the TO told me), yet few were upgraded unless they called to complain. It's one thing if the Skins didn't have any open seats a few rows below me to give out (that's all I really wanted), but that was not the case at all. What really made me mad was that I know fans who had given up their tickets 1-2 years ago in better spots than I and were offered (in some cases begged) by the Skins to come back and offered their seats back or an upgrade. I also know that some folks coming off the season ticket list got better seats than people who have been season ticket holders (like me) for years. There just doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason to how the TO works and nobody wants to explain anything either.
Then we read the reports from The Washington Post about how the Skins TO sold GA and premium seats to scalpers (aka "ticket brokers") in 2008. In particular, this was partially responsible for the massive wave of Steeler fans that showed up on MNF in 2008. This and the deal with Stub Hub pretty much FedEx a place where there is no home field advantage.
I also have significant issue with the message the Skins are trying to send to fans at FedEx. They have warnings during and before the games about Redskin fans being mean/disruptive/unruly to opposing team fans, but nothing like this to THE OPPOSING TEAM FANS. So they can be total ***holes, eh? Also, it seems like the staff has been told to treat the opposing fans better than the Redskin fans. I have no source to confirm this, but that's the feeling I get when I go to FedEx. You go to M&T and you know you're in the Raven's house. Not so at FedEx.
I have another post coming up about my complaints on FedEx, so I'll leave this topic for now.

At home, the Skins were a lousy 3-5 and an even worse 1-7 on the road. Ideally, if you want to make the playoffs you need to have a 10-6 record or better (yeah, 9-7 and 8-8 has gotten teams in but 10-6 most likely will get you a playoff berth). In that 10-6 record, you should be at least 6-2 at home. No other sport seems to have a better home field advantage than football......and the Skins just don't seem to have one at FedEx.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

the experience of watching the team live (hopefully they'll win more than 3 at home this season) is worth the effort, not counting the fun you have tailgating and spending time with friends/family.

That's what it is for me. My Redskins tailgate family are the bestest!

 

[LoyalSkinsFan]

I can't honestly believe it's even a question.

I put my name on the waiting list when I was around ten and waited over 20+ years to get my season tickets and I will never give them up. I have now lived in Los Angeles for nearly 25 years. If I'm lucky, I get to a game every season or two. Though far from the team geographically, I'm still as close to them emotionally as I ever was. That will never change. Win or lose.

Are things so different these days back in DC? Has the climate surrounding the team changed so much since I lived there? Are Redskin fans so removed now from the team that they'd consider NOT renewing season tickets for anything other than financial reasons?

To me, it's not about winning every season. That's never been done....never will in any sport. I heard it said last week by Mark Rypien when speaking about winning the '91 Super Bowl.....that it was great to win but it was really the journey that made it so special. I've always felt that way.....and will continue to tune in any way I can. It sometimes can be aggravating.....even infuriating......but I always walk away satisfied.

These are the times that make the best of times the best of times.

I want to watch it all...and, if I could be there, I would.

I can't believe anyone would want to miss out.

HTTR

 

[hail2skins]

LoyalSkinsFan, when people don't renew, more often than not it is for financial reasons. Sure, there are those that will choose to stay home and watch on the big screen, but many have determined that you can buy tickets on a game-to-game basis for cheaper than you would if you bought season tickets.....and don't have to pay for the preseason games either.

 

[Sisyphus]

The travel, parking and Fedex stadium experience are miserable. I've got better ways to spend my afternoon than surrounded by a bunch of aggressive depressed angry drunks hurling profanities at the coaches and players.

 

[Sarge]

Here's my deal. Had danny not cleaned house, I wouldn't even been thinking about it, I'd be telling the Skins to **** off

It's 2.5 hours to Fed Ex for me. That pretty much limits me to 1300 games, as I'm up at 0330 to be back in DC at 0600 on Monday for work. 1600 games make it a late night. Sunday and Monday night games are out of the question unless I want to burn precious leave to recover the next day.

To be honest, the way they've stunk it up lately, it hasn't been worth it. Not one bit. And I know they have a way to go to get back to respectability. I'm thinking of dropping off the list for a year or two, buying individual tickets and getting back on theseason ticket holder list in a year or two

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

These are the times that make the best of times the best of times.

I want to watch it all...and, if I could be there, I would.

I can't believe anyone would want to miss out.

HTTR

Trust me LSF, that's was my original thoughts when I was a STH in my first year (2004) and as many of you know from the old ES days how much I've dreamed of having a 12th man that rivals the days of RFK. I still hope to see that one day at FedEx.

Problem is that there are problems at FedEx......some major, some just annoying. Some it it is on the fans who go to Redskins games. The drunk/inconsiderate bastards that are just there to cause trouble and the people who would rather do nothing (but read a book/newpaper) and are offended at those who try to actually cheer for their team (and I'm talking about Skins "fans" here).

Of course the Skins have just done a poor job in areas. Lines for food/bathroom are ridiculous unless you really have a game plan in place. Service has been average to poor in quality of food and customer service. Prices of said mediocre food is insane.
And like I've said before, dealing with the TO in past years has been painful.
Oh yeah, the on the field product has been unwatchable (seriously the Giants and Cowboys games we should have been refunded our $$).

So there is clearly some buyers remorse you hear from STHs past and present....that's just the way it is. Hopefully things are moving in the right direction, starting with the removal of the Lite-Brite and the new HD screens with more replays and other NFL scores.

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

Here's my deal. Had danny not cleaned house, I wouldn't even been thinking about it, I'd be telling the Skins to **** off

It's 2.5 hours to Fed Ex for me. That pretty much limits me to 1300 games, as I'm up at 0330 to be back in DC at 0600 on Monday for work. 1600 games make it a late night. Sunday and Monday night games are out of the question unless I want to burn precious leave to recover the next day.

To be honest, the way they've stunk it up lately, it hasn't been worth it. Not one bit. And I know they have a way to go to get back to respectability. I'm thinking of dropping off the list for a year or two, buying individual tickets and getting back on theseason ticket holder list in a year or two

same here sarge, approx. 2.5 hour trip for me too (I generally try to take the next day off if I have the vacation time) and I've also been on the fence about tickets.....honestly I still believe that you could get singles and be fine especially if you don't plan on going to all the games.

 

[Billfishead]

I also have a long drive like WD and Sarge, but I cannot give up my tickets as of yet. The teams record is not the issue, it's the fan experience at Fed Ex.

The fan experience at Fed Ex is atrocious to say the least. Somebody needs to drag the Danny (kicking and screaming if necessary) to a Caps game so he can experience what a fan experience is supposed to be like.

I've had similar experiences to WD from parking issues, harassment for a "Snyder Sucks" t-shirt to my brains being beaten in by over exposure to relentless commercials at insane volumes.

These are the things that need to be corrected for me to continue my season tickets. A new FO, a new chance. If it's not corrected or at least major improvements made this year, my dollars will stay in my pocket in 2011.

 

[Jimbo]

You guys make some excellent points. It's easy for me to say renew because I've only attended one game at FedEx and that was preseason under Marty. My season ticket history was at RFK and I lived in Northern Virginia all my life until moving to Colorado in 1994 so I was always less than an hour from the stadium.

Other than what I've read, I know nothing of the FedEx experience on Sundays and I would likely have an issue with having to get up at O-dark-thirty to go to a game. Those of you that do that are true fans and I can certainly understand why you'd be on the fence. I was in my mid-thirties when I last attended a Sunday home game so I'm not sure how much patience I'd have nowadays but I'd sure like to find out. I definitely miss it. I've seen the Skins play the Broncos in Denver a couple of times in addition to attending a couple other Broncos games. I still love being there and being part of the crowd, even when I'm cheering for the Skins against the home team. I miss the high-fives and comraderie that you just don't feel in a sports bar.

Here's hoping the fan experience improves at FedEx and the team can bring back some of those old memories.

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

ok, here's the blog entry finally done:
http://walkingdeadmanblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/fedex-field-conundrum-to-renew-or-to.html

It's pretty long, so here's the opening paragraphs:
(Ed. Note: More than likely I will I did be renewing my season tickets, but I thought I would share my thought process on the decision. Trust me, it's not an easy one. Season tickets aren't cheap but it's also not easy giving up on something that I've always wanted to be a part of/have since I was a kid. This post is not encouraging other season ticket holders to renew or give up their season tickets, just my thoughts on the process. Maybe you have had similar thoughts/opinions as well. -WD)

A few weeks ago I received a package from the Redskins discussing rumors that have been talked about by the fans/bloggers/message board folk (for the last few years) about a new HD jumbotron and some other upgrades made at the stadium and in the ticket office. There was also a note from Bruce Allen/Mike Shanahan telling fans about the upcoming season and hoping that "you, the fan" will be there to support the team on their way to hopeful victory. Thus, I starting seriously thinking about whether I should renew or just stay home and watch the games on TV.

A few days ago......the invoice came.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

All I can say is that hopefully Shanahan brings wins back to DC...its much more fun to watch games when your team is winning. Just look at the Caps - 2 years ago the Verizon Center was empty; now they sell out every game. That's what 23-3-3 at home will get you.

 

[Om]

Bingo, LL.

It's all about the product on the field. The expense, the assholes in the crowd, the logistics ... all of that only become a real issue when the team is losing. When it wins again, that will become an afterthought again ... just as was the fact RFK, for all its' hallowdness, was a dump.

If Shanny builds a winner, they will come. Guaranteed.

 

[Bulldog]

Let's see........you reserved tickets to watch Jim Zorn but are questioning whether you want to watch Mike Shanahan?

 

[Jimbo]

RFK may have been a dump but I never had anything to compare it to. I saw the Skins, Senators, Federals, a few concerts and a soccer game or two in those hallowed halls. Sure, it may have been old but I grew up there, seeing my first baseball game in 1967.

Maybe I'm biased but I don't see FedEx Field, or even Invesco Field, as a huge upgrade. Maybe it was the fact that there was a concession stand and restroom very close to our seats in Section 211 that got me spoiled but I just never thought of RFK as a dump. I reckon times have changed.