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Norman: Feels like our true fans are on the road


naptownskinsfan

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We all know Norman doesn't hold any punches.  He definitely has a right to say that, and he's right to say it.  The fans have stopped showing up to support the team, but its not about the players, it's about ownership.  Road support in the NFL tends to be higher as well, because unless you are a divisional opponent, you only see the Redskins every 3-4 years in all likelihood, it's not nearly like MLB, NBA or NHL where there are at least one chance every year.  I'm glad our non-local fans are supporting the team, but it is going to take time to gain the trust of the ones back home who are the ones "investing" in season tickets.  As for the Texans game, I can imagine that might be the worst attended game of them all- right before the Thanksgiving holiday, against a relatively new team that doesn't have a huge national following.  

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Washington won their third road game of the year on Sunday, which gives them a 3-1 record away from home this season.

They are 3-2 at FedEx Field, but cornerback Josh Norman said after Sunday’s 16-3 win over the Buccaneers that he’d be more than happy to continue playing road games. There was a fair amount of cheering for Norman and his teammates as time wound down on their win and Norman, who had an interception Sunday, said that he feels the team gets better support away from Washington than they do when they are in front of the home crowd.

“I feel like we play better on the road,” Norman said, via Craig Hoffman of 106.7 The Fan. “Im not gonna lie. Gosh man. It seems like our true fans, they’re really with us on the road and we feed off of that. When we go into the home stands, it seems like an open bubble or something. Like the other team’s turf or something. You hear more of them than you do us. Then, if something bad happens, they sulk. They sit back in their seat and they boo. … We can play all our games on the road if you ask me, but at the end of the day the people who are going to be for you, the fans that are really going to have your back? They’ll be there. The other ones man? It is what it is.”

There was a long streak of announced sellouts at FedEx Field, but the team has seen a sharp decline in attendance. They came into this weekend ranked 27th in the league and Norman noted that the Giants haven’t seen their fans stop showing up despite last year’s 3-13 record and a terrible start to this season.

Washington is in first place and we’ll find out how they are welcomed home when they host the Texans next weekend.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/category/rumor-mill/page/2/

 

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Yeah, he's wrong. 

1) Its NEVER a good idea to take on the fans because the player is always gonna lose. The fans pay the players' salaries through their fandom (watching TV, going to games, paying for gear, etc...). It costs me a little over 3 grand a year to have my seats in the lower bowl. Now, I give away some games and sell the rest that I don't go to, but if I didn't, I'm eating that cost. So its 100/ticket plus parking pass (which is about 55 a game). Before I even GET to the game, I've spent almost 400 bucks. Then I have gas, wear and tear on my car to get there (its over 100 miles round trip). And I tailgate, which also costs money. So I'm over 400 and rounding 500 before the opening kickoff. That's just for ONE game. Multiply it by 10 (they make you buy the 2 preseason games too). And then to see a clearly talented team lay a big steaming pile on the field? You bet I'm booing. As @Jeezy Fanatic said, he should've moved on from the question. Strike One

2) The people ON THE FIELD are the ones that are going to change the dynamic of home games and if teams are intimidated or not. And his play hasn't lived up to his contract. Want it to change Josh? Then play better. Strike Two

3) He's been here a hot minute. The Redskins have exactly 3 x 10 win seasons in the last 26 years. We have been to the playoffs only 5 times in the last 25. Can the Jints say the same? No. Last year and this year are a temporary dip. They have won SB's in the past 10-15 years. That goes a LONG way to letting fans deal with a 3-13 season. Talk to Jints fans after those 3-13 seasons continue on for decades where they don't ever get above 6 and 7 wins and only occasionally make the playoffs with a 9-7 record. So to compare the two fanbases is to be ignorant of the realities in which they have lived for the past 2 (almost 3) decades. Strike three. 

I'm now fine with moving on from our "zone corner" after this year. 

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Couple of things:

- Its the worst stadium in sports, and I don't think I'm exaggerating.  If the Redskins want better attendance, build a better stadium.

- Attendance for all sporting events is down across the board, so don't just blame Redskins fans.  The cost has just gotten ridiculous, and the fan experience on TV is at an all time high.

- I think the fanbase has grown lethargic about the team because no one likes or trusts the management of the team.  You can hate on some of the decisions of Scott McCloughan if you want, but at least he was the breath of fresh air that this organization needed.  He was the symbol of hope that real change was happening at Redskins park.  Then he was ousted out and it feels like the old regime that's led to nearly 20 years of mediocrity under Snyder is back in charge.  

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The team has been a joke for nearly 30 years. Dan Snyder made a giant mess of everything and then expected fans to pay an exorbitant price to come watch said mess. Fans got fed up and now they’re feeling the wrath of that. 

Its like if you were going to a restaurant and they kept serving you crappy food. Why would you keep going back? You wouldn’t so this is no different. Redskins fans have just gotten tired of eating the S Sandwich that Snyder has served. 

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Come on down to FedEx Field! Pay $50 to park, drink our expired beer, watch Alex Smith break the 150 yard passing mark*, and watch our defense give up 400 yards. A time so fun, you won't mind that it takes you 2 hours to get out of the parking lots!

* Yardage not guaranteed, Alex cares too much about winning to selfishly hit open receivers and boost his stats 

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2 hours ago, MKnight82 said:

Couple of things:

- Its the worst stadium in sports, and I don't think I'm exaggerating.  If the Redskins want better attendance, build a better stadium.

  1. The Oakland Coliseum says "hello."
  2. Even if they wanted to, they're tied to the lease at FedEx for another seven or eight years, if I recall correctly.
2 hours ago, MKnight82 said:

- Attendance for all sporting events is down across the board, so don't just blame Redskins fans.  The cost has just gotten ridiculous, and the fan experience on TV is at an all time high.

At the same time, attendance for the Redskins has dropped off precipitously. More so than the average situation. TV is part of the blame. The fact FedEx is a miserable place to go to is probably a bigger problem.

2 hours ago, MKnight82 said:

- I think the fanbase has grown lethargic about the team because no one likes or trusts the management of the team.  You can hate on some of the decisions of Scott McCloughan if you want, but at least he was the breath of fresh air that this organization needed.  He was the symbol of hope that real change was happening at Redskins park.  Then he was ousted out and it feels like the old regime that's led to nearly 20 years of mediocrity under Snyder is back in charge.  

It's the same old same old. The local fanbase has gotten tired of teams that occasionally make the playoffs once every five years or so while living in the cellar. The owner is a dbag. The GM is a lying yes man. Why get hyped up about this team?

Even if the Redskins fail-to-lose the division, do any of us truly expect them to go far in the ayoffplays? Really?

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Just now, Jeezy Fanatic said:

Come on down to FedEx Field! Pay $50 to park, drink our expired beer, watch Alex Smith break the 150 yard passing mark*, and watch our defense give up 400 yards. A time so fun, you won't mind that it takes you 2 hours to get out of the parking lots!

* Yardage not guaranteed, Alex cares too much about winning to selfishly hit open receivers and boost his stats 

I was watching the SNF game last night and saw both Wentz and Prescott throwing the ball more than 20 yards downfield on regular occasions. I thought that it was kind of pretty, watching those rainbows.

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