The Washington Redskins Generation Gap

"Where's the diesel horn! Sound the diesel horn!"

A lifelong Redskins fan screams as he watches John Riggins plow his way into the endzone in a Super Bowl 17 highlight playing on a television nearby.

"That was the greatest run of all time, ALL time!"

The children around him don't seem to care, but other older Redskins fans agree with the man.  A conversation starts about the old days at RFK stadium, seats behind the cheerleaders, playoff memories, and how the Redskins brought together fathers & sons.

The scene described took place at Washington Redskins Fan Appreciation Day, in a line where dozens of Redskins fans were waiting to take a picture with the team's three Super Bowl Trophies.

While waiting in line, fans were able to watch highlights of the three Super Bowl wins looped on TVs, view various banners & game balls from Super Bowl Seasons, and look at team photos of the championship Redskins of the past.  All leading up to the coup de grace, a photo with the Super Bowl trophies.

The nostalgia surrounding the queue was immense, and for those who lived through the Super Bowl days it was a great reminder of the joy of a once proud franchise. But for another generation, it is just a dated reminder of why their parents are Redskins fans, and the reason that Redskins Training Camp has been filled with small children wearing jerseys of other NFL teams.

For the kids, the Washington Redskins are just a team that plays football on TV for 16 Sundays a year and no more.  A team that their father watches each week yelling at the screen, living and dying on every play.  While they wear their Tom Brady and Eli Manning jerseys they wonder why their father is wasting his time on the Washington Redskins.

If only the children could know how important, how amazing, and how wonderful it was to win 3 Super Bowls in 10 years...Instead their understanding is the joke that has been the Washington Redskins for the past 20+ years.

No matter how much video is shown, or how many tents filled with memories are constructed, the only way to get the next generation of the DC area fully involved is to create a new winning tradition.  And with RG3 and a new Redskins attitude, that could be starting right now.

So 20 years from now, while they are standing in line at Redskins Space Park for Fan Appreciation Day, let's hope that the next generation of fans is watching highlights of RG3 and Shanahan Super Bowls and not still talking about the glory days of the 1980's.

The Redskins And The Virginia Lottery Scratch Off Tickets

One of the big hits at Redskins Fan Appreciation Day was the Virginia Lottery Truck parked in the main walkway area.  With three different registers and 16 or so different scratch off games, as well as regular lottery pick games, the truck was packed all day long.

Old Version Left, New Right

The Virginia Lottery is offering a new Redskins themed scratch off ticket that comes out later this month and the truck was at Redskins Park to promote it.  Currently there is already a $5 scratch game called Hail To The Redskins, and the new version looks to be the same type thing.

Back in 2009-2010, Dan Snyder tried his hand at lottery scratch off tickets as a means of income, however it failed.  This Article does a good job outlining the flop.

"The endeavor was plagued by overpricing and unfulfilled promises. Only about a third of the tickets even got sold; many bigger prizes, including two of three much-advertised $1 million giveaways, were never awarded."

The game was revamped and has been around ever since, which must mean it is doing somewhat better than before.  A guy in Springfield won $100,000 (story here)

By the looks of the truck, Dan Snyder will be making some major cash with his lottery tickets from here on out.  I'll be getting my scratch off on August 21st, and then I won't be writing here anymore!

Redskins Fan Appreciation Day: Cash Grab

About two hours before practice started there was a line of cars forming on Loudoun Parkway.  With people arriving as early as 5:45am, the regular parking area was completely filled and police and Redskins staff were directing cars into a giant field a little ways down the road.

By the time practice began, that field, the size of two football fields side by side, was completely filled with cars and the parking staff had to get creative to squeeze the remaining cars.  Fans walked in droves the mile through the heat towards the new practice bubble that loomed in the distance.

The team estimated that around 24,000 fans made the journey out to Ashburn to a free event put on by the Washington Redskins; Fan Appreciation Day.

Fans walk a mile in the heat towards the giant white practice bubble seen in the distance

Fan appreciation day was an opportunity for fans to watch their favorite team practice for a few hours and then attempt to get autographs.  More importantly, it was a way for the Washington Redskins to get 24,000 wallets into Redskins Park and make some money.