Frustration for the Fans, but will Snyder Listen?

As fans emptied out of FedEx Field yesterday, frustration seemed to be running high. Fans booed the team, shouted at various players, chanted for Bill Cowher, and shuffled out with their heads down. Fans were downright disgusted not only by the fact that the Redskins lost to yet another winless team, but by just how embarrassing they looked. They failed to score a single touchdown and managed only two field goals against the 29th ranked defense in the league. Trailing by three with only about three minutes left to go, the Redskins went three and out and punted the ball. With three timeouts remaining, the Redskins still had an opportunity of they could hold the Chiefs to three and out. They failed and allowed the Chiefs to add another field goal to their lead. Still with a chance, the Redskins took the kickoff and immediately were flagged for an illegal block in the back. On the first offensive play of the drive, Todd Collins was sacked in the endzone giving the Chiefs a safety. Eager to get one more bad play in, the Redskins attempted an onside kick after the safety, but did not kick the ball 10 yards to the waiting players from both teams, but rather 20 yards behind the line where the Redskins had no chance of recovering the ball.

The embarrassing play in yesterday's loss can be added to the list of reasons why fans are so upset. I wonder if Snyder knows exactly why the fans are so frustrated. No doubt he hears the boos and thinks he knows the problem. He will respond by firing Jim Zorn, during the offseason at the latest, bring in a whole new coaching staff, open his deep pockets to bring in the most expensive and therefore best players and build what he hopes will be a winning team. Once the Skins are good again, all the boos will end and the fans will be happy once again. While it is true that winning can fix most problems, what Snyder continually fails to realize is that the fans are fed up with him more than with losing.

As the fans filed out of FedEx Field, the boos and chants were not just for Zorn, or for the terrible team performance. People were shouting at Snyder too, demanding him to sell the team, yelling that we deserve better. This is not just about winning or being the second highest profitable team in the NFL, it is about the fans. Because of Snyder, buses are no longer available to drive the fans from metro stops. Instead they must take the 45 minute walk to the stadium (yes, it took 45 minutes for me to walk there yesterday). He said it was because he was trying to go green. He has restricted tailgaters for seemingly no reason. Prices at the concession stand are unbelievably obscene. Snyder has even gone so far as to deny lids for drinks, no doubt in an attempt to save money and in the hope that someone will spill and have to buy another. He has sued his own season ticket holders who in this rough economy cannot afford to pay for those tickets. The team responded to this criticism by saying that it is a common practice in the NFL, but other teams stepped forward to say that this does not happen elsewhere.

Snyder may be telling himself that the fans are booing because the team is losing and that winning solves all problems, but is he listening to the boos and the shouts? If he was, he'd know the fans want respect. They want an owner who will care more about their needs then penny-pinching. Ultimately, we don't care if the team's profit margin is 2nd or 10th or 20th. While he lines his pockets with our money, our team and the trip to FedEx Field continually gets worse. Why should fans go see the Redskins? The team is terrible and will always be as long as Snyder refuses to give his coaches control of the team. Going to games is becoming increasingly expensive with ticket prices and concessions. Why go see your team beat up for hundreds of dollars?

So the only question I have for Daniel Snyder is, are you listening?