Stadium observations

[ATV]

We all know how important the fans at a stadium are to a team's success. And of course the better a team is playing the more fanatic the fans become and vice versa if the team is playing poorly. What I'm going to write here has long occured to me, and may be obvious, but I guess I've never really given it much thought.

I've only been to one Skins game my whole life, back in RFK, but I've seen a great deal of the fans during all the NFL games I've seen. Here's my generalization - When the crowd at FedEx is shown I see an above average number of Father's with their sons. Yes, they cheer - whoopee! Go Skins! Clap Clap. When I see the crowd at Lincoln Financial I see, nearly exclusively, lots of rabid young men - screaming, SCREAMING their fkn lungs off. Without going into the history of how these proportions may have changed through the years, I think it's fair to say this may be part of the reason why the Eagles' crowd seems to generate significantly more noise than do the Redskins', even though FedEx now holds, what, 30,000 more people?

If you accept the above then you may want to ask why these proportions exist. I'd say part of the reason is because of the higher ticket prices (that's an obvious social connection). I'm sure there are other, more complicated reasons.

Don't get me wrong - I think Madden and company were full of Sh** last night when they were prattling on about how the Eagle's fans are probably the best in the NFL. What a joke - just six years ago (when the Eagles had a poor, poor team) these same announcers often comented on their abrasiveness and fickleness. I'm getting pissed just thinking about it. I (to summarize) guess I'm just concerned that the FedEx crowd has become full of passive yuppies, and I'm concerned about the obvious consequences of this.

[DEHog]

Our fans go as the team goes...Monday night will be interesting...this is a game people love to "sell" I say if we lose 3 more games you'll see many different color jerseys in the crowd!

[xhadow]

Don't get me wrong - I think Madden and company were full of Sh** last night when they were prattling on about how the Eagle's fans are probably the best in the NFL. What a joke - just six years ago (when the Eagles had a poor, poor team) these same announcers often comented on their abrasiveness and fickleness. I'm getting pissed just thinking about it. I (to summarize) guess I'm just concerned that the FedEx crowd has become full of passive yuppies, and I'm concerned about the obvious consequences of this.

Well as far as madden and co are concerned he [Madden] is always saying "You've got to love this the fans in (Insert home city) are the best fans in the league" Whenever the home team is playing. And I bet my left **** that if the redskins are winning and the fans are going crazy they will cut to a tape of RFK and show the fans jumping up and down and d@m near ripping the stadium down during gibbs last superbowl run.

[gregory smith]

I have also noticed that our crowd is not as loud as others. Did you hear that noise in Philly last night? Talk about the 12th man. We need that in the worst way. Even in Coach Gibbs home opener I was disappointed. The crowd was loud but nothing like the Eagle fans. When we were loud we were late in doing it. When Minnesota came out of the huddle it was already deafening. Our defense will absolutely feed off of a hostile crowd. 90,000 plus! Hell it ought to be so loud that Parcells and Vinny shouldn't even be able to hear with the headsets. For those of you fortunate enough to be there, CRANK IT UP!

[Irn-Bru]

Well as far as madden and co are concerned he [Madden] is always saying "You've got to love this the fans in (Insert home city) are the best fans in the league" Whenever the home team is playing. And I bet my left **** that if the redskins are winning and the fans are going crazy they will cut to a tape of RFK and show the fans jumping up and down and d@m near ripping the stadium down during gibbs last superbowl run.

You definitely make a valid point. In the booth and in his books, he often says and writes how different cities have the "best fans" in the league. Oakland, Kansas City, Green Bay, Washington (I've got that one on tape), Titans fans. . .he just loves them all (depending on what city he's in)

[Justice Hog]

Our crowd was pretty freakin' loud at the Bucs game this year. Ask Gruden, he'll tell you that himself.

[Jake]

When the crowd at FedEx is shown I see an above average number of Father's with their sons. Yes, they cheer - whoopee! Go Skins! Clap Clap.

Wow, guess you didn't attend/see on TV the Bucs game. It was as if a jet engine was right next to my ear!

Unless you've BEEN to both stadiums for a game, then you can't compare the two from what you hear on TV.

[TheMagicThree]

Judging on TV, I'd have to say Oakland's got some intense fans. Now, I don't know if having Nerd Turner over there will change it (I imagine it will.). But I haven't watched many NFL games this year, so forgive me if my judgements are way off.

[milkbone]

I've been to many RFK and Fedex Field games. Unfortunately, it seems like I see way too many opposing teams jerseys in the new stadium. The lame yuppie crowd factor is in full effect as well. It just can't come close to the intensity of the old stadium...and that sucks.

[JPFair]

What would the Redskins rather have:

A- A bunch of rabid young drunken men who cheer wildly when a player from the opposing team is laying on the field unconcsious.

B- 90,000 Men, Women, and Children who are supporting their team in a professional, respectable manner, and don't celebrate when a player from the opposing team is facing a career ending injury.

Or, which stadium would you rather the Redskins play in:

A- FedEx field, which houses 90,000 fans and is run by an owner who is doing his best to accomodate the fans by allowing as many as possible to see a game every Sunday.

B- Lincoln Financial, which has it's very own Jail, Court, and Judge.

[JPFair]

And another point. The only reason FedEx field doesn't appear to be as boisterous and as rowdy as the others, at least on television, is because the place is just too damn big. You can't have a stadium that big and still expect the place to be a 7.2 earthquake every Sunday. The only stadiums that are that large and generate that type of intensity are on the collegiate level.

[Redskins1974]

When the crowd at FedEx is shown I see an above average number of Father's with their sons. Yes, they cheer - whoopee! Go Skins! Clap Clap.

Wow, guess you didn't attend/see on TV the Bucs game. It was as if a jet engine was right next to my ear!

Unless you've BEEN to both stadiums for a game, then you can't compare the two from what you hear on TV.

Once again, I'll agree with Jake. It was pretty damn loud at the Tampa game. My ears were ringing when I walked out!

[oafusp]

What would the Redskins rather have:

A- A bunch of rabid young drunken men who cheer wildly when a player from the opposing team is laying on the field unconcsious.

B- 90,000 Men, Women, and Children who are supporting their team in a professional, respectable manner, and don't celebrate when a player from the opposing team is facing a career ending injury.

Or, which stadium would you rather the Redskins play in:

A- FedEx field, which houses 90,000 fans and is run by an owner who is doing his best to accomodate the fans by allowing as many as possible to see a game every Sunday.

B- Lincoln Financial, which has it's very own Jail, Court, and Judge.

JP, The Linc does not have a jail, etc. That was Veterans Stadium...and even then, they stopped the jail/court at the Vet towards the last few years of the stadium.

The Philly fans are classless, whether they are at home or visiting another city. Yes, they are worse than Cowboy fans. One thing I will never forget is seeing an Eagle fan in the FedEx Field parking lot with his head split open...a Redskin fan was getting picked on by the Eagle fan then the Redskin fan snapped and laid the smack down. Too funny.

Anyway, you can get totally bombed at a game and have blast. Scream on 3rd down and talk trash to the opposing fans...that is what home field advantage is all about. Just do it with class. The Redskins players really feed off of the noise and it helps them when the game is on the line.

But I must say, the dozen games I've been to were littered with yuppies that spent most of their time in the cigar lounge inside the stadium, and well mannered fans that would have been just as happy watching the game from their couch cause they didn't say a thing the entire game...just sat there, watched and ate popcorn. Totally oblivious that they were indeed the 12th man.

[pjp5]

Yeah fans go as the team gos. Atleast when you are talking about screaming at a game. I love the skins like most people on this site, but when your team is 0-4 and losing by 20 + points there isnt much to scream about.
As for how loud the stadium is, you cant compare TV and physically being there. TV add microphones and ampliphiers so the sound is often not a clear representation of the actual sound at the stadium. I used to sell Beer at the skins games at Fed Ex, and never thought it was esspecially loud, only to learn from friends at home they thought it was defening when they watched it on TV.

I wasnt at the Tampa Game, but I'll take Phil Simms quote from his son, and Gruden's thoughts.
Check out the other forum listed as Phil Simms or something there is his quote.