The Redskins may have reached a dangerous new low with their once-proud fanbase, shifting beyond anger and resentment to a point of apathy.
"What do you need to continue to invest in this team?" is a question
Chad Dukes posed to his 106.7 The Fan listeners this week, a question that begs introspection.
"I don't think it's as simple as wins and losses at this point," Dukes said. "I don't think it's as simple as a new stadium, or two-dollar hot dogs or five-dollar beers or any of that. I think what we need to see is honesty."
Dukes had his own idea of what it might take to bring Redskins fans back into the fold.
"If you had a relative that was an alcoholic," he said, "the first thing I need out of you if we're going to continue with this relationship, you have to acknowledge you have a problem. And I need you to be open and honest. And what I would like to see is Dan Snyder call a press conference and deliver a statement.
"Come out and say, 'I see this. I see the stadium. I see that Bruce Allen is still here. I see that we fired another batch of people that were credible inside this industry. I see that we have a disaster at quarterback. I see all of these issues. I've done this, and this, and this, and this incorrectly and I've got to be better. I've got to do better.'"
Dukes continued: "I remember there was a period of time where we sat and said nothing but, 'We don't want Dan Snyder in front of the camera. We don't want him on a microphone.' Because remember, he used to be more of a media figure. He used to be around. He's never around now. The buck stops there. The team has been steadily declining since he took over."
"I'm sure it's not all his fault. I'm sure there's plenty of people that think Dan Snyder's a great guy," he said. "I'm not gonna judge his character. I don't care if he cuts down trees (at) his house. I don't care if someone says something horrible about him in the paper and he wants to go after him. Like these are human things that take place during the course of a human life.
"But what I think is the first step for contrition and transparency is you acknowledge this festering sore and then we can discuss everything else. Because right now, it just feels like, well, they're being patient; they're not letting anger take over. The problem is we're well past anger! You've hit apathy, square in the nuts!
"...And that's troubling."
