Will the Washington Redskins have to spend even more to acquire Robert Griffin III?
Are the Indianapolis Colts bluffing interest in the Baylor quarterback by requesting a personal workout? Are the Colts really taking Andrew Luck as long expected and trying to get the Redskins to swap picks with a little extra incentive like a third-rounder to ensure Griffin comes to Washington?
It’s smoke-and-mirrors time.
The Redskins are prepared to take either passer, but the recent removal of more seats at FedEx Field proves why the team needs Griffin more than Luck.
Griffin would be a huge hit with fans. Several hundred paid $100 for his autograph during a local card show on Saturday. He hasn’t even been drafted by the Redskins and might already be the most popular player in town.
Griffin will sell tickets, which the Redskins apparently need after removing 4,000 more seats, according to the Washington Post. FedEx Field will now seat 79,000 after peaking at 91,000. Of course, the coming party decks will include another 5,000 or so people at cheaper prices, but it’s still a drop off from the days when 91,000 seats were filled and the secondary market was strong.
Ultimately, winning sells tickets whether it’s Luck or Griffin. The short term probably has Griffin selling more, partly because Redskins fans are expecting him. If the Colts take Griffin, Washingtonians will warm up to Luck, though.
Averaging 76,921 last season through generous crowd counts shows the Redskins are losing their choke-hold grip on local fans. Too many visiting fans attended FedEx the last few seasons, sometimes seeming the majority.
The days of sellouts may be past. StubHub has created a large market for tickets. Those tired of paying full price for two worthless preseason games can now cherry pick which regular-season games they’ll attend and not pay for 10, much less months ahead.
High definition TV and the RedZone channel have many fans preferring to stay home, where the game-day experience is simply three hours and not eight with the hassle of traffic and parking. The savings in tickets and parking pays for that big-screen TV in one season.
Attending games is no longer the prize of the past. It’s expensive and time consuming.
But if the Redskins were heading to a Super Bowl, FedEx Field would be packed so forget all the excuses of why fans aren’t renewing season tickets. It’s all about winning, and four straight losing seasons and 20 years since winning the Super Bowl has changed the market. Older fans from coach Joe Gibbs’ first era are fading out, and young fans haven’t been energized by a championship team.
The Redskins need Griffin to turn party decks into party time. Otherwise, the whole upper deck will one day be empty.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
