Washington Redskins: Why fans are all-in on The Danifesto

Washington Redskins fans are passionate about their team, and now they’re signing ‘The Danifesto’. Your Weekend Coffee heading into Week 2

If you haven’t heard, Washington Redskins fans are doing more than just protesting about the team. They’re signing “The Danifesto”, a document of requests presented by Sports Fans Coalition. According to their website, the SFC’s goal is pretty simple: they want to give fans a voice.

The Danifesto itself is an attempt to get the leaders of the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia areas (commonly known as the DMV) to pledge to not grant Snyder any money unless a series of pro-fan contingencies are met. It also outlines various items for discussion, from discounted tickets for taxpayers to a low-income seating lottery.

Brian Hess is the executive director for the Sports Fan Coalition and part of the brains behind The Danifesto. Hess stated that over 1,300 people have already signed the three petitions that comprise the pledge in less than a week.

Below is my Q and A with Hess:

RA: I’ve read on your site your reasons for the Danifesto, has their been any communication with the Redskins front office about these concerns? And if so what were the results?

BH. There has not been any communication with the Redskins about this matter yet. Since we represent the fans, we first wanted to understand how the fans felt before speaking on their behalf.

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RA: What has the response been like thus far? What kind of feedback have you all received?

BH: This response has been overwhelmingly positive. Most fans agree to some if not all of the conditions. What’s been even more reassuring are the positive responses from reporters at the Washington Post and WTTG Fox 5.

RA. Devil’s advocate for just a moment: Should the Redskins leave FedEx, and by all accounts it looks as if they are scouting various places. The Governor has given his two cents on it. FedEx has quite a few events that take place there. Do you think it’s enough to maintain an economic balance with a Redskins exit? Is there a fear that FedEx would become another RFK?

BH. Getting to FedEx Field is not convenient for most of the fanbase, so many do think they should leave Landover. The Danifesto, however, is not just about them leaving FedEx. It also applies to any renovation that Snyder may want to do on the stadium. It’s not so much where the money goes, but who.

Additionally, to your third question, I’m not an economist so I can’t answer to the balance of Landover. I suppose there is always that fear, but that’s never stopped a team owner before.

RA: If you had to prioritize your requests, what’s the one request that you want to happen if nothing else pans out?

BH: That’s a great question, compromise always has to be met with any negotiation like this. Since these are public funds being used, the public should be served first. Therefore, if I could only get one I would have to go with “free use for public schools and youth leagues.” There is no sports fan more dedicated and loyal to a team than a parent, and I can only imagine the feeling they could experience by watching their child play in an NFL stadium.

My Take

Even though any possible Redskins exodus from the area is still far off, any positive changes to the Redskins experience at FedEx Field are always great. This might be one organization the Redskins front office might want to talk to when it comes to the fan experience, and what could be done better to engage the community.

What could it hurt?

Next: NFL 2017: 20 Bold predictions for Week 2

Note: “Weekend Coffee” is a weekends-only post that features you, the greatest fans in the world. If you would like to be featured, contact me @UltimateRedskin on Twitter.

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