Dan Snyder Kills the Tailgate Party

Posted by Jessica on Jun. 24, 2009

Via realredskinsfans.com: Dan Snyder Kills the Tailgate Party.
In some way, it was inevitable. That is, the demise of the tailgate bacchanalia that was the one redeeming feature of attending a game at Fed Ex Field. The stadium is generally a nightmare for fans to get to and fro and once they are in it the prospects are not much better: long lines for food and drinks, bad beer and a puzzling inability to keep the women’s rooms stocked with toilet paper.

The uber fan tailgate was the one great thing that made the trek worthwhile versus watching the game on my HDTV. And The Danny, the Darth Vader of Redskins fans, has killed that.

Under new rules intended to ease the flow of parking, the Skins have outlawed tailgates that take more than one parking space and will relegate those loyal fans to the outermost lots. From the Wa Post:

The Washington Redskins will restrict large tailgate parties in the FedEx Field parking lots this season, limiting tailgates using more than one parking space to “the back” of parking lots, the team said in a statement. The team also said that drivers of all vehicles will be directed to specific areas of the lots instead of being allowed to choose their own.
“The most significant new procedure will have parking attendants directing fans who wish to tailgate in more than one space to the back of lots, where they will be allowed to occupy two spaces until required for additional vehicles,” the team said. “Fans who wish to only park, or tailgate within their single parking spot, will be directed to the front of lots, filling the lot from front to back.”

In the past, early-entering fans were greeted by something of a free-for-all in the empty lots, leaving a chaotic checkerboard pattern as fans gradually staked out spots and erected tents, grills and buffet lines. The parking lots have traditionally opened four hours before kickoff, but hundreds of fans lined up outside the gates before dawn for the chance to stake out prime spots, with several large tailgates appearing each week in the rows closest to the stadium.

The system also led to fans spreading out over multiple spaces early in the morning, tying up spaces and contributing to gridlock when later-arriving cars pulled in. But to many fans, the system helped foster a community atmosphere, with tailgates springing up all over the massive expanse of asphalt, mapped out by an honor-system geography under which the same families would grab the same spots nearly every week.

What the Wa Post omits is that those folks who took the primo spots to tailgate are the most elite long-term season ticket holders also known as the most loyal fans. To deny them this tradition does not seem to be a smart business move, but The Danny is not very smart about business save the Internet bubble sale of his marketing company which, unfortunately, gave him enough money to buy the Redskins. His ventures since have been failures. Six Flags is not doing too well and neither are the Redskins.

My great memories of the now-outlawed tailgates feature my friend Brooke’s family, who have been season ticket holders for a long time. They would line up a couple of SUV’s and grills and also deep-fried a turkey. If Danny wants to outlaw this, I want to outlaw Danny.

http://realredskinsfans.blogspot.com/

  • WOW! Looks like little Danny was influenced by none other than Jerry Jones! At the new stadium, those who buy parking will be directed to their parking spots and they will strictly enforce the one space/one car rule. BTW - these rules in Dallas came out about 6 weeks ago.

    At least Jerry is providing a "tailgating lot" in each parking lot which is a grass area where the spaces are larger than normal parking spaces. But even in these tailgating lots, people will be directed to their spots. The days of showing up early and saving spots for your buddies is over.

    Bottom line is we will find a way to tailgate (and tailgate well) regardless of the rules or policies they throw at us!
  • Jessica Lee
    I totally agree that tailgates should not take up more spaces than their cars do. What upsets me is that regular tailgaters who did not do that are still thrown to the back lots because they can no longer do the buffet line along the sidewalk nearest to the stadium. These are people who have been fans for generations and pay for the most expensive seats, and parking in the super expensive red lot.

    I had season tix for two years and never found any sort of tailgate, even the ones who took up spaces without cars, to be annoying. There was always plenty of parking and the inconvenience of someone taking an extra space was pretty small. The getting in and out of the stadium problem is the problem, and is a locational issue, mostly based on the capacity of roads that lead into the stadium, and has nothing to do with tailgates.
  • I agree. One space, one car. Getting to Bronco games is a pain enough, and early in the season I get to deal with folks who take two or three spaces for their: Oversize SUV, Full Size Weber Grill, Tent, Tables, Chairs, TV, Generator. For the 5 people in the car.

    All for the low, low price of $35 a game. And that's a remote lot.

    Now, why Snyder didn't also try and do what the Broncos have done for the big tailgaters (the folks driving the RVs to the game for instance), set up a big section in one of the lots just for them, I'll never know. They have their area to have their fun, and it has improved the parking a little (though has not entirely eliminated the folks that take up multiple spaces in other lots).

    Also, am I in the minority in thinking the majority of these folks should never be let near a grill anyway? The amount of overcooked burgers, burnt brauts and so on, along with "yummy" store bought potato salad I see never makes me hungry. Just the opposite in fact.

    Of course I consider this fairly irrelevant since the Broncos are going to suck it hard this year, and I most likely won't be going to more than 2 games.
  • teqjack
    I fear I am on *spit* his side. You have one vehicle, use one parking space. Four vehicles, four spaces. Not two or three spaces per vehicle. Nor is the tailgate party use of extra space being banned, just relegated to spaces unlikely to be used by non-tailgate-party fans.

    I get upset with people who go to the grocery market and seem to think the lines are supposed to run through the middle of their vehicle, too. Do you?
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