When Daniel Snyder bought the Washington Redskins in 1999, he acquired one of the country’s most valuable sports franchises. Snyder purchased Washington for $800 million and inherited a playoff team in his first season as owner. At the time of his purchase, it was the most anyone had ever paid for an American sports franchise at that time.
In addition to owning a playoff team in his first season, Snyder also inherited a stadium [FedEx Field] that was only two years old.
In his first full season as owner [2000], Snyder went all-in, signing multiple veterans to big contracts in an effort to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1991. It backfired, but fans mostly applauded Snyder’s efforts to win at that time.
Fans certainly still believed in Washington. Per Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Washington led the NFL in attendance in 2000, with 47,424 fans in eight home games. Remember the old season ticket waiting list? It was a real thing at one time.
Fast forward to Jan. 2023, and the now-Commanders are set to finish the 2022 NFL season last in attendance. Per Phillips, through eight home games, Washington hosted 460,140 fans. Of course, there is an extra game now, which Washington played on Sunday in a 26-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys, but based on average, the franchise is dead last in the NFL in attendance.
We can go through all of Snyder’s transgressions and failures as an owner, but there are too many to name here. Washington’s home attendance is a result of all of those aforementioned transgressions and failures.
Was Sunday Snyder’s final game as Washington’s owner? If so, perhaps some of those fans will eventually return once the franchise has a new owner.
In 2000, Washington led the NFL in attendance.
In 2023, Washington currently is last in the NFL in attendance.
If Sunday is the end of the Dan Snyder era, it's a fitting one:https://t.co/YYlaqzCi8P
— michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) January 7, 2023
