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KickSaveDave
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I've been thinking about how bad this team is, year after year, and what the fans can really do about it? Generally, people think there's nothing that would make Snyder sell, but there is, a complete and total boycott that would drag down his franchise value sufficiently to make him realize that if he doesn't sell, he'll lose the franchise entirely. The only way to make that happen is with an organized, sustained, fan driven boycott. Declaring Independence from the Dan Snyder Redskins. Here is what I wrote:
Much like Thomas Jefferson's original Declaration of Independence was a group effort, edited by Franklin and Adams among others, this is a shared document. Feel free to make your edits or suggestions. Once its agreed upon the final wording, we could do a crowd sourced publication, maybe the WaPo would post it as a full page advertisement if we could crowd source enough money?
I'm tired of sitting around doing nothing, feeling sorry for our fate. Its time to get organized.
A Declaration of Independence from the Washington Redskins of Dan Snyder.
When in the Course of sporting events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the fanatical bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the sport, the separate and equal station to which the Spirit of Competition and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of fankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all sports fans are created equal, that they are endowed by their fandom with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Hope, Dignity and the pursuit of Championships. — That to secure these rights, Franchises are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the Fans, — That whenever any Form of Ownership becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the Fans to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Ownership, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Hope and Competitiveness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Ownerships long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that fankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Ownership, and to provide new Guards for their future teams. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Redskins Fans; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their current Ownership. The history of the present Owner of the Washington Redskins is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these Fans. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to NFL laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the competitive balance, the most recent causing a salary cap penalty that was highly punitive.
He has forbidden his Coaches to build rosters of immediate and pressing competitiveness, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them, by forcing starting quarterback decisions from upon his high office.
He has refused to acquiesce to common sense and hire a true NFL caliber General Manager, a personnel man inestimable to the league and formidable to tyrants only.
He has dissolved quality employees repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the fans.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others of quality to be hired.
He has obstructed the Administration of Competitiveness by refusing his Assent to the NFL Draft, for establishing affordable rosters.
He has made Coaches dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the roster and starting decisions, without care for their salaries and payments after firing them.
He has erected a multitude of concession and parking fees and sent hither swarms of Marketing Emails to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of losing, front office yes men who have no place in the NFL were it not for their position with the Redskins franchise.
He has affected to render the defense and special teams to record setting levels of futility.
He has combined with others to subject us to an on field product foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our fans; giving his all time record an abysmal 105-136:
For neglecting the offensive line for 15 years:
For protecting the Quarterback with undrafted free agents, journeymen, and late round draft picks, which have caused our quarterbacks to suffer indignities at the hands of opposing defenses:
For cutting off our Pride in the Franchise at every opportunity:
For imposing embarrassment on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of any hope to make the playoffs by early November:
For transporting us to Richmond to be given false hope:
For abolishing the free agency System of retaining core players and instead bringing in mercenaries from other teams, disrupting chemistry and rewarding outsiders.
For taking away our tradition, abolishing our most valuable history and altering fundamentally the Pride in the Franchise:
For suspending our coaching sovereignty, and declaring that those players who do not support him can watch the games from a big screen TV instead of contributing on the field.
He has abdicated scouting, by declaring his own preferences for players at the NFL combine, at Hooters Restaurants, on his private jet, or on his boat.
He has plundered our lines, ravaged our special teams, burnt our media relations, and destroyed the hopes of our fans.
He has constrained our fellow Fans to take Captive the NFC East, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren on Message Boards, or to fall themselves by their own Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on Native American's who are offended by the name Redskins, to bring protests and shame upon the organization in increasing numbers.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms - Typically on Message Boards, Discussion forums and Comments Sections of the free press such as ESPN, the Washington Post, and others: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the owner of an NFL Franchise.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our beloved franchise. We have posted from time to time of attempts by the Owner to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our being only fans with no real power to effect change. We have appealed to each other for patience, and we have conjured the fans by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. We too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold the owner, as we hold the rest of the NFL, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the Fans of the Washington Redskins, in General Foroums, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of Sports for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Message Boards, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Redskins Fans are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent Fans, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to Dan Snyder, and that all fanatical connection between them and the Washington Redskins, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent Fans, they have full Power to levy boycotts, conclude Season Tickets, contract other hobbies, establish new teams, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent Fans may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor, to never spend another penny of our hard earned money on Dan Snyder's Washington Redskins.
Much like Thomas Jefferson's original Declaration of Independence was a group effort, edited by Franklin and Adams among others, this is a shared document. Feel free to make your edits or suggestions. Once its agreed upon the final wording, we could do a crowd sourced publication, maybe the WaPo would post it as a full page advertisement if we could crowd source enough money?
I'm tired of sitting around doing nothing, feeling sorry for our fate. Its time to get organized.