Redskins ban critics, signs at FEDEX field

Washington Post ^ | 10.28.09 | Dan Steinberg

[meandog]

No signs, no radio interviews, no criticism of team is allowed at FedEx Field.

[meandog]

Okay, this might go to the heart of libertarian vs. conservative philosophy. It could be argued that the team, having the game on its own property, can set the rules regarding, signs and speech. But, I contend, that even though it has certain property rights regarding decency issues, etc., its banning of speech, signs, etc., is out of bounds when it charges the public a price to come into its property. IOW, you pay your ticket you can express your displeasure with a banner about the way the team plays as well as saying "hello" to a soldier-husband fighting a war against freedom.

[Izzy Dunne]

no criticism of team is allowed at FedEx Field.

Gonna be a real quiet Sunday...

[your local physicist]

You’re right, and this kind of restriction on free speech always backfires and will generate even more criticism of this team.

[east1234]

I really wish Snyder would sell the team. We don’t want you owning the Redskins Dan.

[meandog]

How do you keep a Redskin out of your yard? (you put up goal posts).

What's the dif between a dollar bill and a 'Skin? (you can get 4 quarters out of a dollar bill)

How is the American opposum similar to the Redskins? (A possum can play dead at home and gets killed on the road).

What do you call a 'Skin with a Super Bowl ring? (A senior citizen!)

[fredhead]

Oh, did ooo poor Redskins get ooo feelings hurt?

Join the humility club of Raiders and Lions fans.

[cookcounty]

The National Facsist League fumbles another one.

Watch the College Game instead.....at least the College Game is still a GAME.....and a lot more fun, unlike the No Fun League [NFL]..

[rod1]

Very impressive!

[C19fan]

Does Snyder own FedEx field? I thought the good citizens of Maryland paid for it? I guess it comes down to how to treat FedEx field? Is it the same say as a restaurant where the propertier can impose dress codes, etc or more in the realm of a public space.

[meandog]

Does Snyder own FedEx field? I thought the good citizens of Maryland paid for it? I guess it comes down to how to treat FedEx field? Is it the same say as a restaurant where the propertier can impose dress codes, etc or more in the realm of a public space.

Come to think of it, THEY DID. Maryland taxpayers and lottery players OWN the field!

[C19fan]

I have to give credit to Skins fans. They are not putting up with a medicore product. I lived out in Nor Cal and the Raiders have been even worse than the Skins but I never saw the type of vitrol from Raider fans towards the team and Al Davis as one sees with Skins fan towards Snyder and the current crappy team.

[meandog]

I have to give credit to Skins fans. They are not putting up with a medicore product. I lived out in Nor Cal and the Raiders have been even worse than the Skins but I never saw the type of vitrol from Raider fans towards the team and Al Davis as one sees with Skins fan towards Snyder and the current crappy team.

Anytime Davis gets a push back he just moves the team...from Oakland to L.A., to Oakland, to L.A. etc...

[mbarker12474]

Where do the Redskins rank amongst all sports franchises in earnings? Merch sales?

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Im so humiliated. I cry tears of Honolulu blue and silver.

[VA_Gentleman]

You forgot the St. Louis Lambs and Bucs. Go Cowboys!

[Tublecane]

“Okay, this might go to the heart of libertarian vs. conservative philosophy”

No, it doesn’t.

[Dilbert San Diego]

I thought Dan Snyder owned Fed Ex Field. I thought that the late owner Jack Kent Cooke built it with his own money. I thought the state of Maryland built some roads and did some other related work. But I thought Snyder bought the team and the stadium as part of his buying the Redskins from the estate of Cooke.

Legalities aside though, fans everywhere have booed their home team when the fans feel like it.

So even if they can legally ban protest signs and all that, it might backfire on them.

[meandog]

“Okay, this might go to the heart of libertarian vs. conservative philosophy” No, it doesn’t.

What, you're not going to argue "private property rights?"

[DoughtyOne]

No signs,..  I attended a Dodger game toward the end of the season this year.  We had some of the best seats I've ever used at the stadium.  We were behind home place in about the 15th row.  The view was amazing.

Toward the seventh inning, people farther back started moving up.  We had some people sit in the seats right in front of us.  They had what were small signs.  From that point on we weren't able to see much of the game.  We saw the back side of those small signs really well.

...no radio interviews,...  If I owned a stadium, I wouldn't allow a media team in to specifically do a negative story about the team.  If it was the local news station talking to players and current difficulties, I would.  If it was a crew wanting to come in and cover some negative story up close and personal, I wouldn't.

...no criticism of team is allowed at FedEx Field.  Individual fans will criticize the manager, individual players, and the team.  You can't stop that.  Doing it from a media standpoint probably won't be allowed.  I have no problem with that.

If you had a business, would you allow a media team in to trash your operation?  I would certainly hope not.

[meandog]

The difference being the team charges the public to come into its property thereby not exactly keeping it longer private property (which incidentally was subsidized by taxpayers, toll road and bridge users and lottery purchasers).