Ticket Debacle At Redskins Park

Just when you thought the ticket travesty out at FedEx Field/Redskins Park couldn't get any worse... it has. So much, in fact, that the Redskins' front office has decided to issue a risk management, I mean damage control, I mean statement.

Here's why.

As you know, the Washington Post's investigative team wrote the following article in this morning's edition alleging, for starters, that the Skins sell tickets to ticket brokers while thousands of fans are placed on waiting lists (often years in advance) to get tickets to Redskins games.

The Post followed up on that article with another story concerning the legal actions the Redskins (Dan Synder) use to collect money from ticket holders who 'default' on season (and multi-year) ticket packages.

Having said that, it begs the question.

How can people default on ticket packages they apparently aren't getting, if the tickets are being sold to brokers (sometimes masqueraded as Steeler fans)?



I'm not sure, but both of these stories were all the rave on DC sport radio shows today, filled with callers and ticket holders giving their own personal accounts and experiences trying to get tickets to games, or return ticket packages.

As such, the Redskins office has issued the following statement and would like you to know:

"In response to media inquiries about the Post’s upcoming story and certain information the Post has provided today on its website, the team provides the following information to provide balance and a more complete picture than the one the Post is attempting to portray.

On average, the team has filed twenty to thirty lawsuits each year since 2005 to try to enforce long-term contracts of corporate suite and club seat holders who defaulted on their obligations. Those lawsuits represent less than ½ of one percent of all the contracts the team has for the more than twenty-five thousand corporate suites and club seats at FedEx Field.

In many instances in which the team has taken legal action, the suite or club seat holder had simply refused to offer anything, or, worse, had used the suite or club seats and then bounced checks or disputed credit card charges, after the Team had provided tickets, parking passes, and other amenities.

Most instances in which the team has taken legal action involve long-term contracts with $40,000 to more than $1 million in outstanding, unpaid obligations. In no instance has the Team ever brought any legal action against its General Admission ticketholders, who comprise nearly 70,000 of the 91,000 ticketholders at FedEx Field.

In every instance in which the team has taken legal action, the team first has gone to great lengths to attempt to negotiate with the suite or club seat holder to determine their financial circumstances and to reach agreement on payment plans or revised terms. For every lawsuit the team has filed, it has worked out payment plans or renegotiated contracts with dozens of other suite and club seat holders.

The Redskins, like other NFL teams and many other businesses (including, presumably, the Washington Post) relies on long-term contracts to plan and run its business. Only a small fraction of a percent of our contracts ever default, out of the many thousands of contracts for the more than 25,000 suite and club seats at our Stadium. The Post’s focus on a tiny minority of suite and club seat holders who have defaulted on their contracts and against whom the Team has been forced to take legal action is unfair to the Redskins and the enormous efforts we make to reach out to and work with fans who find themselves in financial difficulties."

[Photo: WP's John Mcdonnell]
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Comments

Anonymous said…
Aw, the inner workings of Dan Snyder, aka Dirty Dan.
Josh said…
I remember when they had that firing last year. Now we know why.
Ron said…
So much for fan appreciation.
Anonymous said…
This reaks, man! I mean come on! They're stealing off the backs of people they claim every year to appreciate so much.

You hear it all the time, the fans are so great. The fans are wonderful. We have the best fans in the world

Yet this is how the Redskins owner treats the fans?!

This ain't right.

What hypocrisy!
Anonymous said…
Celly from The Color Purple said it best...

"Until you do right by me, ain't nothing good gone come of you."

That includes a Super Bowl, Mr. Snyder!
Anonymous said…
The fans have spoken, and there's no way to right this wrong....

except to drop these suits!
Anonymous said…
Fans should boycott FedEx Field! and pickett Redskins Park.
JoewasAFAN said…
I think there will be more people picketting Snyder than there will be picketting Mike Vick!
Anonymous said…
It just seems there is no consistency with the ticket office. Each one is treated differently.

Didn't they ever think people would eventually find out and talk about it?
Anonymous said…
Fans deserve more than this treatment. I can't believe Snyder would stoop so low. Then again Zorn did warn us when he told us Dan was selling t-shirts to the players. He probably makes them pay for lunches after practice, too.
Anonymous said…
While coaches are cutting players, can fans cut the owner?
Anonymous said…
Roger Goodell can't think this is legal. While he's making decisions about players (i.e. Plex, and Vick) he needs to make a decision on Snyder's unethical biz practices.
GoochieMane4 said…
I'm watching Redskins Nation with Larry Michael. I'm not hearing one question, or comment on this issue. I wonder if they CHOSE not to read any of those questions, or if they were told by Snyder not to.
JoeBlack said…
Next story...

Redskins players who have been jipped out of tickets for family members and frieds.
JoeBlack said…
That should have read family members and friends.
seisednomore said…
It's all about money.
Ain't a da*n thing funny.

don't push me cuz I'm close to the edge.


Memba that one?
Jada said…
Dreadful. Just dreadful.
Butiful1 said…
hey seisednomore,,,

How about this one....

All I really wanna say is they don't really care about us!

Michael Jackson.


RIP Mike!
Sunshades said…
Is that why Snyder wears his sunglasses all the time? So fans can't see his little money hungry greedy beetie little eyes?
OpenID said…
Think that guy over at WAPO who wrote the article didn't do this on purpose? Right before opening season?

Typically artists make moves like this just before their record drops to sell records - the any news is good news PR move - but I don't think it will work for football.
CautionCaution said…
What's the point of Kelly Johnson from Comcast spending so much one-on-one time with all these Skins players?

Pretty soon she's going to cry that one of them tried to rape her.

You know how white women do.


**Caution Redskin players***

Caution!
ABC123 said…
Didn't his wife have breast cancer surgery? Maybe he needs the money for the med bill.
Soheda said…
He's doin' what? Charging the team for t-shirts? What next? Trips to opponent's games?

If not already.