Good discussion.
For the Redskins fans who came out here in 2005 and 2007, and were bothered to the point of feeling unsafe, or you had your personal property damaged, I am very sorry for that. I have not traveled as a pro fan, but have done so as a college fan of the Washington Huskies. I've gone to some places where I was treated amazingly well (Michigan and Notre Dame), a place I was treated horribly (Miami in the Orange Bowl for the 2001 blowout), and a place I was hassled, but not threatened (Autzen Stadium in Eugene). So I do know where you're coming from. For a big game, maybe older male visiting fans should expect what I got in Eugene, but should never expect what I got in Miami.
And women and kids should really be off-limits. I felt bad for Monkster's on CPND's experience in 2005. It opened my eyes a little bit, since she bought tickets just one or two sections away from me, low down on the Seahawks side. I would've expected the fans in that area to be a little more tame. Its too bad her seats were not in my section, 134, which might be the tamest non-club seat section in the stadium.
For those who had really bad experiences, there is no excuse. Please don't take my following comments to be that way. But, before the 2005 game, it seemed like Redskins fans were incredibly arrogant and bragging, to the point of rubbing it in our faces, that we had no worthwhile fan support, that they were going to take over the stadium en masse and basically own the place, making it into FedEx West. For some people, that siege mentality given off by Redskins fans, helped foster a "we must protect this house" mentality by Seahawks fans. Obviously, a part of Seahawks fans took that way too far-especially the jerks that smoke bombed the ExtremeSkins tailgate.
The situation of the game didn't help either, and it won't help Seahawks fans who are invading enemy territory this Sunday. It had been forever since we'd won a playoff game, with the 03 and 04 losses being agonizing. I will never forget a fan crying his eyes out in the bathroom after the 04 Rams loss. I could not get a minute of sleep the night before the 05 divisional game, and really have never been more nervous for a game. And there were many who probably felt the same way. Had the Redskins won that day, it wouldn't have shocked me if a fan jumped off the Aurora Bridge afterward.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. I get the sense that Redskins fans really have a desperate need to win this game, as we did in 2005, and that will bring out fan conduct that is different than it would be for a run of the mill regular season game. I didn't hear any Redskins fan complaints about the 2008 or 2011 regular season games.
I understand Skins fans who are desperate for payback for the two playoff games. I say we aren't done paying you back for Steve Largent's retirement game; and the two playoff games, along with the 94 season opener, only got us part of the way there.
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