One of my earliest and fondest memories (maybe I’m dating myself) of professional football was driving two hours, each summer from 1995-99, to Frostburg State University to watch the Redskins at training camp. This was back when the Cooke’s owned the team, and things were done the old-fashioned way.
Devoted fans would make the drive and arrive in the quiet Western-Maryland town and respectfully make their way to the university’s athletic fields. Mostly known by travelers driving west through the Cumberland Gap, Frostburg’s days of summer publicity (and business) ended almost immediately after Dan Snyder took the team over.
Shortly after his takeover, and after paying a hefty fine, Snyder moved training camp away from Frostburg and began entertaining the idea of moving camp to locations closer to the nation's capital, including the team’s headquarters in Ashburn, Virginia. After two years, Snyder got his way, and in 2003, I was in Ashburn as it turned Burgundy and Gold in July and August as fans streamed in from around the region to see their favorite team.
Instead of the quiet and serene Frostburg, fans were bombarded with attractions that “catered” to the fan: trailers full of gear and merchandise, photo ops with cut-outs of players, and opportunities to show off your football skills with competitive games were strewn across the real estate.
No more was it possible to just take a drive, park your car, and watch a team practice. Instead, you were herded through gates, forced past retail booths and distractions, and if you survived, you found the practice field.
There was no structure in Ashburn—just a sloppily thrown-together idea for advertising the brand, instead of showcasing the team.
Back in Frostburg (and Carlisle, PA before that), the main attraction at training camp was the team: fans that made the road trip came there to see football and inter-team competition.
Fans would applaud young player’s efforts on the field with “oos” and “ahs,” more audible than ever thanks to the lesser number of fans, as well as everyone's proximity to the field.
Training camp in Frostburg was special.
As a young kid, one of my favorite parts of training camp was talking to the players and getting autographs. In Frostburg, players only had one way into the locker room: up a driveway and past hundreds of cheering fans.
Hands down, the friendliest player I ever spoke with was Brian Mitchell (up until recently, a radio-personality in the DC area). B-Mitch shook my hand, signed my hat, and made chitchat. As a 10-year-old, I was in heaven.
It seemed as though the goals shifted once training camp moved. Instead of giving access to DC’s team, the focus seemed to shift towards promoting the Redskins brand name.
A shift with negative effects on the field as well.
In Ashburn, players weren’t forced past their adoring fans; instead, many took the shortcut directly to the locker room, bypassing the people that helped pay their salary.
In Ashburn, team camaraderie wasn’t forced: players could drive home after practice, not having to possibly share a hotel room with a teammate.
The culture changed for the Washington Redskins, and not for the better.
If it were up to me, I’d have the Redskins move back to a small college town for training camp, if only to remove themselves from their everyday city life.
Who knows, maybe our record will improve.
(Jonathan Wigginton is the Chat Sports Senior Writer for the Washington Redskins)
Back to the Washington Commanders Newsfeed