Mixed results for Black Sunday, but Burgundy Revolution gains momentum

October 20, 12:04 PMWashington Redskins ExaminerMark Newgent

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Empty FedEx lots
Mark Newgent, Washington Redskins Examiner

Black Sunday may have been a dud, but the Burgundy Revolution definitely gained more momentum on Sunday. Like Dan Steinberg, nearly everyone I talked to wearing black in the FedEx parking lots prior to the game, didn't know about the protest and were wearing black because that just happened to be the color of their cold weather gear.

Or maybe it wasn’t a flop as Rick Snider noted in his Examiner column, “The blackout was noticeable. Maybe 20 percent of the crowd, which was impressive."

Hard to tell either way. However, there were a few instances where I saw a lot of black—as in the blacktop of empty parking lots 90 minutes before kickoff. See the sideshow below.

@BoycottSnyder, one of the many behind the Burgundy Revolution had this to say about Black Sunday “My guess is a lot of the people who would have worn black simply stayed home - the stadium looked half-empty—easily emptier than I've ever seen it on game day. There is no doubt sales were down. So I consider it a success. We're going to keep building on the momentum. Black Monday 10/26 is next.”

I believe he’s right, and the proof is in Steinberg’s very telling photo—taken during the first offensive play—of large swaths of empty seats checkering the stadium.

The FedEx crowd was extremely apathetic the whole game, save for Todd Collins’ pass to Santana Moss and Clinton Portis’ long run. After that the apathy and angst returned.

Fortunately the message may be getting through to Snyder, or at least the filters who surround him. Via the seemingly omnipresent Steinberg, Tony Kornheiser spoke about his day in the owner’s box at the Chiefs game:

“But at the end of the half, there began a chant--Sell The Team. Sell The Team. Sell The Team.--that everybody in the box heard. The people in the box were stunned. I don't know that he heard it, because he wasn't there, but the people in the box were STUNNED. And I remember saying to him about two hours before the game, 'If you don't understand this, this is falling on you. ON YOU. Not anybody else, falling on you. And he said--and I will share this--he said 'I'm just so embarrassed for the fans, because I do think we have great fans.'”

The writing is on the wall, it’s been there for some time. Perhaps the powers that be might now have the eyes to see it.