Commanders News: Treading water, top 30 visits, attendances and Ron Rivera
By Dean Jones
Commanders’ attendances are among NFL’s worst
It’s no secret that Dan Snyder‘s reign as Washington Commanders owner has been disastrous. The constant allegations and scandal in recent months were the final nail in his coffin, with two formal offers of $6 billion now officially on the table to remove him entirely from the equation.
One thing that’s come to light in the face of such turmoil is dwindling attendance. Commanders fans have voted with their feet over the years, with many turning their back on supporting the team from the stands and in some more drastic cases, switching allegiances entirely.
Just how bad things have fallen off in this capacity was recently explored by Ivan Lambert from the Commanders Wire. Washington was among the best-supported teams in the nation until the 2018 season, but the drop was nothing short of alarming thereafter and reflective of the current state of affairs.
- 2017 – 601,405 (6th)
- 2018 – 488,227 (27th)
- 2019 – 523,906 (20th)
- 2020 – Covid; NFL home attendance corresponded to each local government’s policies
- 2021 – 422,009 (31st)
- 2022 – 522,954 (30th)
Having a decaying stadium unfit for purpose doesn’t help. But this would be inconsequential if the team was performing well and providing genuine encouragement that the operation was being run efficiently.
The culture has changed since Ron Rivera became a head coach – at least on the football side of things. And when Snyder finally relinquishes his stranglehold on the Commanders, the fans should return in big numbers as a new era begins.