After the Redskins' demoralizing loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday, Steve Taylor of Silver Spring, Md., threw his Redskins stuff into a bag and set it on fire in anger. (Steve Taylor and Patti Greenwalt)
Ive been a Redskins fan my entire life, Steve Taylor said into his phone Sunday evening. My dad played in the Redskins band. Im genetically predisposed to like the Redskins. I am [bleeping] done. Im done. Im done. Im walking to my closet. Im going to burn [stuff]. Thats how done I am.
This wasnt an idle threat. Taylor began throwing Redskins stuff into a bag: a Jason Campbell jersey, four or five Redskins baseball hats, another jester-style hat, a pair of custom Redskins Nikes, five Redskins t-shirts, three Redskins koozies. Then he went out to his cast-iron firepit, coated the bag in WD-40, and lit a good percentage of his Redskins possessions on fire.
This is my bag of Redskins stuff going up in flames, Taylor said, in a second video, seen above. I am gonna go play golf, Im gonna hang out, [play]with my dog, Im gonna get in shape. I dont know. But anything else besides watch the Redskins. I am done.
These are the sort of threats we hear a lot duringfailed Redskins seasons. Taylor, though, actually followed through with real live flames. So I figured I should get some more information on whats going on here.
I dont see this as an annulment, he told me Monday afternoon. I see this as a trial separation. Im all for them if things turn around. I dont see them turning around this season. Maybe we just need a little bit of a break. Ive put thousands of my dollars into the Redskins, money I could have spent elsewhere. Theyve taken enough. Ive given my emotion. Ive given everything. I really dot have anything to show for it, except some ashes in a firepit.
In truth, the 45-year old from Silver Spring didnt burn everything. He saved an RGIII jersey, because it was a gift, and an Art Monk jersey, because it was precious. He also saved a Monk autograph, for the same reason.
And Taylors fandom, indeed, covers his entire life. His father played clarinet in the band in 1964, Sonny Jurgensens rookie season. He had a Jurgensen jersey as a baby, played pin the football on Billy Kilmer at birthday parties, wore Redskins varsity jackets throughout grade school.
He had season tickets for a time, was in Dallas the day LaVar Arrington ended Troy Aikmans career, went to Canton to see Monk and Darrell Green inducted into the Hall of Fame. He bought burgundy cars, got Redskins vanity plates. He couldnt play fantasy football because he always drafted too many Redskins. His family members knew never to call him during Redskins games, and to give him a cooling off period after losses.
My formative years, when youre becoming a sports fan all we were was good, he said. So Im tainted. I cant not like the freaking Redskins.
There have probably been worse moments than a random November loss to Tampa Bay over the years, and Taylor isnt sure why this particular one set him off. But it did.
Its not just one thing; its been building up over a decade, he said. Yesterday, the way it unfolded for me, I just lost it. I just couldnt deal with it. Ive got too many other hobbies. It ruins my Sundays for me, and I just lost it for about 90 minutes there.
So he set the fire Sunday evening. When it was over, he drank a Gatorade, played with his dog, and started feeling a bit better. By Monday, when we chatted, he sounded perfectly normal. Just a rabid sports fan who had seen too much.
It was just almost symbolic of the frustration, he said. Ryan Clarks mad at the media, hes mad at everyone theres a million people out there that live and die [with the team], and weve been here longer than you. Ive been a Redskins fan longer than youve been living. So I care. And I just kind of had it.
Of course Taylor still gets happy when the team succeeds he described his almost euphoric celebration upon beating the Cowboys earlier this year. It just wasnt happening frequently enough. So he said next Sunday he might go for a hike with his dog. Maybe h**l catch up on laundry. And maybe, eventually, h**l be back. Although those burned t-shirts probably wont be.
Oddly, I was sad, he said, when I asked what it was like to watch his stuff burn. I was like, theyve driven me away. Im just sad and disappointed.[But] I had to do something. It was either that or go through a fifth of Jack Daniels, and that was more work than my body needs to go through.
(Via @TerpsRule)
Dan Steinberg writes about all things D.C. sports at the D.C. Sports Bog.
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2014/11/17/watch-one-redskins-fan-set-fire-to-his-redskins-merchandise-after-latest-loss/
