Do Redskin Fans Have a Breaking Point?

Welcome once again to the offseason, the time of year when Redskin fans around the globe recharge their spiritual batteries. The time of year when supporters of the burgundy and gold defibrillate their loins following yet another season of mind-blowing mediocrity. The time of year when...well, you get it.

I have raised my glass to you all on numerous occasions over the last decade. A resilient bunch to be sure, we fans of the Washington Redskins have made a habit of picking ourselves up off of the pavement every winter. And then by spring, wouldn't you know it...we are in full-fledged guzzle mode at the Kool-Aid jug. I suppose we aren't all that different from fans of other teams. Assuming of course that those other teams haven't won a meaningful game in January in years, haven't prioritized stability over shiny new toys and have injected ridiculous drama into situations that otherwise could have transpired without notice or commentary.

Far be it for me to separate myself from this mentality. I know full well that the Redskins are nowhere near where the Green Bay Packers are as a franchise. I know that...today. But come April...May...June...I will have a Kool-Aid moustache that would make Burt Reynolds jealous. And I make no apologies.

This has been the cycle for as long as I care to remember. Does it look foolish? Yep. Does it sound silly? Probably. But as one Homer S. said, "Everything looks bad when you remember it." Chances are the average Redskin fan has a shorter memory than a 10 year old dog with Alzheimer's. And we're just as lovable and fun to hang out with, too.

My question to you today is: Is this track we have been on sustainable? Do we believe that Daniel Snyder is capable of making a signature offseason move every year that will cause us to throw our collective panties onto the stage? After he played the Gibbs card some 5-6 years ago, I was sure he was out of those kinds of moves. I mean, that really seemed like the last trump card in the deck. But between firing Vinny, hiring Allen and Shanahan, and of course the trade for Donovan, we got at least a little lathered up, right? I mean, sure, that was a half a roll of dimes in my pocket, but I was also pretty happy to see those guys.

In Washington, cynicism and optimism are seasonal. Now is the time of year when we swear off ever believing that Snyder and the Redskins can do anything to make us believe again. We blast Pearl Jam's "Better Man" from our iPods and participate in massive group therapy.

But just you wait...

We'll be back talking up our trainwreck like they are on the verge of something historic. Ten straight different NFC representatives in the Super Bowl you say? Make it eleven! One lucky break...one favorable bounce...a little bit of help...we can do it. Oops...I better save some for July.

In Washington, our capacity to sink to the lowest depths of misery in February is exceeded only by our ability to raise our expectations to ludicrous levels in September. Bring on the offseason!