11.04.09 NFL OWNERS ‘APOLOGETIC’ TO FANS

The owners of two NFL teams–the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins–both reached out to their sad fanbases earlier this week. The teams, who are 1-7 and 2-5 respectively, enjoy two of the most loyal fanbases in all of sports, but those fanbases have had their patience tested with front office instability and questions over the the long-term prospects of their current personnel, especially at quarterback. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder said he was “apologetic” to a small group of reporters after a fundraising event.

“We feel frustration and are disappointed for our fans,” Snyder told the crowd. “Obviously our performance to date is not what we expected, and we hope to turn that around.”

“I feel bad for the fans. I feel sorry for the fans, and we’re very, very appreciative of our loyal fan base,” he said. “We just feel terrible. We’re disappointed. We’re embarrassed, and we hope to get it going soon.” –ESPN.

Browns owner Randy Lerner actually met with two members of Cleveland’s famed “Dawg Pound” during a two-hour meeting earlier today.

The season-ticket holder, aka “Dawg Pound Mike,” one of the best known members of Cleveland’s rabid bleacher section of fans, spent two hours on Tuesday meeting with Lerner, who stepped away from a turbulent week and his busy schedule for the visit.

Randall and his friend, Tony Schafer, have been encouraging others to stay out of their seats for the opening kickoff of Cleveland’s next home game on Nov. 16 to protest the Browns’ futility.

“It was great,” Randall said. “How many owners would spend two hours meeting with two fans? None.” –Tulsa World.

Of course, other crappy franchises have found other ways to combat oncoming fan apathy. Like the Bengals, who sit at 5-2 and atop the AFC North division. That sounds a lot better than any apology.