Photo by dharmabumx

It’s day two of the Washington Post raking the Redskins and their ticket office over the coals. When the paper ran a front page feature on “The Toughest Ticket in Town” yesterday, there was no indication that readers were being treated to an investigative series. We got the story, we got the Redskins’ lawyer responding by saying that the Post needs “to sell newspapers, and God love ’em, circulation is down,” and we were ready to move on, still loving—or loathing—the burgundy and gold as we see fit.

But cue today’s A1 photo of superfan Pat Hill sitting and sobbing on her living room couch, surrounded by Redskin pillows, stuffed animals, and other team paraphernalia. She’s the Post’s poster child for their “Suing the Fans” article, which details a series of 125 lawsuits the team has levied against their season ticket holders. It’s a story of sincere fans who have fallen on hard times and can no longer afford their tickets. The tens of thousands of dollars that everyday people are willing to shell out — sometimes signing 10 year contracts for the privilege to do so and sometimes being tricked into multiyear deals — can be jaw dropping. Did they not realize that paying $15,000 a year for four tickets might not be sustainable?