www.redskins.com
Redskins.com to Add Forum, Chat Features For Increased Fan Interaction
August 10, 2005
Team Acquires Extremeskins.com,
web's most popular Redskins fan site
The Washington Redskins today announced a strategic alliance with Extremeskins.com, the Internet's most popular and populated team-specific Redskins fan site, resulting in the fans' closest possible connection with the team.
The addition of message boards and fan chats with team players, coaches and officials adds another powerful element to Redskins.com's ever-expanding slate of video team reports, audio and video press conference coverage, news articles and team features.
As a result of the partnership, the Extremeskins.com owners and their corps of moderators will become the exclusive Redskins.com message board and chat site under the banner Extremeskins at Redskins.com. Interactive chats are tentatively scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Sept. 6, with Owner Daniel M. Snyder, followed by a chat with Head Coach Joe Gibbs on Thursday, Sept. 8.
Players will be added to the mix the next week, beginning with quarterback Patrick Ramsey on Monday, Sept. 12. The message board is scheduled to launch soon.
"As we began our re-design of Redskins.com early this year, we wanted to incorporate the message boards and chats so popular with fans," said Larry Michael, Redskins senior vice president. "As we examined existing sites, we quickly discovered Extremeskins. With its 35,000 members and the years of experience accumulated by the operators, we quickly wondered whether we could incorporate it, rather than build our own."
Founded in 2000 by Tony DiMarco and currently owned by DiMarco, Eric Leichter and Mark Steven, Extremeskins.com's popularity with fans is in large part due to the dedication of its moderators, as well as the distinct personality they bring to the site.
The alliance with Redskins.com allows the owners, all of whom have other full-time jobs, to concentrate on the dream they had when founding the site: Provide the best fan experience possible, with the most up-to-date information possible about the Washington Redskins.
Extremeskins at Redskins.com will live within the team site, and the team will assume all technical responsibilities, with the moderators continuing their existing roles. Representatives of Extremeskins at Redskins.com will join the team at all games, providing an exclusive fan view from the pressbox and sidelines. Extremeskins will also have the ability to attend all practices and team activities.
"We have no interest in changing or reining in the moderators," Michael said. "They are what made the site so popular. They are what attracted us to the site in the first place."
The team expects to begin integrating the Extremeskins.com content and membership within the next week, with Extremeskins at Redskins.com to begin seamless operation from its new address shortly thereafter. Fans may register to participate in team message boards and chats as soon as the integration is complete. Existing Extremeskins.com members will be automatically registered at the Extremeskins at Redskins.com address.
