Josh Norman is putting his money where his mouth is.
The Washington cornerback, who complained earlier this week about the support of home fans in his own stadium, decided to do something about it.
According to John Keim of ESPN.com, Norman went to the team’s ticket office and both 50 seats for Sunday’s game against the Texans, and said he was going to pass them out around the team’s training facility.
“You may see me coming out being an early Santa somewhere in a mall or something,” Norman said.
A ticket to a Washington game used to be a hot commodity. But their 50-year sellout streak ended this season, and Norman complained this week that they had better support on the road.
The cheapest ticket in the house (assuming Norman paid face value) is $70, which means Norman dropped at least $3,500 for this gesture.
“Everyone complains about how much the tickets are so we’re taking that out from you, at least for 40 or 50 people,” Norman said. “But beer and beverages and whatever else that comes with it? That’s on you. We just need your voice. I’m paying for your voice.”
New safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is also joining the effort, saying he’d cover the cost for the 100 first responders to buy a ticket. The team also had a promotion offering tickets as cheap as $40.
Norman was careful to say he wasn’t taking back his comments — their home-field advantage clearly isn’t what it used to be. And whether he’s buying them at a cut rate from his employer or not, there’s clearly an effort to get people interested in a team that’s actually in first place in the NFC East.