Well, it’s that time again — are your ready for some football? Tonight is the Hall of Fame game, played annually at the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. This is a kind of a pre-pre-season game that gets everyone in the mood for football every year. This year it’ll be the Cleveland Browns vs. the New York Jets.
I’m a fairly passionate football fan, although I have to admit I’m not as big a fan as I have been in the past…. for a number of reasons. But I still look forward to football season, even though it’s arrival marks the end of my favorite time of year — summer.
Where I grew up, almost everyone was a Dallas Cowboys fan. That was my dad’s and my sister’s favorite team — my mother wasn’t a real fan of professional football, but the Cowboys were probably her favorite team, too. For some reason, the Dallas Cowboys just didn’t sit too well with me. I tended to like the Packers, Browns and Raiders the best.
But after leaving home and spending time in Washington, the Redskins became my team. I’ve stuck with them through thick and thin, and like all the teams, they’ve had an interesting history, some successes, lots of failures and a few “firsts.”
The Washington team (now called the Commanders) had the NFL’s first marching band, first radio network, and first fully televised season.
The team was founded in 1932 as the “Boston Braves.” In 1933, the team’s name was changed to the “Redskins” and in 1937 the team moved to Washington D.C. The name Redskins stuck until 2020, when it became The Washington Football Team and was re-named the Commanders last year.
Some of the interesting statistics the team, and its players, has racked up include:
Seasons: 92 (19320 2023)
Winningest Coach: Joe Gibbs (154-94-0)
Super Bowl Titles: 3
Playoff Record: 23-20
Most Career Yards Rushing: John Riggins (7,472)
Most Career Yards Passing: Joe Theismann (25,206)
Most Career Receptions: Art Monk (888)
Most Career Sacks: (97)
Most Career Interceptions: Darrell Green (54)
Most Career Points: Mark Moseley (1,206)
The team won the 1937 and 1942 NFL championship games and Super Bowls XVII, XXII, and XXVI.
In 1962, the team became the final professional American football franchise to integrate. Ron Hatcher of Michigan State became the first black player to sign a contract with the team.
The 1991 Washington Redskins team is considered one of the best teams in NFL history, scoring 485 total points during the regular season and only allowing nine sacks.
So it’s not “Hail to the Redskins” anymore, but It’ll be interesting to see how the “Commanders” develop under the new owner, Josh Harris.
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