Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong serenade, nutmeg and apple cider permeate, deep burgundy and burnt orange waltz outside the window, and the Commanders dissolve any hope of a championship during this campaign.
Ahhh, it must be the official start of fall.
(Below is an excerpt of a letter I wrote to the Washington football team’s corporate offices, in 2009), 17 years later, I wish I had better news …
Years ago, I began my journey as a Washington Redskin fan. It stemmed from their song. I was six.
I am 39.
While being a fan constitutes many hardships, there should be some joy. Afterall, throughout history the constant with competition, from a spectator’s perspective, has been the ability to share in the glory you cannot perform but certainly can experience.
Granted, it is unrealistic to think the majority of these moments will be pleasant; that is the essence of fandom. However, despite one’s lack of control on the sidelines, there should be some measurement of hope.
It is the audience who perpetuates the reason for this athletic continuance.
We did fight ‘for old D.C.’ ‐ but, not anymore. When triumph is outside our grasp, when cheering the ‘Sons of Washington’ has fallen beyond deaf ears, I regretfully state – the time to abort is imminent.
The Washington Redskins have one of the most cherished places in football history, and a steadfast, loyal following; these members of Redskin Nation never before have been asked to endure such a miserable time period of ineptitude, despair, and useless leadership. The malfunction during this past decade should not be blamed on the turnstile that has been erected at the coach’s entrance. Nor should it be said the teams assembled have failed continuously. The culpable party in the midst of all the chaos which now defines the Washington Redskins is Daniel Snyder.
In 1997, Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke died. In his will, he left the Redskins to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, with instructions that the foundation sell the team. His son, John Kent Cooke, was unable to raise sufficient funds to purchase the business, and the team was later sold to Mr. Snyder, in May 1999.
As the 2009 N.F.L. season commenced, the Washington Redskins, (since Mr. Snyder incarcerated the organization), are 76‐84 in the regular season and 2‐3 in the playoffs. This is the fifth head coach to serve under Mr. Snyder’s incompetence.
Much has been written and extensively debated regarding the Redskins woeful demise. The liability which should be positioned squarely on the shoulders of Mr. Snyder’s absurd mismanagement is routinely and conveniently placed elsewhere.
The proud Redskin chronicle began in Newark, New Jersey. The Boston Braves, (their original name because they played in Braves Field), entered the N.F.L. in 1932, after the Newark Tornadoes franchise folded. In 1933, the team moved into Fenway Park and changed its name to the Redskins. They relocated to Washington D.C. in 1937.
While under the ownership of men like George Preston Marshall and Jack Kent Cooke the Redskins did not always prosper. However, these men despite possessing numerous character flaws and compulsive control, knew their place. It is not the owner’s responsibility, nor is it their right to hold dominion over the fiber that sustains a team’s maturity.
Vince Lombardi once said, “Individual commitment to a group effort ‐ that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” This was a man who exemplified teamwork, in every act he performed. He comprehended that constructing a team was a detailed process. He also once coached the Washington Redskins.
Bear in mind, the men who have defined Redskins tradition – Sammy Baugh, Sonny Jurgensen, the aforementioned Vince Lombardi, Joe Gibbs, and Art Monk. I can only imagine the disgust these great men, (the ones who are still with us), undergo as each autumn season progresses, while each Redskins endeavor recedes …
Last Sunday, the grim realism of no longer being able to blame Mr. Snyder for this team’s ceaseless woes finally came to fruition. The present powers – this includes the owners, front office, head coach, and right down the line – continue to display the chronic impotency which has, does, and will plague this organization. Their dysfunction is a result of the forgotten glories of yesteryear coupled with the pitfalls of a parity for profit.
I do recall a time when singing ‘fight on fight on ‘til they have won’ would forever be blaring as winter approached. Unfortunately, as long as these ‘braves are on the warpath’ victory will never be hailed!
Did You Know? The Washington franchise has used 36 unique starting quarterbacks in the regular season and playoffs combined since their last Super Bowl victory, on January 26, 1992.