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Washington Redskins - Franchise History

Washington Redskins - Franchise History: Encyclopedia II - Washington Redskins - Franchise History

Washington Redskins - Establishment in Boston. The city of Boston, Massachusetts was awarded an NFL franchise in 1932, under the ownership of George Preston Marshall. Initially the team took the same name as their landlords, the Boston Braves, one of the two local baseball teams at the time. When the football team moved to Fenway Park (home of the Boston Red Sox) the next year, Marshall also changed the name of the football Braves to the "Redskins", to further distinguish the team from their ex-landlords. Wash ...

Washington Redskins: Encyclopedia II - Washington Redskins - Franchise History

Washington Redskins - Franchise History

Washington Redskins - Establishment in Boston

The city of Boston, Massachusetts was awarded an NFL franchise in 1932, under the ownership of George Preston Marshall. Initially the team took the same name as their landlords, the Boston Braves, one of the two local baseball teams at the time. When the football team moved to Fenway Park (home of the Boston Red Sox) the next year, Marshall also changed the name of the football Braves to the "Redskins", to further distinguish the team from their ex-landlords.

Washington Redskins - The Redskins in Washington D.C.

The move to Fenway Park was unsuccessful and attendance was poor. The 1936 NFL title game, scheduled for Boston, was relocated to the Polo Grounds in New York City (the Redskins lost the game to the Green Bay Packers). Marshall decided to move the team to Washington, D.C. for 1937, retaining the name "Redskins" although it was now out of context. They shared Griffith Stadium with the Washington Senators baseball team. The team proceeded to win the league championship in their first year in D.C. They also signed an innovative rookie quarterback from Texas Christian University: future Pro Football Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh. In an era where the forward pass was relatively rare, the Redskins used it as their primary method of gaining yards. "Slingin' Sammy" Baugh also played numerous other positions, including cornerback and punter.

The Redskins won Eastern Division Championships in 1937, 1940, 1942, 1943 and 1945, and won the NFL Championship in 1937 and 1942, defeating the Chicago Bears each time. They lost the 1940 and 1943 NFL Title Games to the Bears and the 1945 Title Game to the Cleveland Rams.

Washington Redskins - Integration and front-office disarray

The team's early success endeared them to the fans of Washington, D.C. However, after 1945, the Redskins began a slow decline. Marshall continued to refuse to integrate the team, despite pressure from the Washington Post and the Federal Government (a typical comment by Post writer Shirley Povich was "Cleveland Browns runner Jim Brown integrated the Redskins' end zone").

Under threat of civil rights legal action by the Kennedy administration, which would have prevented a segregated team from playing at the new District of Columbia Stadium, as it was owned by the U.S. Department of the Interior and thus federal government property, the Redskins became the final pro football franchise to integrate, in 1962, in their second season in the stadium. First, the team drafted Ernie Davis, the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy. Then, before signing Davis, they traded his rights to the Browns for wide receiver Bobby Mitchell. This was a lucky break, as it turned out that Davis had leukemia, and died without ever playing a down in professional football, while Mitchell was still in the first half of a career that would land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Mitchell would be joined by black stars such as receiver Charley Taylor, running back Larry Brown (who had a hearing aid installed in his helmet due to near-total deafness) and defensive back Brig Owens. They would also pull off two of the best trades of the 1960s, gaining colorful quarterback Sonny Jurgensen from the Philadelphia Eagles and linebacker Sam Huff from the New York Giants. But even with these additions, the Redskins were still not performing up to expectations. While the team became more popular than ever, particularly with the additions of Mitchell, they struggled through the 1960s.

One reason for the team's struggles was disarray in the front office. Team owner and President George Preston Marshall began a mental decline in 1962, and the team's other stockholders found it difficult to make decisions without their boss. Marshall died in 1969, and the remaining stockholders sold the team to Edward Bennett Williams, a Washington resident and one of America's most esteemed attorneys.

Also in 1969, D.C. Stadium was renamed Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, and the Redskins hired future hall-of-famer Vince Lombardi — who gained fame coaching with the Green Bay Packers — to be their new head coach. Lombardi led the team to a 7-5-2 record, their best since 1955, but died of cancer on the eve of the 1970 season.

Washington Redskins - Revival

Two years later Williams signed former Los Angeles Rams head coach George Allen as head coach. Partial to seasoned veterans instead of highly-touted young players, Allen's teams became known as the Over-the-Hill Gang. "The future is now" was his slogan, and his players soon proved him right.

Allen helped to foster the team's rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys, which has turned into one of the NFL's most renowned and contentious rivalries. The Redskins reached the NFC Conference Championship in the 1972 season, defeating Dallas 26-3, only to lose to the undefeated Miami Dolphins 14-7 in Super Bowl VII. In his 7 years as head coach, Allen's teams made the playoffs 5 times.

In 1981, new Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke signed the offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers, Joe Gibbs, as their head coach. He coached the team to four Super Bowls, winning three of them.

Quarterback Joe Theismann, running back John Riggins and receiver Art Monk got most of the publicity, but the Redskins were one of the few teams ever to have a famous offensive line. Line coach Joe Bugel, who would later go on to be the head coach of the Phoenix Cardinals, nicknamed them "the Hogs," not because they were big and fat, but because they would "root around in the mud" on the field. Among the regular Hogs were center Jeff Bostic, guards Raleigh McKenzie and Russ Grimm, and tackles Joe Jacoby, Mark May and Jim Lachey. Tight ends Don Warren and Clint Didier, as well as Riggins, were known as "Honorary Hogs."

The Redskins' first Super Bowl win, their first NFL Championship in 40 years, was in Super Bowl XVII, where the Redskins defeated the Miami Dolphins 27-17 on January 30, 1983, in Pasedena, California. Future Hall of Famer John Riggins provided the game's signature play when, on 4th and 1, with the Redskins down 17-13 with 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter, he broke free for the then-longest run from scrimmage in Super Bowl history (43 yards). One touchdown later, the Redskins won their first NFL title in 40 years by a 27-17 score.

The Redskins' second title was in Super Bowl XXII on January 31, 1988, in San Diego, California. In this game, the Redskins routed the Denver Broncos 42-10 after starting the game with a 0-10 deficit, the largest come-from-behind victory in Super Bowl history. This game is more famous for the stellar performance by quarterback Doug Williams who passed for four touchdowns in the second quarter en route to becoming the first black quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. Rookie running back Timmy Smith had a great performance as well, running for a Super-Bowl record 203 yards.

The Redskins won their latest Super Bowl on January 26, 1992, in Super Bowl XXVI in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Redskins, the most dominant team in the NFL in the 1991 season, defeated the Buffalo Bills 37-24. On March 5th, 1993, Joe Gibbs retired after 12 years of coaching with the Redskins. In what would prove to be a temporary retirement, Gibbs pursued an interest in NASCAR by founding Joe Gibbs Racing.

The Redskins are one of only two teams in the NFL with an official marching band. (The other is the Baltimore Ravens.) Also, the Redskins were one of the first teams to have a fight song, "Hail to the Redskins."

Washington Redskins - The Snyder era

In 1997, Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke died, on the eve of the opening of the new stadium in suburban Landover, Maryland that was to be named in his honor, now his memory. In his will, Cooke 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 Daniel Snyder in a deal that was the most expensive in sporting history.

Snyder, who grew up as a Redskins fan and who made his money in marketing, has made many controversial moves since owning the team, including offering the name of the stadium up to corporate bidders. Federal Express had the highest bid, and the stadium is now named FedEx Field. The most controversial habit Snyder has practiced is the continuous hiring and firing of head coaches, first firing incumbent coach Norv Turner, firing replacement Marty Schottenheimer after only one season, and in 2002, hiring University of Florida head coach Steve Spurrier to replace Schottenheimer. After two mediocre years, Spurrier resigned after the 2003 season with three years left on his contract.

For the 2004 season, Snyder successfully lured former coach Joe Gibbs away from NASCAR to return as head coach and team president. His employment came with a promise of decreased intervention in football operations from Snyder. Snyder also expanded FedEx Field to a league-high capacity of 91,665 seats. Gibbs' return to the franchise did not pay instant dividends as the Redskins finished the 2004 season with a record of 6 wins and 10 losses.

Despite an impressive defense, the team struggled offensively. Quarterback Mark Brunell—an off-season acquisition from the Jacksonville Jaguars—struggled in his first season, and was replaced midway through the season by backup Patrick Ramsey. On the other hand, some of Gibbs' other new signings, such as cornerback Shawn Springs and linebacker Marcus Washington did very well. The Redskins also picked Sean Taylor from University of Miami during the draft in Gibbs' first season, who has since emerged as a talented player.

Since Dan Snyder took over the team, the Redskins have had a reputation for being very active during the off-season and signing free agent players to large contracts; not always ideal in the era of a salary cap. Examples include Deion Sanders and Dan Wilkinson. In the 2005 off-season, however, the Redskins seem to have been more modest, with their most high-profile signing—wide receiver Santana Moss (who made the Pro Bowl in his first season with the team)—joining the team via a trade with the New York Jets. Other signings included center Casey Rabach and wide receiver David Patten.

The Redskins still found a way to turn heads, however: at the 2005 NFL Draft, the team drafted with the ninth pick cornerback Carlos Rogers of Auburn. The team then traded away multiple picks to move up in the draft and select quarterback Jason Campbell from Auburn University. The move leaves the team's future at the vital quarterback position in some doubt, considering Brunell and Patrick Ramsey also remain on the roster. Brunell played very well in the 2005 season, having apparently recovered from injuries that hampered him in the 2004 season. The team won its first three games, including a Monday Night Football victory over Dallas, but then fell into a slump, including three straight losses in November, which lessened the chances of the team making the playoffs. However, five consecutive victories at the end of the season secured a berth in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Furthermore, their victories over Dallas meant the Redskins won both head-to-head meetings with the Cowboys for the first time since the 1995 season.

In retrospect, the 2005 season validated many of the Redskins' 2004 acquisitions. Springs and Washington continued outstanding defensive contributions, and Portis broke the Redskins' single-season rushing record for 100-yard games in 2005 with nine, rushing for a total of more than 1,500 yards. Brunell's performance silenced his critics, and Taylor had an impressive season, despite his off-the-field woes.

It should be noted that during Gibbs' first tenure with the Redskins, he did not have a franchise quarterback, so many have attributed his success to his superior coaching ability. Gibbs is the only coach to have won three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks.

As of 2005, Forbes Magazine values the franchise at over $1.3 billion, the highest in the NFL. The only sports team valued higher is soccer's Manchester United F.C. ($1.47 billion). The Redskins are worth nearly twice as much as the New York Yankees, the highest valued professional team of any other sport in the United States.

The Redskins' season ticket line is the second longest in the NFL to the Green Bay Packers. Fans have been known to wait 35 years to get season tickets, although some have received tickets after only 3 years on the list.

Washington Redskins - 2005 Season

The Redskins' 2005 campaign got off to a good start. First, they won their Week 1 home-opener against the Chicago Bears 9-7. Then, on a Week 2 road trip to Texas Stadium, the Redskins played a hard-fought Monday night match-up against their long-time rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, during the NFL's Hurricane Relief Week. After getting pushed around for most of the game, the Redskins entered the 4th Quarter, trailing 13-0. The Redskins would comeback and win with two Mark Brunell passes to newly-acquired WR Santana Moss and beat their hated rival 14-13. Then, after their Week 3 Bye, the Redskins would keep the eventual NFC West Champion Seattle Seahawks in check by winning 20-17. Unfortunately, the Redskins would lose their next two games (both on the road and against the AFC West). First, they lost to the eventual AFC West Champion Denver Broncos 21-19 and then, they lost a hard-fought match-up with the Kansas City Chiefs 28-21. The Redskins would get redemption at home, as they man-handled the San Francisco 49ers 52-17. Unfortunately, they would end up getting shut-out at Giants Stadium against division-rival New York Giants 36-0. On Sunday Night, the Redskins won against the defending NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles (another division rival) under the prime-time lights at home with a final score of 17-10. However, things started to look grim as the 'Skins lost their next three games. First, they lost a close road game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 36-35. Then, they lost their next two home games to the Oakland Raiders (16-13) and the San Diego Chargers (23-17 in OT).

The Redskins got back on track with a five-game winning streak to end the regular season. First, they won their next road games against the NFC West (24-9 against the St. Louis Rams and 17-13 against the Arizona Cardinals). Then, they went home and won a rematch against their much-hated Cowboys 35-7. This marked the first time since 1995 that the Redskins were able to sweep them. Afterwards, the 'Skins got revenge against the Giants with a 35-20 victory in their last regular-season home game.

Finishing the season 10-6, they were able to qualify for the playoffs as a wild card team by virtue of a 31-20 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. They opened the playoffs on the road against the NFC South Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, January 7, 2006. They defeated the Bucs 17-10, after intially taking the lead 14-0 but almost squandering it. In that game, the Redskins broke the record for fewest offensive yards (120) made in a playoff victory, with one of their two touchdowns being from a defensive run after a fumble recovery. The following weekend, they played the Seattle Seahawks, who received a bye for round one. The Seahawks defeated the Redskins 20-10, ending the Redskins' hopes of reaching their first NFC Championship Game since 1991.

Three team records were broken during the 2005 season. Clinton Portis set the Redskins record for rushing yards in a season with 1,516 yards, breaking Stephen Davis's 2001 mark of 1,432 yards and Santana Moss's 1,483 receiving yards broke Bobby Mitchell's 1963 record of 1,436 yards. Chris Cooley's 71 receptions broke Jerry Smith's season record for a Redskins tight end.