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Okay.. I'm 63 years old. I've seen a lot of good times and suffered through the bad times in the last what-seems-like 100 years with a lot of you.
But I had to contemplate something... what is this love I have for this team?
After the Pittsburgh game, sure I was disappointed. But it somewhat surprised me that it didn’t emotionally tear me apart as it may have 10 or 15 years ago. So I started wondering why…and I think I have the answer. And before you read, don't accuse me of living in the past... what I do is at times like this, I look to the past to good memories to keep me sane.
The Redskins are more than just football to me. Just about everything that has happened good in my life I can tie back to the Redskins. My earliest memories with my dad are sitting in the back pew of church on Sunday so we could be the first ones out to get to the game. My dad was the eternal pessimist. We could be blowing out the opposition and he’d be sure we’d do something to lose. Thus, he NEVER left a game early and to that end, neither do I (when I get to attend now that I’m in West Virginia). Yes, it’s hard now sometimes but it’s ingrained in me. I remember stories from my dad… the infamous Pearl Harbor game, watching Sammy Baugh, being at the championship game in 1942 where the Redskins won 14-7, and me remembering that when we went to Super Bowl VII, he had died that past summer and I knew he was watching down as it was the first time in the “modern” era the Redskins had made it to the big game.
Then there’s my husband. A lot of you know this story. We met in an online sports chat room talking about the Redskins A discussion came up about Darrell Green and him running down Tony Dorsett on Monday Night Football. We hadn’t met at that point (the game) but we were both in attendance. We had a stupid debate over which way he was running, suffice it to say we were both right, we were sitting on opposite sides of the field from one another. That led to us meeting, and eventually being married. He was my one soulmate. If you believe that stuff (I didn’t, but now do). I was 43 when we got married and I hadn’t had a serious relationship before meeting him. Unfortunately I lost him all too soon when I came home from California where I had been to Paramount’s private memorial for DeForest Kelley, only to find he had died while I was in the skies over the United States heading home. This was in June of 1999.
And that brings me to DeForest Kelley. Yes, I can tie my good friendship with he and his wife, Carolyn, to the Redskins. DeForest Kelley, as I hope most of you know, played Dr. McCoy on the original Star Trek series. Well, I would have never met him if it wasn’t for meeting and becoming best friends with his Fan Club President, Sue. See, we had met and we were acquaintances but I made her listen to my tirades, celebrations, or whatever regarding the Redskins to the point where she came and went to the Monday Night game where Art Monk broke the receiving record. After that, through her (and my dog, Radar.. but that’s a whole ’nother story) I both met and became good friends with DeForest Kelley and his wife.
So… I’ve been reading a book titled 100 Things Redskins Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die by Rick Snider. There’s a chapter on buying memorabilia and he stresses to have something with personal meaning. Well, thinking I’m feeling my mortality, lately I’ve been going through things, passing some along to my great-grandnephews, but there are just some things I will not give up. I’d like to describe some of them here (with pictures attached) and why they’re so important.
An Indian hat pin that belonged to my dad. You can tell from the picture that it’s old (and sandwiched by the two Hall of Fame pins for Art Monk and Darrell Green, the weekend of which I attended and will never forget).
Redskins Goal Post Pad: Probably as close to one-of-a-kind that I have. I was at the New Year’s Eve game when we beat Dallas 26-3. Also, somewhere in the stadium, my niece’s father was there.. well, he managed to carry this out of the stadium… and subsequently gave it to me. That put us in Super Bowl VII…the season after my father died.
Redskins Bowling Ball: Has Super Bowl XVII engraved on it. Was given to my husband, Bruce, by Neil Olkewicz during a celebrity bowling tournament that my husband competed in. Don’t know if he won, but he received this bowling ball.
Sammy Baugh Figurine: Given to me by someone not to be named, stands about 5 inches tall.. On the bottom is written 29/33. Not sure if this means only 33 were made…but nevertheless, it’s rare and it’s my dad’s favorite player.
Suncatcher with 50th Anniversary Logo: This was done by a friend of mine. She did four. I gave one to my brother, one for me, I sent one to Ray Flaherty and one to Joe Gibbs. I received hand-written thank-yous from both coaches. Later during Gibbs Era II, I took mine to Redskins Park when he announced he was leaving—again—and got him to autograph it. Because this was many years later, I sure didn’t expect Gibbs to remember it. When he signed it, he looked at me and said “I have one of these in my office at home…are you the person who sent it to me?” Of course, I said yes. There's only 4 of these in existence.
Various programs from the 1940s and 1950s: Along with the press guide from 1953 (the year I was born), after my dad died and my brother realized how much of a depression I was in, he collected these for me. Most of them are in good to excellent condition. They include programs from November 15, 1959 (in picture I’m starting top left and reading left to right), the program from the New Year’s: eve game where we won 26-3 (I bought that one), December 31, 1972, November 15, 1953, October 30, 1955, November 18, 1945, October 31, 1949, October 12, 1941, and December 10, 1944. (Articles from these will be showcased in my “Doc’s Blast From the Past” in future postings which I hope at least some of you are enjoying).
One other thing I have that I don’t have a picture handy of is a poster of Darrell Green where he signed it “To Bruce and Sandy, #28 forever and a day” which is ironic because both Bruce and I would sign cards, etc., with “forever and a day”. Not only is #28 Darrell Green’s number, my husband’s birthday was January 28, my birthday is August 28, he proposed on May 28th and while we were married on May 26, our honeymoon to Alaska started May 28, and unfortunately, I buried him on June 28. So the #28 means a lot to me.
So back to my original question. Why do I love the Redskins. Well, if you haven’t figured it out yet, it’s because they are my life. While I know how to watch football (Bruce NEVER had to explain a play to me as far as the type of defense, etc.), I don’t know all the nuances, etc. If I predict a game, it’s from my heart. It’s hard for me to be objective with anything Redskins-related, though I do try to do so on the boards. They define who I am today. I’ve learned loyalty, respect and what unconditional love is. I’ve learned what heartbreak is through the loss of my dad (who got to meet Lombardi by the way when he was in the hospital before he died), the loss of my husband, the loss of DeForest Kelley (and subsequently his wife), the loss of my niece at the young age of 50, who was probably as big of a fan as I am if bigger (her father is my brother who got me the collection of programs) and other tragedies such as Sean Taylor’s death. I’ve learned how to deal with that heartbreak and how to keep those memories alive. Some people may say I’m living in the past by continuing to remember those times. I just call it living to the best of my ability. Do I have rose-colored glasses when it comes to the Redskins? Probably. But one thing I’ve learned is that I can’t let a game over which I have no control, control me emotionally anymore. I can love them, root for them, defend them, but I can’t go into a depression for a week after a loss like I would have years ago. Perhaps it’s age, perhaps it’s maturity, or perhaps it’s just being realistic because trust me… when we see another playoff run that ends us in the Super Bowl (and I do think I will in my lifetime), I’ll be right there as crazy as the next fan. They’re my team and I’ll always wear the burgundy and gold. I wore a RS t-shirt to work Tuesday and only one person said something about being surprised about it… before I could respond, a coworker said.. once you get to know Sandy, you’ll learn that she’s a TRUE fan, not a fairweather or fly-by-night.” Made me proud.
Hope you’ve enjoyed my dissertation. I’d be interested in hearing other stories and what memorabilia you may have.
Oh…. And in the book it says that the last thing you should do before you die is attend an Eagles game at their home field in a RS jersey …which may expedite your trip to the great beyond. No kidding… I did this ONCE and only ONCE and never did it again.
So, HAIL TO THE REDSKINS, and, of course, WE WANT DALLAS. Be sure to read the article on Diron Talbert in Doc’s Blast From the Past. I’ll be there Sunday in chat rooting them on to no end. Don't know if we get the game yet here or not.
But I had to contemplate something... what is this love I have for this team?
After the Pittsburgh game, sure I was disappointed. But it somewhat surprised me that it didn’t emotionally tear me apart as it may have 10 or 15 years ago. So I started wondering why…and I think I have the answer. And before you read, don't accuse me of living in the past... what I do is at times like this, I look to the past to good memories to keep me sane.
The Redskins are more than just football to me. Just about everything that has happened good in my life I can tie back to the Redskins. My earliest memories with my dad are sitting in the back pew of church on Sunday so we could be the first ones out to get to the game. My dad was the eternal pessimist. We could be blowing out the opposition and he’d be sure we’d do something to lose. Thus, he NEVER left a game early and to that end, neither do I (when I get to attend now that I’m in West Virginia). Yes, it’s hard now sometimes but it’s ingrained in me. I remember stories from my dad… the infamous Pearl Harbor game, watching Sammy Baugh, being at the championship game in 1942 where the Redskins won 14-7, and me remembering that when we went to Super Bowl VII, he had died that past summer and I knew he was watching down as it was the first time in the “modern” era the Redskins had made it to the big game.
Then there’s my husband. A lot of you know this story. We met in an online sports chat room talking about the Redskins A discussion came up about Darrell Green and him running down Tony Dorsett on Monday Night Football. We hadn’t met at that point (the game) but we were both in attendance. We had a stupid debate over which way he was running, suffice it to say we were both right, we were sitting on opposite sides of the field from one another. That led to us meeting, and eventually being married. He was my one soulmate. If you believe that stuff (I didn’t, but now do). I was 43 when we got married and I hadn’t had a serious relationship before meeting him. Unfortunately I lost him all too soon when I came home from California where I had been to Paramount’s private memorial for DeForest Kelley, only to find he had died while I was in the skies over the United States heading home. This was in June of 1999.
And that brings me to DeForest Kelley. Yes, I can tie my good friendship with he and his wife, Carolyn, to the Redskins. DeForest Kelley, as I hope most of you know, played Dr. McCoy on the original Star Trek series. Well, I would have never met him if it wasn’t for meeting and becoming best friends with his Fan Club President, Sue. See, we had met and we were acquaintances but I made her listen to my tirades, celebrations, or whatever regarding the Redskins to the point where she came and went to the Monday Night game where Art Monk broke the receiving record. After that, through her (and my dog, Radar.. but that’s a whole ’nother story) I both met and became good friends with DeForest Kelley and his wife.
So… I’ve been reading a book titled 100 Things Redskins Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die by Rick Snider. There’s a chapter on buying memorabilia and he stresses to have something with personal meaning. Well, thinking I’m feeling my mortality, lately I’ve been going through things, passing some along to my great-grandnephews, but there are just some things I will not give up. I’d like to describe some of them here (with pictures attached) and why they’re so important.
An Indian hat pin that belonged to my dad. You can tell from the picture that it’s old (and sandwiched by the two Hall of Fame pins for Art Monk and Darrell Green, the weekend of which I attended and will never forget).
Redskins Goal Post Pad: Probably as close to one-of-a-kind that I have. I was at the New Year’s Eve game when we beat Dallas 26-3. Also, somewhere in the stadium, my niece’s father was there.. well, he managed to carry this out of the stadium… and subsequently gave it to me. That put us in Super Bowl VII…the season after my father died.
Redskins Bowling Ball: Has Super Bowl XVII engraved on it. Was given to my husband, Bruce, by Neil Olkewicz during a celebrity bowling tournament that my husband competed in. Don’t know if he won, but he received this bowling ball.
Sammy Baugh Figurine: Given to me by someone not to be named, stands about 5 inches tall.. On the bottom is written 29/33. Not sure if this means only 33 were made…but nevertheless, it’s rare and it’s my dad’s favorite player.
Suncatcher with 50th Anniversary Logo: This was done by a friend of mine. She did four. I gave one to my brother, one for me, I sent one to Ray Flaherty and one to Joe Gibbs. I received hand-written thank-yous from both coaches. Later during Gibbs Era II, I took mine to Redskins Park when he announced he was leaving—again—and got him to autograph it. Because this was many years later, I sure didn’t expect Gibbs to remember it. When he signed it, he looked at me and said “I have one of these in my office at home…are you the person who sent it to me?” Of course, I said yes. There's only 4 of these in existence.
Various programs from the 1940s and 1950s: Along with the press guide from 1953 (the year I was born), after my dad died and my brother realized how much of a depression I was in, he collected these for me. Most of them are in good to excellent condition. They include programs from November 15, 1959 (in picture I’m starting top left and reading left to right), the program from the New Year’s: eve game where we won 26-3 (I bought that one), December 31, 1972, November 15, 1953, October 30, 1955, November 18, 1945, October 31, 1949, October 12, 1941, and December 10, 1944. (Articles from these will be showcased in my “Doc’s Blast From the Past” in future postings which I hope at least some of you are enjoying).
One other thing I have that I don’t have a picture handy of is a poster of Darrell Green where he signed it “To Bruce and Sandy, #28 forever and a day” which is ironic because both Bruce and I would sign cards, etc., with “forever and a day”. Not only is #28 Darrell Green’s number, my husband’s birthday was January 28, my birthday is August 28, he proposed on May 28th and while we were married on May 26, our honeymoon to Alaska started May 28, and unfortunately, I buried him on June 28. So the #28 means a lot to me.
So back to my original question. Why do I love the Redskins. Well, if you haven’t figured it out yet, it’s because they are my life. While I know how to watch football (Bruce NEVER had to explain a play to me as far as the type of defense, etc.), I don’t know all the nuances, etc. If I predict a game, it’s from my heart. It’s hard for me to be objective with anything Redskins-related, though I do try to do so on the boards. They define who I am today. I’ve learned loyalty, respect and what unconditional love is. I’ve learned what heartbreak is through the loss of my dad (who got to meet Lombardi by the way when he was in the hospital before he died), the loss of my husband, the loss of DeForest Kelley (and subsequently his wife), the loss of my niece at the young age of 50, who was probably as big of a fan as I am if bigger (her father is my brother who got me the collection of programs) and other tragedies such as Sean Taylor’s death. I’ve learned how to deal with that heartbreak and how to keep those memories alive. Some people may say I’m living in the past by continuing to remember those times. I just call it living to the best of my ability. Do I have rose-colored glasses when it comes to the Redskins? Probably. But one thing I’ve learned is that I can’t let a game over which I have no control, control me emotionally anymore. I can love them, root for them, defend them, but I can’t go into a depression for a week after a loss like I would have years ago. Perhaps it’s age, perhaps it’s maturity, or perhaps it’s just being realistic because trust me… when we see another playoff run that ends us in the Super Bowl (and I do think I will in my lifetime), I’ll be right there as crazy as the next fan. They’re my team and I’ll always wear the burgundy and gold. I wore a RS t-shirt to work Tuesday and only one person said something about being surprised about it… before I could respond, a coworker said.. once you get to know Sandy, you’ll learn that she’s a TRUE fan, not a fairweather or fly-by-night.” Made me proud.
Hope you’ve enjoyed my dissertation. I’d be interested in hearing other stories and what memorabilia you may have.
Oh…. And in the book it says that the last thing you should do before you die is attend an Eagles game at their home field in a RS jersey …which may expedite your trip to the great beyond. No kidding… I did this ONCE and only ONCE and never did it again.
So, HAIL TO THE REDSKINS, and, of course, WE WANT DALLAS. Be sure to read the article on Diron Talbert in Doc’s Blast From the Past. I’ll be there Sunday in chat rooting them on to no end. Don't know if we get the game yet here or not.
