(Until the season actually starts, I mean.)
I am thrilled (no kidding? is it obvious?) about Joe Gibbs returning to coach the 'Skins. There are a few reasons...his talent, of course. The hope of returning to the glory days. And I'm glad to have someone back with the organization that really commands respect.
Thinking back to those glory days...I do that alot, don't I? If I had kids, they would hate me: "Here goes Mom with one of her 'in my day' stories...she had to walk to school in two feet of snow, the Redskins won Super Bowls, the Capitals had a defense..."
Once upon a time...
...this really was a solidly Redskins town. Even people who didn't give a darn about football got swept up in it, especially for epics like the Cowboys games. That rivalry was so intense American Express used it in a national commercial (with Tom Landry doing the "Do you know me?")
When I was a kid, kids were Redskins fans. (And those were the George Allen days.) I can remember going to Sears, where I begged for (and finally got) a Redskins jacket with a (synthetic material that looked like) burgundy wool body and (synthetic material that looked like) gold leather sleeves and a Charley Taylor jersey. I don't remember Dolphins or Cowboys stuff for sale at Sears, nor do I remember very many kids wearing the colors of other teams. (Okay, there was a boy who moved here from New York in 3rd grade who wore a Buffalo Bills jacket, and a few from Pittsburgh families who inherited the Steeler genes.) Now I rarely see kids wearing Redskins jackets. I see more Ravens stuff...and Oakland, and Dallas.
It might just be that things are marketed differently now. The team jacket is less of a sign of allegiance than it is a fashion statement, and individual players are marketed more than teams. And as that trend rose, the fortunes of the Redskins fell.
In my office, I am the only Redskins fan, or at least the only one who admits it openly. The other football fans teased me all year while they wore their Cowboys and their Patriots and their Ravens shirts without suffering comments. (Not that I would talk trash back, but even if I'd been so inclined, what could I have said?) Some people here were a little bemused, amused, or confused by the media frenzy about Gibbs and I figured out why...they didn't live here when this was a solidly Redskins town. They don't remember the Smurfs and the Fun Bunch and the Hogs (so they really don't get the Hogettes!). Joe Gibbs is a retired coach out of context. What's the big deal?
I'm heartened by the enthusiasm with which Gibbs is being welcomed back. I've not been alone. The Redskins fans are still here. Not only is Gibbs' return a big deal, I'm finding people who understand why!
That's a glorious day right there.
Posted by Nic at January 8, 2004 01:44 PM | TrackBackBeautifully written.
Posted by: Raj at January 8, 2004 02:54 PM