How did you become a Skins fan?

[tlk2rn]

I recall 25 years ago when I was only 5 my mother bought me a Redskins coat, (you know the kind with the leather sleeves and cotton body) and a Skins tobogan with the pom-pom on top. But in the next year or 2 she bought me a Pittsburg Steelers windbreaker outfit, and that same year she got me a Bears Walter Payton jersey. Now I don't know if she was trying to confuse me as a child, but there was something about the Skins gear that made me say,"from now on ma' if you buy me football clothes, buy me Redskins stuff."

Now, no one in my family except for my uncle Markeath is a Skins fan. My father was an Oakland/L.A. Raiders fan, Paw-Paw was a Dallas man (both are now Panthers fans) and my uncle Bruce was and is still a Dallas man. So I sort of gravitated to my uncle Markeath when it came to football and I dont know why. On Sundays back in the mid 80's (when the Skins was the only team you could see here in Charlotte) I would help my uncle pull for the Skins. When he cheered I would cheer. When he jumped I would jump, and when he got mad I would get mad. So one Sunday in 1987 after the Skins thumped the Giants 38-12 he looked at me and said, "we smoked em' didn't we". I looked at him and said,"Yeah, we got em' good." That is when I officialy became a Skin fan.

I remeber watching the games when I was younger and I have early memories of SB XVII (I was only 7) but that day my uncle made me feel as if I was a part of an elite club, actually part of the team. And in that season the Skins beat Denver in SB XXII. I was there with my uncle at his SB party. To this day we watch the games together (he has Sunday ticket), cheering, screaming, and getting mad. What is your story? Especially those that don't live in the DC area and didn't or still dont have access to the games.

[Stevviej20]

I became a skins fan around 93-94, i was born in florida, but my aunt, uncle, and cousins are from Virginia. They moved here around 89 n they were skins fans. I guess somehow they made me become a skins fan and for the past 11-12 yrs ive been tourmented with these horrible seasons, ive remained loyal while one of my cousins has converted to a cowboys fan:mad:. Me and my older cousin have remained skins fans and this year is awesome.

[hokie4redskins]

By God's amazing grace.

I remember my dad bouncing me on his knee when the Redskins won their first Super Bowl. I was probably three. It wasn't until I watched Gary Clark torching secondaries when it became a delirious obsession.

[worm]

For SB VII my brother loved the Redskins, so to be a punkass brother I picked the Dolphins as my team. Rode that wagon until 1980 when I married into a Redskins family. I've been bleeding Burgundy and Gold since then with the Dolphins being my 2nd favorite.

[redskinedwizard]

because i was born in DC

[grassyglen]

I can remember drawing pictures of "The Diesel" truck with a big fat 44 on the side in 3rd grade.

Ahhhh....the memories.

[aussieskin]

I was watching the Skins/Dolpins SB on tele, the game diesel set the record, and i have been an avid rabid supporter of the skins eversince,

[28rdsknsfn28]

because i was born in DC

Ditto

[KingGibbs]

My Dad was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base when I was around five years old and we were surrounded by 'Skins fans. The Redskins logo sucked me right in. It is IMO still the best logo in sports and not just football.

[Vixz44]

born and raised to bleed burgundy and gold. its been hard to stick with it the past 10 years or so with giants fans from NY in the family. but here in MD, they know its redskin territory..

[riggins4ever]

We moved to VA in 73 when I was 7.The first thing I bought was two bumper stickers,one about Sonny and one about Killmer.I had no idea who they were(we came from NY and only knew about the jets) but for some reason,I wanted to know more about them.Started watching the games and was instantly hooked.My dad took me to a rally in 74 at Dullas airport for a game against the cowBUMS and met Mosley,Sam Huff,George Allen(who was great), Dave Butz,Bring Owen,Mike Thomas and a lot more.I still have there autographs.We moved back to NY in 76 and stood out with my Skins clothes but never let anyone try to change my team.I have bled gold and burgandy through the bad seasons and the great ones.The first super bowl win will always stay with me.I converted my mom,who never watched football,then and we have been a redskin family since(although my dad considers himself the football "widow" of the family...lol.)Finally went to my first game last year(lost to the ravens:mad: )and had a BLAST!!! being with "my own people:) ..No matter how good or bad they are,I will never switch my loyalty for anything.HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!!!!!!

:eaglesuck :eaglesuck :eaglesuck :eaglesuck :eaglesuck :eaglesuck :eaglesuck :eaglesuck :eaglesuck :point2sky

[ImmortalDragon]

Born in DC and it just happened. Never changed

[FightForOldDC21]

born and raised...

[Bostic Hog]

I was lucky enough to have my father in the US Army and we ended up at Carlisle Barracks, in Carlisle PA. Of course, Carlisle is the FORMER (Dammit) home of Redskins training camp. Back then, it was much less attended and we got to really meet the players. That was when there were more scrimmages and less of this "Preseason game" hype that they make us pay full price for. Anyway, carlisle is still a Redskins hotbed - even though Philly is closer.

[drewski]

My Dad was a Green Bay Packer fan and raised me to adore Vince. When Vince moved to Washington, my adulation of the man influenced my change to the Redskins and then George Allen cemented it.

[JCav06]

because i was born in DC

ditto. And my Dad used to take me to games at RFK when I was little. Good times.

[Ford]

i was born in dc.. according to my parents my motivation for learning to read was to read the stories about the skins and box scores in the post ..

i remember the 92 superbowl when i was 6 .. but since then it has been a somewhat stressful ride. this season has been fun to say the least ..

[tlk2rn]

You guys make me wanna cry. Great stories.

[TexasRedskinFan]

Didn't get into football till I played it in middle school in '98/'99 (my dad's a soccer fan =/ ). I knew I hated the Cowboys, saw the Redskins give them a spankin and stuck with them ever since. Unfortunately (if I remember correctly), that was the last time I saw them win against the Cowboys till this year (don't hate me).

[ncskinsfan71]

I moved to DC in 1976 and I was 5 yrs old. Although I was born in Bethesda Naval Hospital, my 1st football memories were of Jaworski, Carmichael and Montgomery because we lived in Jersey and I went to preschool and 1st grade in Philly. That's why I can root for the Eagles and Sixers as long as DC isn't involved. I used to like the Steelers then too. When we moved to DC though, something changed in me. I always thought that you should root for your home team, and I remember being in Woodward and Lothrop dept. store and they had Over the Hill Gang stuff. Signs, towels, Skins stickers, everything. From that point on I was hooked. Dave Butz was my favorite player at the time. I think it was the way my Dad said Butz that was funny to me, being 7 yrs old then. I grew up a Skins fan. Even when we moved to NC in '82 I stayed loyal. I can't root for anyone else like I do my Washington Redskins.

A few Skins moments in my life:

1. Beating Dallas in the NFC game '82

2. Watching Riggins drag that Dolphin off of him to score on 4th Down

3. Doug and "The Quarter"

4. Driving 50 miles in 35 minutes to watch the Bills SB with my Dad because he asked me too.

5. After the Denver SB there was a meet and greet session with the Hogs here in NC. I'm waiting in line for the session to start and a voice behind me says "Excuse me big man". I turn to move and its' Joe Jacoby. The biggest man I had ever seen said I was a "big man"

6. My 1st live Redskins game was at FedEx, last year for MNF against Dallas, and before the game started, I actually cried because my Dad had passed and we never made it to a game.

7. Being in Dallas for this year's MNF "Homecoming" game

I know that's a little long, but that is how important this team is to me. I may cuss them out, but no one else can, not on my watch.

:point2sky

[DButz65]

Born and raised (ARLINGTON)

Pops had tickets since griffith stadium, i was born in 71

He took me to my first game around 4-5yo , him and my grandfather

from my mothers side. My grandfather liked to take me with him to the local american legion at about that time, and he used to sneak me sipps of those mini cans of beer at times... and when we all went to a skins game together that

day, and the beer man came around, i was the only 5yo to stand up and ask for a beer, with a serious look on my face, while everyone around us laughed

and hamed it up. Hehehe thats when it all started I remember that like it happened yesterday.

[akshun757]

It started the moment I saw Manley,Mann, Darryl Grant, Dave Butz, Monte Coleman, Jacoby, Grimm, Bostic, Lachey,Darrel Green, Alvin Walton, Ricky Sanders, Clark, Don Warren, Art Monk, Doug Williams. Need I say more!!!

Skins for life!!!!!

:logo: :dallasuck :gaintsuck :eaglesuck

[armstrong001]

My mom was in the army. I was 10 years old when we moved from Italy to Virginia where she was stationed at Ft. Belvoir. That was in 1991. My 4th grade teacher was the biggest die hard Redskins fan. Before we moved, I don't believe I had ever watched a football game. But my teacher turned me on to it just in time for a Super Bowl victory. Damn, it's been downhill since this year. I used to always joke about how cruel it was to fall in love with a team when they were great, then follow them through 15 years of drudgery.

My most vivid memories are being at the last game at RFK (and kicking the Cowboy's butts in front of all the old Redskins), the first game at JKC stadium (I sure thought Westbrook was the real deal after that touchdown catch), and the horrible agony of watching that botched fieldgoal attempt in Tampa Bay. Now, that's been replaced by two touchdowns in five minutes, and 35-7 this year...

[redskins4life234]

I was born, my dad said "Your a redskins fan" One year later, I was watching the Superbowl with skins winning! on my dads lap or somehwere around there. And my dad raised me to be one, he started taking me to games when i was 7 or 8, and when i became a real football fan, and started to really understand it, thats when i was a real fan.

[Ant15fromNJ]

I get this question a lot because I'm a big Redskins fan in NJ with both the Giants and Jets home teams. When I was in Pre K I was on the boardwalk and my dad won a hat and he told me to pick what hat I wanted. To this day I remember that I was thinking between the Redskins or Bills. I choice of course the skins and ever since then I always loved the redskins. All my friends ask me questions about like the 2000 season or 2001 and I tell them what happened in a game or how many yards someone had its so funny when I'm correct everyone is in shock. Its so funny.

GO SKINS!!!!!