What were the glory days like?

[blueskin]

It was assumed that we'd go to the playoffs, every season. the only question was how deep we'd go. there would be no sweating over trap games and whether 'lowly team A' would shock us. there was no playing down to our opponent. and I can't for the life of me recall a time we were beaten by more than 30 points ever during gibbs 1.0. And the thought of the lions handling us at all, whether in DC, in Detroit, or on Mars, was laughable. Us giving points to the damn Rams? Ridiculous!

Redskins fans didn't have to apologize for the owner, and the coach was respected. we didn't get a lot of favoritism from the press, but at least got respect.

It seemed it was always three teams fighting for the Lombardi every year: Us, the 49ers, and the Giants. And no matter who represented the NFC, the AFC would provide a sacrificial lamb.

Our players had heart. Even the role players would save games for us. For every John Riggins, Darrell Green and Art Monk, you had a Kelvin Bryant, a Doc Walker, a Neal Olkewicz (can't spell his name). Give me a friggin Clint Didier right now.

Teams absolutely FEARED playing in RFK stadium in primetime. There were no national pants-wettings. If we got beat, at least the opposing teams were near crippled the next morning.

Division games were always hard fought affairs, and I don't recall many blowouts (strong victories, sure). the NFC East was like a ex-lax; it made opponents crap themselves. Well, except for St. Louis/Arizona. We pretty much beat them like a drum at least once each year.

7-9 was cause to visit the ledge for fans. 4-12? unthinkable, a relic of pre-George Allen, pre-Lombardi ineptitude. It was a time when the team would swagger, and would INVADE opposing stadia. Riggins running over Randy White. Dexter creaming Danny White. The posse passing 1000 yards each in one season. Rypien dropping back 7 steps, firing off a bomb to Ricky Sander or Gary Clark- wiping that ****-eating grin off of Deion's, Glanville's, and Hammer's faces. Doug Williams' miracle quarter, after fighting Capt Arrogant for the starting job all year. The Replacements embarassing the Cowboys.

And I didn't even mention the Hogs. Need I say more?

If I could build a time machine, I'd gladly go back, just to experience a season like 1991 or 1982 (I prefer that one to 1983) again. Hell, I'd even take 1983, sans SB18.

Excuse me, I have something in my eye.

[#98QBKiller]

I don't blame you. Gibbs was hired when I was 4 and retired when I was 16. So, for me, from as far back as I can remember until I was a junior in high school and being distracted by sports of my own, girls, etc. I had a perennial contender in DC. I'm so happy that those glory years aligned so perfectly with my childhood. For me it was ideal...we won Super Bowls when I was 5, 10, and 14. Those are the ages right before you do start to grow up and put the NFL into perspective.

So, as a kid in 5th grade and a freshman in high school, I watched championship seasons (I only vaguely remember watching parts of the 1982 season). I honestly wouldn't trade those Sunday afternoons for anything. They are a major part of my childhood memories. Christmas gifts tended to include some Redskins gear or toys or memorabilia. From August through January I would read the sports page of the Post every morning and soak in any information I could.

Anyway, I'm making this about me...but I do hope that you younger fans get to experience something like that. The journey through those seasons was just as exciting as the final hours of winning the Super Bowl (both that I remember well were over by halftime, so the actual winning was a formality). We'll get back there...we have to.

I remember watching the Bills Super Bowl when I was a kid and I remember watching the Redskins on tv and going to games with my parents before that. But in my adult life the only taste of Redskins success I really have is the 99, 05 and 07 seasons. None of which were even close to what the glory days were like.

But I think we'll get back there too. How long? Is the big question.

[RWJ]

From '72 till '77 George Allen's Redskins played from the opening whistle until the clock read: 00. Then with JG we played our best football from '82 till '93. We dominated with our OL and our DF wasn't anything special but they were stout and kept us in games. It's only been 1/2 year with Shanny so he's do his 4 1/2 years to right the ship and I think he will. We might not be the Skins of JG 1 but we will compete and win a division title or two. JMO.

[GoDeep81]

I have not witnessed a successful season ever as a Redskins fan.

I am rather young, but I always have been a Redskins fan, and I always will be. It sucks not to really see them ever dominate in my life time, so how were the glory days?

Bro, you wouldnt believe it if we told ya.. We actually used to be feared in this league..

[s0crates]

Imagine Joe Gibbs in 2005, only imagine he had the best personel in the league because there was a great GM and no salary cap.

[fuji869]

The Redskins missed the playoffs back -2- back years in 1988 and 1989 and I thought that was a playoff drought.....

[Wyndorf25]

Imagine, if you will, the EXPECTATION that the Skins would win each game. Even while losing, I always EXPECTED them to make a play and it seemed like they did more often than not.

Unfortunately now, it's the opposite as you well know...I EXPECT this team of the last 19 years to lose each game and find myself surprised when they put together a quality game.

Remember though...the pendulum swings both ways. It HAS to be swinging back the Skins' way as I see it. That belief gives me hope for the future at least.

[joeknows]

oh man it was incredible.... i grew up during those glory days

what i think i remember most was the fact that we were always contender and we were actually respected throughout the league back then...

plus what i loved about them was.... if we didnt beat you .... we would beat your ass.... you knew you had played the skins on monday.... plus i can remember skirmishes on the field where the entire redskins sidelines would clear and the refs having a hard time keepin us from killing the offender

also ... if we were down at the half there was no reason to sweat it because it you just KNEW JG would make the proper adjustments.... and more often than not we would pull it out in the second half

[Redskins4ever]

Back in the days, you knew the Redskins would win games. We had Gary Clark, Art Monk, Kelvin Bryant, George Rogers, and a whole team that won 10 or 11 games on average. Even back then there were times when the Redskins played not to lose but overall it was a respectable team with great front office people who had an amazing talent for picking the correct players.

[PortlandSkins]

I'm really quite amazed that there are any new redskins fans. The glory days were so long ago. I was just getting into football in time for the '82 season. Back then, it seemed like the skins having winning teams was simply a given. I went to college in Canada after Gibbs retired, and when I moved back in 98 we were a turd. We have been a turd ever since. Bad rosters, bad coaching, ignorant fans...not a single real effort to rebuild in years.

You want to know what it felt like back in the day? Ask a patriots fan...he'll tell you how it feels.

[Soup]

maybe one of you guys know because I can't remember. since 1991 have the redskins had a winning season in back to back years?

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

91 was the first season I watched every game and was really into it and it was incredible. We were dominant on both sides of the ball and even when things weren't going well such as the first Giants game, you just knew the team would find a way to rally. That team has got to go down as one of the best all time because to this day the 07 Patriots are really the only team that has come close to replicating how good they were.

This. My first real season as a hardcore sportsfan. Man...what a year. Even after it was over I had some Season to Remember highlight VHS for that year that like Sports Illustrated put together. I probably watched that thing at least 500 times. Multiple times a day. I feel blessed that I got to experience that one year. I strongly believe that the '91 team was the best 'Skins team ever and (at least) a top 5 team of all time. Top 3 in my biased opinion. Just ****ing dominant.

It was so dominant that the 3rd RB could be your fav player (Ricky Ervins in this case) and nobody would think it was weird.

[Mr. Sinister]

maybe one of you guys know because I can't remember. since 1991 have the redskins had a winning season in back to back years?

I think we may have had back to back non losing seasons since then ( '07-'08), but I don't think we've ever had back to back winning seasons since '91.

Reading all of this is pretty depressing to be honest, it's almost like fantasy land to think that this franchise was once the envy of the league, that we had a competent FO, selfless players, selfless coaches, that routinely *****slapped the opposition every Sunday. For me it even goes back to all the chances that we had to go to the SB, or win it, from '72-'91. In those 20 years, we had a chance at 5 Lombardi's, and if things continue the way they are, by January 2012, we will have gone almost another 20 years with just three winning seasons, THREE .

All I have to hang my hat on is the fact that we had one year with a dominant offense, but no defense, that self destructed against Tampa in '99, an inconsistent team in '05 that had to win 5 in a row to even get to the playoffs, but by the time they got there, they had nothing left, and a team in '07 ,with a heavy heart, that played their asses off but were eventually dismantled in Seattle, Thats my version of the glory days. Sad isn't it?

[Phixius]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW8aXD9I300

[Soup]

Sad isn't it?

Completely agree with your post, I remember reading the washington post when it wasn't hell bent on snubbing the redskins. They would compare this franchise to the steelers

In all likelihood the redskins will probably stay the same under Shanny/Allen as it did with Snyder/Vinny or Vinny/Gibbs/Snyder. I worry that Snyder just passed on the madden game to Shanny so he can play for a few years.

The entire philosophy is off with the franchise, even gibbs fell into the trap in his second run. Its just repeating over and over again. Now we have to stomach Shanny's madden version of the redskins. Why can't we just start from zero and work up instead of plugging holes into a sinking ship every offseason? The whole philosophy of winning now never works, I have yet to see a team pull it off.

I worry Shanny is just Gibbs II all over again. God, I hope I'm wrong....

[SirClintonPortis]

I have watched the Super Bowls. Complete domination in all facets of the game.

Of course, the current generation has annoyed me TO NO ****ING END BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS TALK UP ABOUT HOW GREAT OUR WINS ARE WHEN THEY BARELY MANAGE TO WIN BY A TOUCHDOWN. IT SOUNDS LIKE THOSE CHUMPS ARE HAPPY WITH THE STATUS QUO AND THAT IT'S NORMAL that every game has to end in a heart attack. IT'S NOT, IDIOTS. STOP BELITTLING THE IMPORTANCE OF TALENT.

[SirClintonPortis]

Completely agree with your post, I remember reading the washington post when it wasn't hell bent on snubbing the redskins. They would compare this franchise to the steelers

In all likelihood the redskins will probably stay the same under Shanny/Allen as it did with Snyder/Vinny or Vinny/Gibbs/Snyder. I worry that Snyder just passed on the madden game to Shanny so he can play for a few years.

The entire philosophy is off with the franchise, even gibbs fell into the trap in his second run. Its just repeating over and over again. Now we have to stomach Shanny's madden version of the redskins. Why can't we just start from zero and work up instead of plugging holes into a sinking ship every offseason? The whole philosophy of winning now never works, I have yet to see a team pull it off.

I worry Shanny is just Gibbs II all over again. God, I hope I'm wrong....

Shanahan is another example of the conflicting interest of GM and coach, and the coach wins out. One great GM was willing to make sure him team would suck more than another so that he could get a top-end player for the future. The GM was Sam Pollock and the player was Guy Lafleur. A coach is dead-set on winning no matter what. Shanny made it clear that he was going to try to win "very soon", and that's why we have McNabb instead of the second-rounders in the draft, such as Nate Allen, Lamarr Houston, Terrence Cody, or Taylor Mays.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Wouldn't we have dropped the cash to sign Peppers or Dansby or traded picks for VJax, Marshall, etc if we were all win now? We made moves for McNabb and Brown but both of those players are players at important positions that they can lock down for the next 3 to 4 years. Isn't that better than taking a flyer on a guy in the mid-rounds? McCoy, Mays and Cody are players but what about the other 60 players that went in those rounds?

I think Shanahan has a 3-year plan. Build it up over 3 years.

Redskins fans period have annoyed the **** out of me this year. I can barely stomach talking about the Skins, listening to shows about them, coming on here. It's all sky is falling, OMG why aren't we winning now, OMG why are we trying to win now, fire Shanahan, McNabb sucks, we trade too many picks, we NEED to trade for VJax, etc etc etc. It's like there is no middle ground. No step back and look at things logically without emotion. 90% of the fanbase is one extreme or another.

I almost thank God I'm just as big a Wiz fan as a Skins fan. You want to talk about **** teams and **** luck? I'm so used to it. My fandom emotional well is all dried up and I think I'm better off for it.

Oh and this season has changed my entire perspective on the media. Not just in sports but in all facets of life. It is such total, utter garbage pushed to get a reaction and stir the pot. It's just sickening. This Skins season has really opened my eyes to the truth behind the media. In other areas maybe I wasn't informed enough to get a real good feel for just how crap it is, but with the Skins I'm informed as it gets and I'm able to really see things for what they are. It's forced me to really pay attention to things outside of sports when it comes to the media.

[Mr. Sinister]

I worry Shanny is just Gibbs II all over again. God, I hope I'm wrong....

I hope you're wrong too, only time will tell.

After last year, I was at the point where I didn't care whether or not we made the playoffs this year, or even next year, all I wanted was for us to have a plan set in place to where we are a SB contender in three years. Keep all of our draft picks, pick a player here or there in FA that perfectly fits with what we're trying to do here, and execute that plan to the best of their ability.

I don't think any knowledgable/reasonable fan would object to that, having witnessed the debacle that was '09, as long as we knew that the FO had a plan in place. I don't know how anyone can look at tape from all of the players from last year, and come to the conclusion that we are a player or two away from being a playoff caliber team.

We were 4-12 for a reason, and no new head coach, QB change, and new LT is going to erase the stink of the previous 10 years under Cerrato, who left us with an aging, mediocre roster with no depth, in one offseason, it just doesn't work that way. The only part about this that pisses me off is that Shanahan and Allen knew this going in, yet they continued the same trend, telling us " The Future Is Now", throwing parties and kissing babies, and some of us fell for it, again.

The only positive ( If I can even call it that) that I take away from the game is that I think Shanahan finally got his long overdue, cold hard slap of reality, and finally realizes what the situation is over here. This isn't Denver, where you can win back to back SB's with one of the greatest QB's of all time, and just hit cruise control for the next eight seasons, and still have everyone bow down and kiss your rings like your Vito Corleone.

He's got a clean slate here, and it's time for him to put the BS aside and start acting like it. With that being said, I still believe in this team, and think we finally have the guys in place that will take us where we want to go ( eventually). Sorry for the minor thread derail, I now return you to back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[skins island connection]

The good ol' glory days...

I am not sure who to contact, but you should try to get hold of the actual videos of the Championship games from the 80's, and to see what a REAL stadium looked like; R F K Stadium.

Fans were packed in that place, and even though it was a small stadium, there was a home field advantage like no other. Teams dreaded coming there to play, especially in the playoffs, because it was going to be a 61 minute beat-down every single time. Players played with pride, it wasn't a showcase every time someone made a tackle like today, they got in there, did their jobs, gave each other a pat on the butt or a high-5, and got back in formation to do it again, and when the whistle blew at the end of the game, the other team was actually happy the game was over.

Imagine having a Darrel Reavis, X 10; thats what Darrell Green was; he didn't make the pro bowl every year because teams simply never threw his direction because they knew he would be at the receivers spot before the receiver got there.

Art Monk, the class of receivers, on and off the field, did his job quietly, but effectively, and along with the posse', they were a dominant trio of receivers and an all day affair to cover.

I could go on and on, but if you get a chance, get your hands on a dvd or 2 of some games back then, I am sure some ES members know where to get them, they are well worth the money...

[Buzzard05]

What I remember about the "glory days" is that the team could/would adjust at halftime. There would be games where we would be down going into halftime....but you never panicked. You knew Gibbs and his staff (Petitbon, etc.) would make the necessary adjustments to take the game over in the second half. I haven't really seen that from this team since that time. It seems now we stick with the same game plan for the entire game...both offensively and defensively.

I also remember how awesome RFK was. I only had the pleasure of attending a few games there and they are great memories. Fed Ex is just sterile. Again, only having a few games to pull from...I don't remember RFK being overrun with the opponents fans. You would see a few, but they pretty much kept quiet. At Fed Ex, more often than not it feels like a 50/50 or 60/40 split between fans...and the opposing teams fans are louder than the Skins fans...sad, sad, sad.

I think going to Skins games used to be more about going and rooting for a class organization and a winning organization....now it is just a social event to see how drunk people can get in the parking lot beforehand.

[Capt. Kaos]

I was really hoping this wouldnt devolve into a RFK vs. FedEx type discussion.

I have said before and I will say it again......

When the time comes that the Redskins are playing football like they did in "the glory days" FedEx will remind alot of folks what RFK felt like. Tickets will get harder to come by, more fans will show up and the home field advantage will return.

I always ask anyone that remembers RFK as being the end all be all for a great stadium to go ask a fan that remembers the 1961 to 1971 years in RFK and see what kind of "magic" the place had then.

I'm not bashing RFK, just saying that winning cures alot of things and winning on a regular basis has a way of changing things for the better. I was 12 rows deep in the endzone for the Lions playoff game and let me tell you,

FedEx was absolutely insane from pre kickoff to the last snap, no one sat down and no one stopped yelling on defense. My ears rang for hours after the game. The place can get loud, we just need something to get loud about.

[bcl05]

The thing I loved about the great teams from Gibbs I was the attitude. There was no finesse, no trickery. No showboating (well, not much), just tough, hard-nosed football. They were smart, and exceptionally well-coached. They would often play a team close in the first half, make some subtle but critical adjustments, take a lead in the 3rd quarter, and then just close the game out with a soul-crushing running game in the 4th. They would run the same inside run again and again, and they would get 5+ yards every time. Riggo (and later George Rogers and Earnest Byner) and the Hogs would simply impose their will on the opponents and physically dominate them. It was empowering to watch, the epitome of good team classic football.

[ldysknzfn1]

It's the reason I'm still a Redskins fan! Those feelings were over the top...it's like chasing that first high.... you keep hoping and praying that you'll get there every year..."maybe this season...maybe next season...there's always next year..etc .." looking for that euphoria that never comes.....but I love this team and I won't quit no matter what...I'll just keep chasing that elusive "high"

[skinsfan51]

...so how were the glory days? What was it like?

Hail :logo:

Imagine yourself a Pats or Steelers or Colts fan today and you'll have your answer. My son is a big Colts fan. He so expects them to win that he doesn't even pay attention to all the games that much. "Oh, another win for Peyton and the Colts." He's almost nonchalant or ho-hum about it. I've had to remind him that the Colts pre-Peyton Manning were continual losers, and he should appreciate every win, because once Peyton leaves there are no more guarantees.

There was an organizational winning attitude from the top to the bottom at Redskins Park years ago. They expected to win and they did. I don't believe in "curses," per se. It's just a game. But it sure seems like the Redskins are continual losers from year to year no matter what changes are made, and that is hard to watch for those of us who did live through the glory days. Hopefully, you'll be able to taste a winning organization soon.