What were the glory days like?

[Sticksboi05]

I've got to represent my team. What better way than to use the collective pronoun.

And I don't care if I never touched the place. The call for me to desert was planted waay back in the summer as a little nag in the back of my mind. Needless to say, I'm now Darth Hab, but with no hope for redemption. :evilg::evilg::evilg::evilg::evilg::evilg:

Well, the Redskins put on a far worse product than the Capitals so go ahead and become a fan of the Ravens or something.

By the way, when you switch teams like a pansy and then brag about championships that occurred before you were in kindergarten...well, no explanation needed.

[ashmomicmac]

Great thread... I remember the Skins (and sometimes 49'ers) being the ballers back in the day.

And as mentioned by a few already but worth repeating- Gibbs halftime adjustments were incredible! Halftime meant a new game for us, and doom on you for them. It was bliss to always be a contender. I guess that's all we really want to be now as well. ..sigh..

[mikemac9]

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....

Man, that's it right there. Its like continuing to bet when you have a weak hand in poker just to hope something fantastic gets dealt your way. You're going to lose every time. Just fold, take it for fact that you're going to lose for a couple seasons and rebuild this mother****er from the ground up.

[EXJAY]

Ahh yes.. The great season of SBXXII.

[LApunkrocker72]

The glory days were a lot of fun. The period from 1982 to 1991 was the golden age of Redskins football. During that time span, we won three Super Bowls and were playoff contenders pretty much every year. Also had it not been for a great Raiders team in 1983 and a great Giants team in 1986, we would have won five Super Bowls. Those were indeed fun times. Hopefully, the good times will come again soon.

[MLiverpool]

I remember the first game I watched, the Skins lost to the Bills 21 - 14. They went on to an 8-8 season (Joe Gibbs first season as head coach). I remember them beating the Cowboys the next season in the Championship game, and going nuts when they knocked Danny White out of the game. I recall mimicing John Riggins when playing backyard football. I'd run at other kids and use the stiff arm to knock them over (I was a bit of a bowling ball, no speed, just big). I remember the general feeling was we were always in the game. With the smurfs, Darrell Green, John Riggins, Joe Theisman, Charlie Brown, the Hogs... the list goes on.

The feeling has been replaced in recent years. Now its almost the opposite. I feel like we'll blow each lead, fall apart, get blown out. Free agency has also changed things. Teams aren't the same. Its about players and fantasy football. I'm hoping, each season, for a turn around. I believe, just like every fan does, that things will change. Superbowls are a player or two away. But the sad fact is, the Redskins establishment has managed to turn a once proud franchise into one of the biggest laughing stocks in the NFL. Teams look at us and put "W" next to the game. Sad days indeed. I give props to everyone who stands by the Redskins, but especially those of you who didn't grow up during the golden era, yet are loyal to the team. You all rock.

[SirClintonPortis]

Well, the Redskins put on a far worse product than the Capitals so go ahead and become a fan of the Ravens or something.

By the way, when you switch teams like a pansy and then brag about championships that occurred before you were in kindergarten...well, no explanation needed.

Sorry, but the Redskins are the Redskins. The inclination to leave, never seriously crossed my mind. Hell, I found the freaking Norv Turner show funny and loved watching it as a little kid.

[MikeBass]

We used to finesse them in the first 3/4 of games and bully them at the end

[36HAMMER]

bad gms went along way into causeing our present condition.Neither casserly or cerato believed or knew how to draft olineman.we used to draft well infact in the 80's we had one of the best draft classes of all time, and thats what started the train running until 93.we can get there again but Allen must have a vision for the type of team and player he wants and draft accordinglywe need to start drafting for speed in all areas, its the one thing that puts pressureon a defense and offense.speed kils and we lack it big time.the 80's were a dream and truely was young and didn't fully appreciate it until it was gone and the 91 season was the best because we werre clearly the best team in the league that year from beginning to end. total domination and had gibbs really wanted to we may have gone undeafeted.

[NeueRedskinWelle]

Glorious

Every year the team was a legitimate contender. Every year we had a chance. Good times.

To be fair, on paper, every year we've been a contender for the last decade

I don't remember the early 90's but I wish I did. Really the best I have is '99 and '05

[shamuskb]

well my freind been going to games since i was 6... am now 30 RFK was a true homefield advantage... MOOOO we want dem cowboys! entering AND exiting no matter if we were playing them or not... EVERY game i went to Art Monk had a reception in doing so having a record consecutive games with a catch that im not even sure has been broken yet. The HOGS ..... truly didnt matter who our QB was to win a superbowl (see Joe Gibbs )... run, run, pass opposing teams knew what was coming but could do nothing about it. CAPITOL DEFENSE? seat cushion game after blowing out the falcons? we inflicted the pain and never the opposite. in a rout like the eagles game... goodness i could see monte coleman wilbur marshall charles mann smashing vick into the turf! NOBODY could get by darrell green.

[skinsfan66]

Start with the Owner Jack Kent Cook the best in football. He hired Bobby Betherd who hired Joe Gibbs and it was a hell of a ride for Redskins fans from there. Most skins fans hate the WP but there was a time when you could not wait to read the next colum of Tony Kornhiser get on the Band wagon articles everyweek as we got closer to the superbowl. The bleachers rockin up and down at RFK , the diesel horns as Riggins runs over another team for the finale 1st down and the other team out of timeouts. Dexter Manley saying he was going to ring Danny White's clock in the nfc Champ game, and he did too, knocked him out of the game and he was never the same as a qb for the Cowboys. Darrell Green on his Island. Monk, Sanders and Clark I liked Clark the best my older brother liked Monk, Younger Brother liked Sanders they were all top recievers in the league always on All Maddens team . Charles Mann One of the best d-ends in the game. The Hogs best o-line at the time, but most of the players were Blue collar players who let the other teams do the talkin like the patriots do today. Those are some of this 53 year old redskin fan who grew up outside of dc remembers. It was also great to be apart of the George allen years.

[ogskinsfan]

man for me rfk was everyhting. just to feel the electricity was the bomb.got my picture taken with the dancing bear and hanburger and theywere so nice about it. no money involved. the feeling in fedex versus rfk is so different its like no comparison. i never saw any fights there and in fedex have participated in 2 and didnt want to but what is a good fan to do.stand there and watch. i think not.all said i am a lifer but damn it is tough.fans now have short fuses and communication skills seem forgotten. but the old guys still roll when the time comes.........hail.........jeff

[whatmeworry]

I used to know but I forgot...

[hoskins]

The '91 season was like the last two preseason games. Except for real.

[Probos]

It was an amazing time. Skins won the Superbowl for the first time when I was a junior in HS, then went to the show in the next year and of course lost. The only thing I can compare it to, I suppose,...in the 80's being a Skins fan was sort of like being a Pat's fan in the 2000's. A cornerstone franchise, proud, feared, respected,.....it was awesome.

[TLusby]

Awesome! That's all I can say! 1972 SB was a thrill but Gibbs in 82, 83, 87, and 91 were even better!

[TheRookie]

The '91 season was like the last two preseason games. Except for real.

Exactly what I was gonna say. '91 is my earliest memory of the "glory years" so there are certainly guys who are more qualified to speak on this, but the above is my feeling too. With teams like that, individual wins mean less because the goals are loftier, but losses do too because you just know the team is good enough to bounce back. Since then, it's as if any win is like winning the Super Bowl and every loss sparks harsh intraspection, outrage, and self doubt. Successful teams and fans thereof are confident in both their team's ability to win and rebound from losses.

[MassSkinsFan]

Bumping this not because I'm predicting a 16-0 season or anything crazy, but because I had "the feeling" again watching yesterday's game.

The feeling is the certainty that the Skins can win a game, that they aren't doomed to shoot themselves in the foot, that they are a team of which you can be proud.

And to answer the OP question, the glory days were like stringing a bunch of yesterdays together, and making some games much much better than that. It's premature to say we're re-entering those glory days, but I think we're about to leave the horror of the last 10 or so years behind.

Thanks Skins for giving me that feeling again. It's been a long time.