The success or failure of the Washington Redskins mattered so much to me when I was younger.
In fact, one of the happiest days of young adulthood I can remember was New Year’s Eve 1972, when Washington crushed the hated Dallas Cowboys, 26-3, in the conference championship game to qualify for their first Super Bowl.
The 1980s — the Joe Gibbs years — were a wonderful time. The Redskins went to the Super Bowl four times and won three of them. I’m not sure I ever had a happier moment as a sports fan than on January 30th, 1983, when John Riggins got the ball on a fourth-down play and ran 43 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl XVII and Washington beat Miami, 27-17.
In 1988 I was living and working in Colorado when the Redskins played the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII. It was the only time in XXII Super Bowls I honestly wished both teams could win. I was invited to several parties — I’ve never gone to a Super Bowl party in LVIII years — but I couldn’t bear the thought of being part of the disappointment if Denver lost.
Denver did lose, 42-10.
In 1992 I was in Anaheim, California, and watched the game alone in my last apartment. Washington beat the Buffalo Bills, 38-24, in the last gasp of Redskins greatness. I don’t remember that much about the game, other than caring desperately if they won. I do know if wasn’t just the last time they went to a Super Bowl. It was the last they even made it as far as a conference championship game.
In fact, in the 32 seasons since that victory, Washington has never had a better record than 10-6, and that only three times — 1999, 2005 and 2012. In the last 20 years, the Redskins/Commanders have won 130 games, lost 190 and tied 2.
Hell, they aren’t even the Redskins anymore.
I don’t remember exactly when I stopped caring. I do remember why.
Daniel Snyder.
I’m not going to go into details about how and why he was such a disaster after buying the team in 1999, but he not only destroyed the success of the franchise, he committed the ultimate sin by making the team boring. Good owners are good for different reasons, but bad owners all have one thing in common.
They meddle.
Snyder is gone now and new owner Josh Harris appears to be making some good moves as the new owner. I’m happy for my friends back in the Washington area and hope they’ll get some enjoyment out of it.
It’s too late for me ever to care about them again. I don’t even follow the NFL anymore.
But I’ll always have January 30th, 1983.