A Collection of Memories, or: The Education of a Young Skin

[SWFLSkins]

Okay great thread first of all. I will read all the posts later after I have posted mine. I was a Skins fan as a little kid, following the Colts and the Skins until the Colts moved out of Baltimore. I moved to OC as a teen, so there really was three choices at that time between those two and the Eagles. Many of my friends were Eagles fans and the rivalry helped nurture my early fandom. As for highlights or eras you could look no further than my avatar. I swore and made bets that the Skins would win the SB the day we signed Doug Williams.

I was still in OC at that time and was planning on moving to SWFL at the end of summer. I did and got here to find a fanclub of over 200 people meeting at a place called Beef Steak Charlies. I was broke and couldn't really afford much food or drinking and the specials, the people all took care of me on Sundays. I helped out by doing whatever they asked for the Club. I got to know everyone real well, picking up side work for them and making life changing friendships. At the end of that year when the Skins were going to the SB the band from the Sheraton OC was in town playing at a Holiday Inn.

They all came out to watch the game with Me and my girlfriend at the time, I didn't know but they were Bronco's fans. The Club was like who brought these guys, yeah it was me. You know the rest as the game flipped on second quarter record breaker. I won over $500. that day between the pre-season bets and the SB bets with the Band. Honestly I know that I could not have scraped up the $500. right then at that time. The Skins came through big time, lol.

I eventually went on to take the club over after the founder asked me too. Seems there were several years that the account had been emptied out and the club was being used as a personal source of funding. I then used the club to raise money for Ronald McDonald House, Hope Hospice and the Child Protection Team of SWFL. Something that I am truly proud of today and will carry to my grave. The feeling of giving back in the name of the Club was the ultimate pay back for what was given to me. I had two mentors that have both passed since but our time together will never be forgotten.

I remember moving here not knowing anyone and rushing to the library to read three day old, at the minimum, washington posts sports sections just to keep up to date on the team. There was no SC's, NFL network or internet to get info. And I was the go to source for many of the area fans for updates. Those days are the foundation of my ExtremeSkins roots, not the old CBS or AOL boards, but the real fans who after winning the last SB keep coming to the club, keep giving money to charities in the name of the SWFL Redskins Fanclub.

I would also like to thank the founders and the mods of this site for providing such a great atmosphere to discuss the Redskins. Many of the younger fans don't know how great this source is, or maybe they do and forget to say it.

[skinfan57]

Welcome! I wish I had more time to do a thorough write up. I grew up in a Redskins family. I remember watching the games every Sunday at my grandparent's house in the 60's. The team was not very good as I recall, but we watched and cheered as hard as we do today.

One memory that really stands out is when it was announced that Lombardi was going to be the coach. We were ecstatic! The saddest thing next to Taylor's death was the announcement of Lombardi's cancer. I cried like a baby.

During Super Bowl VII I was given my first beer. Despite the heartbreak and my mother's objections, I'll never forget that day. I still don't like the Dolphins.

There are many more memories. Going to the "We Want Dallas" game was huge and seeing the Skins destroy Detroit in the championship from the lower level was awesome.

I have to get back to work or I would continue. One thing we didn't have in the good old days was the internet. Forums like this allow us to communicate with fellow fans in the area, around the country and across the ocean. How cool is that?

[toolman0701]

Fantastic thread...when I was a kid, growing up in the 60's and 70's, I didn't feel like I was the kid my father wanted. I wore glasses, was more into books and my father was really into sports, especially the Redskins. I started watching games with him and felt our bond grow. It gave us something in common. I started watching during the Sonny and Billy days...and there was this new coach, Allen, who was going to be the one who finished what Lombardi started. I parroted a lot of what he said because I didn't understand the game yet.

Coincidentally, a year or so later, there was a book in our Scholastic Books (I don't know if they still do this. but we used to get a catalog periodically of books we could order through our school at a discount)...anyway, there was a book titled "The Future is Now"...it was about George Allen and his transformation of the Redskins. I checked out books on football strategy and theory, and the history of the NFL from the library. I was hooked. I have been a fan ever since. And one of the things that my father and I talked about on his death bed was how the Skins were doing in the playoffs (1986 season). They had captured a wild card slot, then won the division on the same day my father died. That was one I couldn't share with him. But I will always share the bond we had over the Redskins.

[skins4eva]

Welcome to the boards young Dane,

Nice opening. I'm friendly with a lot of Scandinavians (mainly Norwegians) through my other sporting passion, Liverpool Football Club. It never fails to amuse me how most all of them speak better Scouse than me as their first real introduction to English was through soccer and coming over to watch the games. And one of my all time favourite players is Danish, Jan Molby. Man could I tell you some story's about the big man. But we'll leave that before our American hosts start having a hissy fit at all this round ball talk.

My all time greatest/ defining Redskin moment isn't so much a moment as a collection of them. A whole season's worth that brought me out of the later days of my teenage years thinking our '80's invincibility would NEVER end, such was the utter dominance of that team. (Man how wrong was that assertion.). For my Redskin moment is, IMHO, our greatest ever season when everything just came together, the 1991 season that culminated in our third, and thus far last, Lombardi.

The names from that great season just roll off the tongue like it was yesterday. The Hogs MKII, with Rallo and Schlereth joining Big Jake, Russ and Bostic to keep Ryp upright to the tune of a mere NINE sacks all year.And Mark had a career year and then some (3,564 yards, with the most aesthetically beautiful deep ball with touch ANYONE has ever had, going for 28 TD's and only 11 INTS.).

That '91 Season was absolutely incredible, and I feel blessed to have witnessed it first hand and to be able to remember it. I'll never forget the first game of that season--we were playing Detroit, and my mother and stepfather were meeting with a realtor in our dining room during the game, so my step father asked me to come in and update him every time we scored. I was in and out all night, since we beat them 45-0.

That '91 team in my mind is one of the top 5 teams of all time. As GHH pointed out, we lost two games by a combined 5 points and one of those losses was the last game of the season when we rested all of our starters. If we had won that game and gone 15-1, I think the '91 team would be considered one of the top three teams of all time. It should be anyway.

Just to give you a bit more color on our dominance that year...who did we face in the NFC Championship game? The same Detroit Lions team we had beaten 45-0 on opening day.

[CooleyRox]

I thought of something else that I wanted to post after reading some of these. I have a friend from work whose dad was a HUGE Skins fan. He passed away very unexpectedly last fall (2011) just after the season had started. I had only met him a couple of times but we talked about the team briefly each time. At the end of his memorial service, his daughter asked everyone to stand and sing Hail to the Redskins because she knew he would've gotten a big kick out of it. Let me tell you...an entire churchfull of people singing the fight song gave me more goosebumps than when I've sung it at RFK and FedEx. When her mom cleaned out the house to sell, she gave me his helmet from the '60's because she said she knew I'd appreciate it as much as her husband did. That helmet is one of my prized possessions now and it will hold a place of honor when I finally get my Redskins room.

HTTR

[BeefJerky]

Awesome thread Dane, welcome to the board. I've been a fan for as long as I can remember. All of my family except for my sister(giants) are also diehard skins fans. I caught the "fever" of being a Skins fan from my Grandmother. My earliest redskin memories are of me sitting next to my grandma on sundays watching OUR beloved skins. She wouldn't miss a game for anything, and I do mean ANYTHING. I'll never forget how crushed she was when the raiders put a butt whoopin on us in the superbowl., Just like I'll never forget how excited and happy she was when we won the superbowl in 87 and 91. That 91 team was something magical. Sure they lost 2 games, but man were they a machine. From the posse and Mark Rypien to the Hogs and the Capital Defense, simply amazing. I feel those good times are coming back around for us. I know you've seen superbowl parades in other cities. But you just wait until WE have another one. There's more to just being a fan for us who follow the Redskins. It's a passion for most, a part of us. Which is why I frequent this board as much as I do. We all have that in common and understand what being a redskin fan is all about. I cant wait until we get that 4th lombardi. How sweet that is going to be for us all after the last 15-20 years, especially the ones who stuck by our Skins through thick and thin. Hail.

[ldysknzfn1]

What a great thread...it's been interesting reading some of the stories..Welcome to the board Dane...I've been a Skins fan for 40 years now...there's been so many great memories over those years and heartbreaking ones as well...the names of those great players that we vets remember so well...Larry Brown...Roy Jefferson...Art Monk...Darrell Green...Chris Hanburger...Doug Williams...Timmy Smith...Riggins...Manley..etc..I used to love how Dexter always wanted to take Danny White out..lol..it was like his mission in life! I must say one of my most favorite moments w/this team came in 2005..the Monday night miracle...Brunell to Moss 2 times to win that game in the last minutes of the game...I smile every time I think of that and the people who went to bed before it was over(shame on yall for losing faith..lol)..plus it was the year that my son was killed...I always say we won that game for him..I was raising him to be a Skins fan..just like all responsible parents should do ...my most hated moment was in 1974(I think that was year)...Thanksgiving day...Texas Stadium...Clint Longley came in as QB for Dallas and threw a long bomb pass to Drew Pearson for a TD and they won that game! I was heartbroken and disgusted!! We didn't even know who this Clint person was..lol I'll never forget that..I can still see that stupid pass in my mind! UGH!! It was also great to have the feeling that no matter what...Darrell Green was gonna catch whoever was running in the secondary...he caught everyone w/his lightening fast legs..I'd kill for that kind of reassurance in our secondary now..lol! And if DG got the INT..it was gonna go for many yards and good field position...those were the days..And to know that if the ball was tossed to Monk..that was a sure catch...never ever did I doubt that man...I barely remember him dropping any passes...these youngsters on this team today should go watch film on him...
Anyway...the rollercoaster ride continues...it's gotten much more fun since we've invited RGIII to join us in the lead car...it's been a long time since we've felt like this...and I for one am so happy that we are seeing a rejuvinated fan base again...some are coming out of the darkness...the good ol days are probably not as good as we think they were...but I loved 'em anyway...and now to have that kind of excitement brewing again is just great!!

[skinsarel33t]

I am 22

1. Clinton Portis going 64 yards to the house with his first touch (Most memorable)
2. Sean Taylor picking up a fumble and taking it to the house against Tampa Bay in the Playoffs in 05
3. Carlos Rogers dropping a pick 6 against SEA in the playoffs
4. Moss hooking up deep twice with under 4 minutes to go to beat the Boys.
5.Patrick Ramsey rolling over and saying "No more" when the boys whipped his a**

=(
Pathetic

[ldysknzfn1]

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthre...-Wear-Burgundy

This was a great story...