It's History - The Name & The Memories

The history, the memories and the turmoil. All a part of glorious but controversial past that was partially buried on Monday.

Being as old as I am, and seeing what I’ve seen, I anticipated this day may come in my lifetime.

The Washington NFL organization increasingly under pressure at various times over the last two decades,  officially announced on Monday they are going to retire the name and logo.

The year was 1932, the NFL was a struggling league of only seven teams when they voted to bring in an eighth franchise, this one being launched in Boston.

The MLB Boston Braves (NL) playing at Braves Field, welcomed the NFL’s Boston Braves to also play at the facility.

After one season, the Braves football team owned by George Preston Marshall moved to play at Fenway Park along with the other MLB team in town the Boston Red Sox (AL).

Marshall, determined to distance himself from the Braves baseball team, dropped the name “Braves” and in joining the Red Sox in Fenway chose a new name.

Thus, Fenway would house both the Red Sox and the newly named NFL franchise from 1933-1936.

Moving his team to Washington in 1937, Marshall drafted Texas Christian Quarterback Sammy Baugh, achieving the NFL title that inaugural season in Washington.

Baugh would lead Washington to five division titles and two NFL titles.

Vince Lombardi came to town in 1969 and produced the first winning season (7-5-2) since 1955.

George Allen produced seven consecutive winning seasons (1971-77) one NFC title and one Super Bowl appearance.

Joe Jackson Gibbs (1981-92) produced five NFC title games, four NFC titles, four Super Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl Titles.

All of these wins came under the current name of the franchise in seasons (1937-2019).

Today that name and logo has run its final course.

Speaking of the team logo, over the decades there have been interesting changes.

To this day, most Washington fans I talk with have yet to notice the ever-so-subtle alteration of the design for the 1982 season, which was reversed for the 1983 season, remaining constant thereafter.

But how can one genuinely attempt to convey this story with any historic truthfulness and genuineness without at least a brief mention of Walter “Blackie” Wetzel?

Wetzel grew up on a Blackfeet reservation, and as an adult enjoyed football, not seeing the team name offensive to his own Blackfeet people.

Context is everything and the franchise had employed the logo containing a spear and feather from the 1965-69 seasons.

The Redskins Encyclopedia

However, Lombardi enacted a change (1969) that took effect during the 1970 season replacing the spear with simply a capital letter “R”.

The R and two feathers would be the Washington logo for the following two seasons (1970-71).

Concerned that Native American heritage be more visible in the Washington logo, Wetzel (who was eventually elected president of the National Congress of American Indians) actually approached the organization.

Wetzel provided photographs of Native American chiefs in headdress, and the idea was approved by ownership.

A new helmet logo was designed and launched in 1972 and remained through the 2019 season.

Shortly, the logo will be placed into the past rich history of the franchise, the result of increased pressure upon Washington owner Dan Snyder.

This is the first name change for an NFL franchise in 21 years. 

The Houston Oilers had moved to Nashville after the 1996 season, becoming the Tennessee Oilers.

But they found Oilers (think Texas) in Tennessee a rather difficult concept to sell to the public, and following two seasons, the Oilers then became the Tennessee Titans in 1999.

Speaking of the Titans, for three football seasons (1960-1962), the old New York Titans of the American Football League (AFL) became the New York Jets in 1963 and five years later won Super Bowl III.

The Dallas Texans played well enough in 1962 to actually win the AFL Championship in their third and final season in Dallas, before moving to Kansas City, becoming the Kansas City Chiefs and winning Super Bowl IV, concluding the 1969 season.

Following four seasons (1930-33) in Portsmouth, OH, the Spartans moved to Detroit becoming the Lions.

They won four NFL titles but since the Super Bowl era (1966-present), the Lions have only appeared in one NFC title game, a 1991 41-10 loss to Washington.

After one year in Chicago (1921) the Chicago Staleys became the Bears (1922-present).

The Bears have won nine overall NFL titles, including the Super Bowl concluding the 1985 season.

Consequently, six of the current 32 NFL franchises have actually changed their name.

Change is hard, and change after several decades for some of us will be even more difficult.

Yes, remember the past, enjoy the past, but don’t live in the past.

Today the name is no more, and may the recent years of losing also be no more.

One thing that will help older fans to adjust is winning.

Enter Ron Rivera, who was brought to Washington to change the culture.

I wonder, if he realized changing the culture would also include changing the 87-year old team name?

Ivan Lambert is a lifelong die-hard Washington NFL fan, raised in Berryville, Virginia. He is married and the father of two fine young men. He is currently a sports correspondent for The Ledger in Lakeland, Florida and can be found on Twitter @IvanLambert18