Ol' Ricky's Redskins Tales - George Preston Marshall

Something old. Really old. As in former Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall and something new, the ZOOM era in this edition!

Now Ol’ Ricky may be older than dirt some days, but he didn’t cover founding owner George Preston Marshall. But, Ol’ Ricky did write about the controversial owner in his last book. 

Marshall is chiefly remembered for his racist stance of not signing African American players until forced by the federal government in 1962. The team started playing in D.C. Stadium in 1961 and would have been evicted if not complying given the stadium is on federal land.

Marshall said he’d sign African American players when the Harlem Globetrotters signed white players. Uh, not the right answer.

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But Marshall admitted he was “anti-people” in remarks that offended many groups. He erected teepees on the stadium concourse while the band wearing Indian garb and cheerleaders looking like squalls performed around them. It took many years of negotiations before Marshall stopped those practices and the band playing “Dixie” because his radio network extended throughout the south.

But the team’s name is Marshall’s enduring racial divide. The laundry businessman and three partners paid $1,500 for the franchise in 1932. Two years later, Marshall spent $1,500 to buy out his partners. The team spent five years in Boston, moving to Fenway Park and changing the name from Braves to Redskins to identify with the more popular Red Sox while not needing to change the Indian logo. The 1930s was the height of American fascination with American Indians so the name wasn’t opposed.

The Redskins moved to Washington in 1937 and won the title with rookie quarterback Sammy Baugh. Marshall was a showman and attracted big crowds right away with promotions like his “Matinee at Midfield” with a 225-piece band a chorus. Many people came just for that. Marshall refused to let the stadium announcer reveal Pearl Harbor was bombed during a Redskins game for fear concessions would be diminished.

Marshall wore raccoon coats during the winter, slicked his hair back with Savage’s Bear Grease, idolized president Calvin Coolidge and proposed to his wife on their first date. (She said no, but later agreed.)

How Marshall’s ownership slipped away is pretty complicated. Ol’ Ricky understands the story completely and is still confused by it. Marshall sold 25 percent to Jack Kent Cooke for $350,000 that included Marshall’s downtown apartment and Georgetown home. He also gave five percent to prominent attorney Edward Bennett Williams (another fascinating guy) to run the team as Marshall’s health deteriorated in 1963. Milton King owned five percent. Even coach Vince Lombardi was given five percent to come to Washington shortly before Marshall’s Aug. 1969 death at age 72. Long story short, Marshall’s death then saw Cooke buy majority control. The team was reportedly worth $16 million.

Tomorrow, Ol’ Ricky recalls why the Redskins needed to kick a field goal in the waning moments with a 68-41 lead. Lots of stories in my book and these are the types of tales I’ll tell on my coming “Pizza and Pigskins Tours.”

Rick Snider is an award-winning sports writer who has covered Washington sports since 1978. He first wrote about the Redskins in 1983 before becoming a beat writer in 1993. Snider currently writes for several national and international publications and is a Washington tour guide. Follow Rick on Twitter at @Snide_Remarks.