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NFL Films Video: "Hail to the Redskins - Their First 50 Years" (1986)
Great documentation featuring the earlier days of the Washington Redskins!
Because of the name change to "Commanders," we will refer Washington as the "Redskins" for the sake of this review despite talks in bringing the original name back. With that said, let's begin.
NFL ought to remaster and re-produce amazing historical documentaries like these. Why? Many fans just go along where the happy fans are, thus losing team loyalty and identity ("bandwagoners," as they're called). Special documentaries like this help build some passion on why being a fan is a good thing, to show them what their team was like and their successes in the early days of football. At least fans, current and new, would familiarize themselves with original owners, coaches and the players that stood out during the team's tenure. If such programs can be produced and shown to fans, both diehards and casual, perhaps sports media wouldn't be so worried about advertisement revenue due to low ratings. In fact, sports commentators mention and refer to history, former players and stats all the time on live TV, and we're willing to bet that many fans watching/listening to these live games have no idea what they're talking about. It's time to go back to basics as we need to educate fans on sports, and this case, let's learn more about the Redskins.
Originally founded by George Preston Marshall and Jack Prent Cook, George invested in the original Boston Braves back in 1932, only to move the team to Washington later in 1937. As the team got comfortable in its new home, Marshall was the first owner to introduce a marching band and halftime shows to entertain their fans and celebrate their team. Along with that, the band also debuted their first fight song as well (any superfans remember the words to that?). One of the players to shine and make the Redskins show themselves among the other teams in the league is "Slingin'" Sammy Baugh. In the 1937 NFL Championship game, Baugh threw 300+ yards and three touchdowns, one of those completed passes was to Hall of Famer Wayne Milner to help the Redskins win 28-21 over the Chicago Bears. Sadly, three years later, the Bears stomped the Redskins in the title game of 1940, a shocking 73-0 final score. Goodness. However, the Redskins came back and rallied against the Bears with a 14-6 two years later. Seems like the Bears happens to be the original and first rival for the Redskins.
How is this Baugh guy? Well, for starters, Baugh led the Redskins to five division titles and two world championships. Even more impressive was teammate Billy Wells who once scored an 88-yard touchdown—a team record in Washington history (a hello to you Raider fans where Josh Jacobson scored an 86-yard touchdown in November 2022 against the Seahawks). Another player to make his mark on the team's history was Norb Hecker who led in interceptions for two consecutive seasons. All seemed to be well for the Redskins so far. Later on, the team moved into the D.C. stadium where Dicky James played in their newly-built stadium. Along with him was Bobby Mitchell—the Redskins' very first black player in 1962.
The Redskins have it going well for them heading into the 1965 season, where Sonny Jurgensen, who was traded for Norm Snead, threw three touchdown passes helping the Redskins rally against the Cowboys from a 21-0 deficit. This was the greatest comeback in Redskins history, finishing that game with a final score of 34-31. The year after that, 1966, Sonny led the Redskins to a 72-41 win over the Giants which, to this day, became and is the highest score in NFL history. As the Redskins prevailed, so did their coaching staff as the famous Vince Lombardi joins in. Coach Lombardi had this to say to Jurgensen:
"The only thing I ask of you is to be yourself. Don't try to emulate anybody else; Don't try to be something that you're not. You be yourself and we're going to win."
— Vince Lombardi to Sonny Jurgensen
Coach Lombardi helped the Redskins with a 7-5-2 record which was their winningest season they had since 1955. However, Coach George Allen took over as head coach due to Lombardi's passing. Allen's philosophy was experience over youth in terms of his roster and his player choices. Despite this, and the critiques with having a roster that may have been too old to play with, the Redskins still held their own. In fact, the Redskins' Larry Brown once rushed for 1,000 yards in a season. He had this to say:
"The way I ran was the way I ran to get home every night."
— Larry Brown
That's funny.
The Redskins won more games in the seventies than any other era at that time, as one of their iconic wins happened to be against the Cowboys once again. It was 1972 and the Redskins rallied against the Cowboys 26-3 for a trip to Super Bowl VII which took place at the LA Coliseum. The Redskins went against the undefeated Miami Dolphins but took a tumble on the world stage with a score of 14-7 giving the Dolphins the win.
Heading into the eighties, the Redskins then hired Joe Gibbs in 1981. Under his guidance, the Redskins shined in the NFL as the team with a great defensive rating/ranking. In the Conference Championship, the Redskins went against the Cowboys once again with 50,000 fans chanting, "We Want Dallas!" This is likely when their rivalry became more mainstream making it one of the most iconic matchups to look forward to during the season. The Redskins got their wish along with a 31-17 win, entering into the world stage again. It is at this time Redskins finally did it, defeating the Dolphins with a 27-17 win, earning their first championship in 40 years.
"For 50 years, the Washington Redskins have attained glory simply because they have never stopped reaching for it."
— Jeff Kaye, Narrator
Being under 30 minutes, how beautiful is this? In a short amount of time, this film was presented nicely and showcased enough footage and interviews without disappointment. The sad reality is it's unlikely that this may not be remastered nor re-told due to the backlash of the team name itself. Even though there exists a DVD of a similar title, The History of the Washington Redskins, it may not be available nor remastered for Blu-ray nor streaming, making this tape a rare treat. This is perfect for football fans of all kinds...unless you're a Cowboys, Bears or a Giants fan, then you can skip this. Other that that, this is a great volume have if you can find it.
We wish NFL Films could produce a remastered, updated version of this but because of the on-going controversy with the team name, we may not see it any time soon or ever. Heck, this may be likely for all 32 teams in the NFL. They should produce these team history films again, as mentioned earlier, why it's fun being a fan and as a reminder of all the successes the team has had compiled into one presentation.
Even though I'm an LA fan, I praise and hail the Redskins with respect. Great storytelling, awesome showing of the old classic football games, all done and presented well in a short amount of time. Highly recommended!
- Short but great presentation.
- Detailed enough for viewers and fans to bask in the Redskins' successes.
- Exclusive interviews with key icons who established the Redskins' rise to fame.
- The Redskins started their own marching band and halftime shows.
- None.
PROFILE |
|
|---|---|
| Title | Hail to the Redskins - Their First 50 Years |
| Description | "Hail to the Redskins" is a tribute to the team's proud history. A history that began in 1937 when George Preston Marshall moved his Redskins from Boston to the nation's capital. In their very first season, the Redskins won the NFL title, beginning a winning tradition that would be carried on for the next 50 years. "Hail to the Redskins" features many of the outstanding players who played starring roles for Washington. In the late 30's and 40's quarterback "Slingin'" Sammy Baugh, runningback Cliff Battles, and wide receiver Hugh "Bones" Taylor led their team to five division titel and two World Championships. The 50's featured 5 foot 7 inch signal caller Eddie LeBaron, while fun-loving Sonny Jurgensen and hard-hitting Sam Huff highlighted the 60's. In the 70's the "Over the Hill Gang" recorded more winning seasons than in any other decade; but it wasn't until 1982, led by Joe Theismann and John Riggins, that the Redskins won their first Super Bowl. In a city divided by politics, the Washington Redskins are one group with unanimous appeal. For half a century, Washington has featured outstanding players and fielded colorful teams which have helped to distinguish the Redskins as one of the finest organizations in football. |
| ISBN / Bar Code number | -- |
| Video Format | 1.33:1 (4:3) / Full screen |
| Audio Format | Stereo |
| Tape Count | One (1) |
| Genre | Sports / Documentary |
| Running Time | 23 minutes (actual time: 0:23:52) |
| Language(s) | English |
| Subtitles | -- |
| Closed Captioning | ??? |
| Rated | -- |
| VHS Release | 1986 |
| Specification | Color and Black & White |
| Produced by | NFL Films Production |
| Cover Design | -- |
| Cover Photo | -- |
| Production / Company | NFL Films Production |
| Product / Item Number | V1027 |
| Copyright | ©NFL Films Productions All Rights Reserved 1986 |
| Other Formats | ??? |
| Quoted Reviews | -- |
| Other | This program is licensed only for non-commercial private exhibition in homes. Any public performance group showing, transmission by television or other devices or processes, or copying, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. |
narrated by Jeff Kaye
radio broadcast by WMAL
special thanks to Sam Huff, Sonny Jurgensen, Frank Herzog
Narrated by Jeff Kaye
Written and Edited by Bob Sargent
Executive Producer Ed Sabol
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