Expert: Daniel Sapata Date: 11/11/2007 Subject: redskin logo 1982
Question In 1982 the Redskin logo changes for season. The feathers on the logo wrap around the indian head. But in 1983 it changes back. Any particular reason for this one season change to a logo? I have asked several people who are long time Redskin fans and nobody seems to know.
thanks
Answer The Washington Redskins' primary colors are burgundy and gold. They are one of the three NFL teams that primarily wear their white jerseys at home (the others being the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins). The tradition of wearing white jerseys at home was started by Joe Gibbs when he took over as coach in 1981. Gibbs was an assistant for the San Diego Chargers in 1979 and 1980, and the Chargers wore white at home during the tenure of coach Don Coryell in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Their burgundy jersey (which is primarily used for when the opposing team decides to wear white at home, which comes mostly against the Dallas Cowboys) consists of burgundy jerseys and white pants. In 2001, however, the Redskins wore burgundy at home per a decision by Marty Schottenheimer, their coach for that year. The other combination of burgundy jerseys and gold pants was used mostly in the past and for the 2002 season, when the Redskins celebrated their 70th anniversary and wore these colors at home.
The Redskins' current uniform design was introduced by coach Jack Pardee in 1979. From 1972 through 1978, the Redskins wore gold pants with both the burgundy and white jerseys. Gold face masks were introduced in 1978 and remain to this day.
Their white jersey consists of three combinations. One is the white jerseys and burgundy pants, which is considered the "classic" look. The other (and lesser known) combination is the white jerseys and gold pants, which was used in the past when they weren't wearing their burgundy jersey. The last combination consists of both white jerseys and pants. That particular combination surfaced in the first game of the 2003 season on a nationally televised game against the New York Jets, which led to many sports fans and Redskin faithful alike to point out that they have never seen that particular combination. That year the Redskins wore it two more times. That look didn't appear again until midway through the 2005 season when the Redskins wore it in a road game against the St. Louis Rams. The Redskins won six games (including one in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wearing that combination) and the local media jokingly pointed out that the reason why the Redskins were winning was because of the white on white combination. In the NFC Divisional Game against the eventual 2005 NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks, the Redskins wore the all-white jerseys, in hopes that they could keep their luck going; however, they lost 20-10. The Redskins have continued to wear the white jerseys and white pants into the 2006 pre-season. In the 2006 season, the Redskins started wearing black cleats, something that hasn't been done for quite a while. It was a surprise because they wore white cleats during the preseason. They would have to wear that color for the rest of the season, because the NFL usually asks teams to choose either black or white cleats to be worn throughout the season.
From 1981 through 2000, the Redskins always wore white at home. This changed in 2001. The Redskins wore their burgundy uniforms for all their home games under new head coach Marty Schottenheimer. In 2002, the Redskins wore white for their home opener due to the heat and then switched to burgundy for the remainder of the season. In 2003, the Redskins wore white at home during preseason and September before switching to burgundy starting in October. In 2004, with the return of Joe Gibbs as head coach, the Redskins switched to wearing white for all their home games.
After the white-on-white period which lasted from the mid/late 2005 season into 2006, the classic uniform of white jerseys over burgundy pants reappeared on November 26, 2006, in a home game against the Carolina Panthers. The decision to return to the classic look may have symbolized a desire by the team to turn a new page on their 2006 season, which had been very lackluster previous to that game, the period of success with the white jerseys over white pants having come to an end the previous season. The move may have also been related to the fact that this home game was the second start and first home start of second-year quarterback Jason Campbell, and that the game and the previous week's game were, in the hopes and perceptions of many Redskins fans, the start of the "Jason Campbell era." The Redskins went on to win that game against Carolina, preserving slim hopes of the team's being able to make it to the 2006 playoffs, although they ultimately missed the playoffs.
Even though many NFL teams with dark pants have chosen to match those with their dark jerseys, through the 2006 season, the Redskins have yet to match the burgundy pants with burgundy jerseys.
In celebration of the franchise's 75th anniversary, the Redskins wore a special throwback uniform for the September 23, 2007 game against the New York Giants. Players wore a white jersey with burgundy and gold stripes on the sleeves and the 75th anniversary logo on the left chest. The pants were gold with white and burgundy stripes down the side.
The helmet was yellow-colored with a maroon "R" logo. That's the helmet style the franchise used during the 1970-71 seasons. The legendary Vince Lombardi, who coached the Redskins in 1969 before passing away, was the inspiration behind the helmet.
Lombardi pushed for the logo, which sat inside a white circle with Indian feathers hanging down from the side, because of its similarity to the "G" on the helmets worn by his Green Bay Packers for many years.
Some activists consider the namesake and logo of the Washington Redskins racist towards Native Americans[3]. Lately there has been movements by certain groups to change the name[citation needed], but the attempts have been unsuccessful. Many make the case in defense that their (The Redskins) name is intended to honor the bravery and dignity of Native Americans and that, regardless of past usage, the word "redskins" today refers to the football team. The activists argue that no matter what the intent is, the term has always been a negative and racist word. [4]. Notwithstanding the complaints of the activists, a 2002 poll commissioned by Sports Illustrated found that 75% of those Native Americans surveyed had no objection to the Redskins name. One of the most eloquent suggestions -- the Washington Clout -- came in 1999 via Washington Post humor writer Gene Weingarten, who recalled in a "memo" to then-new owner Dan Snyder [5] an entry from the very first Style Invitational contest (which had also produced such gems as the Washington L'Enfant Terribles, the Washington Homicide Capitols, and the Baltimore Redskins).
