Most of You Know the Story About The Redskins Fight Song... - Dallas Cowboys Forum

Hostile · 08-07-2009

...but did you know this?

Clint Murchison had a backup plan in case Redskins owner George Preston Marshall did not blink over the rights to "Hail to the Redskins."

A man named Bobby Baker was hired to be a deal broker with a powerful Senator named Estes Kefauver. (Do not make this political when you respond please.) The deal involved Baker delivering $25,000 to Kefauver who was the chairman of the Senate committee overseeing monopolies.

George Preston Marshall had a monopoly in the south with his Redskins Television Network. He did not want any other team below the famed Mason - Dixon line. Hence the original words to the Redskins fight song saying "fight for old dixie" where they now say "fight for old DC."

Bobby Baker sought the assurance that the anti-monopoly committee of the Senate would look closely at the Redskins monopoly.

Well, amazingly the committee did notice the Redskins and surprise, surprise (wink, wink) they did find them to be a monopoly. $25,000 will make things happen in those days.

Marshall hoped to delay the Cowboys entry for 1 year, mentioning in fact that the 1960 NFL Draft was already past and the Cowboys couldn't Draft to build their team. Tex Schramm pointed out the creation of the AFL having a team in Dallas. The NFL had to have a team in 1960 or they would fail miserably.

Marshall's kingdom was being attacked from every angle and he had nothing left to fight with. He bought back the rights to the fight song, closed down his TV networks, and lost his Monopoly. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.00.

At every possible point of attack, Clint Murchison took the upper hand and won. Okay, so this was a bit underhanded. Clint was no saint. He could be ruthless.

The total cost to start the Cowboys, $625,000.00 counting the $25,000.00 assist from a US Senator. Hey, he got back $2500.00 of it from Marshall. He also got the team. The rest is History.

bbgun · 08-07-2009

Quote:

Bobby Baker

I remember that name. I think he was very tight with LBJ, but got mixed up in some sort of call-girl ring scandal. Or something to that effect.

BraveHeartFan · 08-07-2009

Dang Hos. You never cease to amaze me with these jewels of information.

Joe Realist · 08-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hostile

...but did you know this?

Clint Murchison had a backup plan in case Redskins owner George Preston Marshall did not blink over the rights to "Hail to the Redskins."

A man named Bobby Baker was hired to be a deal broker with a powerful Senator named Estes Kefauver. (Do not make this political when you respond please.) The deal involved Baker delivering $25,000 to Kefauver who was the chairman of the Senate committee overseeing monopolies.

George Preston Marshall had a monopoly in the south with his Redskins Television Network. He did not want any other team below the famed Mason - Dixon line. Hence the original words to the Redskins fight song saying "fight for old dixie" where they now say "fight for old DC."

Bobby Baker sought the assurance that the anti-monopoly committee of the Senate would look closely at the Redskins monopoly.

[View Full Quote]

I never knew the whole fight song deal until I read " Cowboys have always been my heroes "

AdamJT13 · 08-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Realist

I never knew the whole fight song deal until I read " Cowboys have always been my heroes "

That book is sitting right here, next to my monitor. Great read, even if I'd prefer a little more narration in between the lengthy quotes.

Manster68 · 08-07-2009

I was just telling me this story to one of the guys at work. He still insisted the Cowboy-Redskin rivalry didn't start until the 1970s.

He just thought that the Meridith-Jergensen years did not warrant that to "rival" status.

He just thought the Dallas-Cleveland rivaly was better.

Oh well, he has the right to be wrong.

THUMPER · 08-07-2009

George Preston Marshall is probably my most hated person ever to have anything to do with the NFL. I hated the Redskins in the early 60s even though they were no threat to us, and in fact were one of the few teams we could beat regularly in those days.

Marshall was a racist and was the last owner to sign a black player, 16 years after the Rams and Browns did in 1946. Even then he only did it because Kennedy threatened him with legal action. The guy was a piece of crap and should have been squashed a long time before then. Although it has never been proven, I believe Marshall was instrumental in getting black players OUT of the NFL in 1932 when they started their franchise as the Boston Braves.

Here is a quote from an article at Wiki:

Quote:

At its inception in 1920, the American Professional Football Association had several African-American players (a total of thirteen between 1920 and 1933). Fritz Pollard and Bobby Marshall were the first black players in what is now the NFL in 1920. Pollard became the first black coach in 1921. However, by 1932 the subsequent National Football League had only two black players, and by 1934 there were none. This disappearance of black players from the NFL effectively coincided with the entry of one of the leading owners of the league, George Preston Marshall. Marshall openly refused to have black athletes on his Boston Braves/Washington Redskins team, and reportedly pressured the rest of the league to follow suit. The NFL did not have another black player until after World War II.

In a way I was glad that the Redskins were reluctant to sign black players in the early 60s because it meant that they sucked just that much more.

It has always burned me that that sack of garbage is in the HoF, and was inducted in 1963, the initial class of induction.

Hostile · 08-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by BraveHeartFan

Dang Hos. You never cease to amaze me with these jewels of information.

I've got one that to my knowledge has never been printed.

Yet...

Birdlives · 08-07-2009

There's no getting around it. George Preston Marshall was and always will be a profound POS.

Much of the reason that the local area is infused with cowboys fans is a direct result of his influence.

Now here comes Snyder. He's basically turning yet another generation of DC natives off this team by being a giant turd.

If I was a cowboys fans I'd be a huge Dan Snyder fan.

Hostile · 08-07-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birdlives

There's no getting around it. George Preston Marshall was and always will be a profound POS.

Much of the reason that the local area is infused with cowboys fans is a direct result of his influence.

Now here comes Snyder. He's basically turning yet another generation of DC natives off this team by being a giant turd.

If I was a cowboys fans I'd be a huge Dan Snyder fan.

You're lucky to have him, and ironically so are we.

Hostile · 08-08-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbgun

I remember that name. I think he was very tight with LBJ, but got mixed up in some sort of call-girl ring scandal. Or something to that effect.

I won't post the article because it is political in nature, but your comment intrigued me to look him up on Wikipedia. It was actually quite fascinating to read.

BehindEnemyLinez · 08-08-2009

Hos= Cowboys' historian supreme! You're full of it, ain't ya (and I mean that in a good way

)?

Hostile · 08-08-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by BehindEnemyLinez

Hos= Cowboys' historian supreme! You're full of it, ain't ya (and I mean that in a good way

)?

I love this stuff. I could read stuff from every football teams History all day long and never tire of it. I hope it never bores you guys here when I stumble across stuff.

BehindEnemyLinez · 08-08-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hostile

I love this stuff. I could read stuff from every football teams History all day long and never tire of it. I hope it never bores you guys here when I stumble across stuff.

Never. I always feel a l'il wiser after reading one of your historical posts! I'll admit, I usually regurgitate it to my friends and family to make myself look good!!! You know, just spreading the knowledge...

Hostile · 08-08-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by BehindEnemyLinez

Never. I always feel a l'il wiser after reading one of your historical posts! I'll admit, I usually regurgitate it to my friends and family to make myself look good!!! You know, just spreading the knowledge...

Hey there is nothing at all wrong with that. I am finding the stuff from other sources and sharing it for exactly that purpose.