Washington Redskins’ Name
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Hanging on ‘Parsimoniously’ to a Brand
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George Preston Marshall and Shirley Povich
By Roy
Meachum
Not
for the first time, there’s a movement afoot to change the name of Washington’s
staunch NFL subsidiary, to something else, less offensive to American Natives.
Only real Indians didn’t start the movement.
My friend and
erstwhile colleague, the late Washington Post sports columnist Shirley Povich,
detested George Preston Marshall who started the team--and until his death was
the only stockholder of importance. I never understood. Above all else, the West Virginia native was
a serious businessman. His father started Palace Laundries; by the time he
died, the son inherited about 100 locations. His Seventh Street office, where I
first met him, was over-towered by a building cleaning and starching shirts and
other items.
Mr. Marshall—I
never called him George—was an unabashed miser; it can be strenuously argued
that his cause of entry into professional sports, in the late 1920s: the price
was right. He tried basketball first in Washington and soon gave up. Boston was
a hot-bed sports town; they had two major league baseball teams. Trying to
capitalize on the popularity of the Braves, his football club was named for the
MLB team, until there was a dispute and he was forced to change the practicing to
Red Sox’s Fenway Field. The Redskins were hanging on to the brand name,
parsimoniously.
Shuffling Off From Boston
to the Nation’s Capital
Disgusted with
Bostonians’ non-appearances at games, Mr. Marshall shuffled to Washington where
he owned all the laundries. Ever the promoter, he established not only the NFL
first marching band and cheerleaders, but the ladies were attired in long faux
leather dresses and wigs so they were seen as Indians; the musicians wore similar
uniforms feathers.
As a part of the
promotional effort, he created a radio network to carry the games in the South,
where there were no franchises when the broadcasts began. Television came
later. Keeping in mind his stinginess, in those pre-integration years, he
refused to sign an African American player, which made Shirley Povich mad as
hell. He lost “Hail to the Redskins” to the Dallas Cowboys. Clint Murchison Jr.
had bought it from song’s composer, Barnee Briskin, who conducted the Griffith
Park strings and brass. It was held in hostage until Mr. Marshall agreed to NFL
team in Texas, shattering his self-imposed segregation—and insuring the
perpetual ire of Shirley Povich.
A few years
later, I returned as a Washington Post reporter, which caused me to doubt my
youth’s hero. On an assignment to the National Gallery of Art, I was latched
onto by Branch Rickey, everywhere recognized as the integrator of major league
baseball, through Jackie Robinson. On my way through the sports department, I
excitedly announced my “scoop” to Shirley. He lambasted Mr. Rickey with dirty
language, as integrating “nothing.”
When I was the
public relations man for the National Symphony Orchestra, I invited news
photographers in to announce the musicians would be playing at the Redskins
half-time. By chance--I had no influence--the Daily News editors decided to run
Conductor Howard Mitchell in feather headdress on the tabloid’s front cover,
which brought me lunches at Mr. Marshall’s well-fed table. I also received
season tickets for several years, until I moved out of town.
The Washington
NFL owner became my friend, more so than when he mentioned Leon Bakst; the
dance designer moved to Hollywood when the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo died. I
knew him from my several years administrating Marjorie Merriweather Post’s
National Ballet Foundation. Mr. Marshall shared other adventures.
I can’t imagine
the man inventing the name coming up with an exception to changing Redskins—unless
it cost business and most of all, profits.
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Roy Meachum lives in Frederick, Md. He has had a
distinguished print and broadcast career for many years at The
Washington Post, Frederick News-Post and WTOP-TV, forerunner to WUSA-TV/ and a long career in diplomacy.
This column appeared in last week’s The Tentacle.
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It’s integrity stupid!
Battle over Guns Troubles Politicians
A State Senator’s Deception
By Karl Bickel
MONROVIA,
Md.
For those of us old enough to recall the 1992 presidential election,
many can remember references to a sign in Bill Clinton’s campaign headquarters.
It is said to have read “its the economy stupid.” It helped to maintain focus
and served as a constant reminder of the biggest problem of the day.
Of
course, as a point to focus on, the economy is no less important today. That
having been said, another sign that should grace, campaign headquarters and
politician’s offices is “its integrity stupid.” Integrity or the lack thereof,
among our elected officials, is as big a problem as the economy and undoubtedly
a contributing factor in our troubling fiscal situation.
Confidence
in our elected representatives is at an all-time low, exemplified by congresses
ranking of dead last in Gallup’s 2012 poll on public confidence in
institutions.
If
“your word is your bond,” how can we possibly have confidence in our political
representatives if we can’t believe what they say, if their honesty, their
integrity, is called into question?
On
February 27th, in support of the licensing portion of Maryland
Governor Martin O’Malley’s gun control proposal, Senator Brian Frosh-D of
Montgomery County claimed “It reduces crime when people have to get these
licenses.” He reportedly supported his contention by stating that Connecticut,
New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, with laws similar to that being proposed
in Maryland have lower rates (presumably than Maryland) of gun violence.
Every
morning my alarm clock goes off and shortly thereafter the sun comes up.
Senator Frosh does not provide any evidence that crime is impacted by the
governor’s proposed licensing provision any more than the impact my alarm clock
has on the morning’s sunrise.
The
aforementioned states do have lower rates of gun violence than Maryland. But
since Maryland is ranked #3 in gun violence, according to StateMaster.com a web
site dedicated to making state comparisons, 42 other states have lower rates of
gun violence as well. This is in spite of Maryland’s already more restrictive
gun laws.
Also
worth mentioning, Vermont and Alaska, states that don’t even require a license
to carry a concealed firearm in public, rank #50 and #45 respectively, yet I
make no claim that unlicensed carrying of a concealed weapon leads to lower gun
crime rates. As in the senator’s example there may be a bit of a correlation
but clearly no evidence of a cause and effect.
My
point is the senator made claims, claims in support of legislation he was
supportive of, claims that are just not true. Now had it not been for the fact
that the senator ventured into an area in which I have some knowledge, crime
and criminals, I would not have been aware of the deception.
This
begs the question; do we believe anything our politicians’ say once we have
direct knowledge of their propensity for deception? Since most of what they say
will be outside of our base of direct knowledge, we must have some confidence
in their honesty, their integrity?
Lately
it seems that more and more that confidence is lost, replaced by doubt. Its
integrity stupid!
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Karl Bickel is a former detective
with Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department, assistant professor of
criminal justice and former second in command of the Frederick County Maryland
Sheriff’s Office.
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