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D.C. Turns the Tables on Dallas Week
By Jamie Mottram | September 26, 2008
I’m not sure where the direction-less debate about Dallas’ greatest rival went off the rails, but this much is true: Dallas is Washington’s greatest rival. And for a long time there, during the dark days between Joe Gibbs eras in general and the seven seasons from ‘98 to ‘04 specifically, it was a one-sided rivalry that saw the Redskins lose 13 out of 14. Dark days indeed.
But out of the ashes the feathered arrow flies. Starting with the Skins’ 14-13 midnight hour double-strike win in Big D three years ago, Washington has reversed and reheated the once-great rivalry by winning four out of six. And these aren’t just any wins either. It could be argued that each was more magnificent than the one before it, but rather than do that, let’s just recount the games as they were …
The Santana Moss Game — This could also be called the Mark Brunell game, but why tarnish the legacy? It was Week 2 of Season 2 of Gibbs 2.0, and the Redskins were reeling from a 6-10 campaign and hadn’t scored a TD through the first seven quarters of the fresh one. It was also ’round midnight on a Monday night, Dallas was winning 13-0 and resistance seemed futile, at least until Brunell hit Moss on the most improbable of back-to-back deep balls to go balls deep in the heart of Texas.
Chris Cooley’s 3 TD Game – Later that same season, with a Wild Card spot on the line in Week 15, Washington hosted Dallas and I was there, tailgating all day only to see Capt. Chaos score thrice to help the Skins to a 28-0 halftime lead. I still remember the end zone bar during intermission, giddy with drunken disbelief. Of course, Cooley lost a fantasy playoff game due to his own performance, which adds to the allure.
Sean Taylor’s Blocked FG Return Game — Gibbs’ third season back was a drag, but it did give us this gem where Dallas’ late, game-winning FG attempt was blocked by Troy Vincent then scooped up and returned by SeanTay deep into Cowboys territory. It was an incredible, mad dash that led to Nick Novak’s game-winner with no time left. And more than all of the hits and anything else, it’s probably the Boom King’s most indelible image.
The ‘07 Wild Card Clinching Game — It matters not that Dallas had nothing on the line, because this was when Washington capped a four-game run following Sean Taylor’s funeral to make the playoffs. Football is insignificant compared to greater things, but it can help you deal, and that’s what happened here.
So there you have it. After one win in seven painful seasons, the Skins have four in three, each more wonderful than the last. And now they head to Texas as 11-point dogs for Zorn Star’s debut in a rivalry that was once great, and should be again. Seems like the right time to make it five in four.
(Image via our friends at LOL Jocks.)
Topics: Dallas Sucks, Redskins | 25 Comments »
September 26th, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Thanks for writing this. It was awesome to relive those games. That Santana Moss game is my personal favorite Redskin moment of all time. (Close second is the Sean Taylor blocked feild goal)
Anyway, I kind of feel like Dallas is our #2 rival. In a lot of ways it doesn’t feel genuine to me anymore. I just think of Dallas as a team that we are supposed to hate, and generally do hate but that we have to try to hate.
The team that I think is our biggest rival is Philly. Maybe we don’t have quite the same history–but it’s actually close–but they are way more hate-able.
Think about it. Philly is closer. Their fans are bigger assholes (Say what you will about Dallas but their stadium doesn’t have a judge in it during games). The series wasn’t dominated for so long. Most of all, at least for me the hatred seems so genuine. With Dallas I hate them but sometimes I have to remind myself why…
September 26th, 2008 at 9:45 AM
I definitely hate Philly fans above all others, but I think I’d rather beat the Cowboys more than the Eagles if, you know, given a choice. I’m not sure that makes any sense.
And that Santana game … I left the bar in Arlington (shitty ass Bailey’s in Ballston) when it was 13-0 with like 3 min left. Heard the first TD on the radio in my then-GF’s car in the Taco Bell drive thru, where I was attempting to us burritos to cheer me up. Immediately made her park, got out and ran across the street to the closest place with televisions (some soccer bar near courthouse; can’t recall the name now) to see the second TD and the end of the game, after which, about 10 of us who were in the bar, all strangers, began hugging and celebrating like we’d been friends for a lifetime. It didn’t seem awkward at the time.
It’s without a doubt the Redskins memory that sticks out the most with me. I was too young to recall the Super Bowls with much clarity.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:50 AM
I remember living in Ft. Lauderdale (the only Skins fan at my Sports Bar, sadness) and watching the one in Dallas with the three back to back kick attempts. I about pissed myself. Instead I drunkenly celebrated.
September 26th, 2008 at 9:50 AM
Exactly.
Although, if we’re going to turn this into a Redskins memories wet dream thread. One of my good friends, Aaron, who is a long time skins fan claims that his first words were spoken while watching the superbowl.
It was the Dolphins v. Skins superbowl and when John Riggins broke that run to the outside (where the Dolphins player slid down his body) Aaron’s Mom claims that he started screaming “Go John, Go!”
I obviously can’t verify its authenticity but that story is awesome and I really wish I was old enough to remember those games.
September 26th, 2008 at 10:02 AM
Oh yea, and as for your story about the Santana game, here’s mine. I was watching the game in my dorm room. My next door neighbor was this kid that I absolutely despised.
He of course loved Dallas.
He also knew that I was a ’skins fan.
He was one of those annoying clapping fans. Anything that was remotely positive that happened in favor of the Cowboys caused him to clap uncontrollably(and then take a sip of his daquiri). So as he sat around in his room and got sloshed (by himself) on his frozen vag-slushies I just sat there and ground my teeth.
I had an eight am quiz or some bullshit like that so I was no where near hammered enough to make any of this tolerable for the first 58 minutes of that game.
Then Santana and Brunell hooked up for their bombs–needless to say the applause from my room was deafening– and I swear to god I heard that pussy next door sitting in his room sobbing until his blender started churning again (a painkiller presumably).
I’ve never enjoyed another human being’s suffering so much.
September 26th, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Interesting that you guys think Philly > Dallas when it comes to being Washington’s rival. That may be a generational thing, but, hell, I’m only 31. Sounds like a poll for another day.
September 26th, 2008 at 10:37 AM
A few things I will add.
Some big games against Dallas that stick out in my pot smoked memory are:
Last game at RFK. My thrid and last game at RFK, while it meant nothing we did beat those Cowbitches.
And my favorite game, only because the DTC may have gone its hardest ever on the lot, and that was for Darrell Greens last game EVER. Beat the shit out of the Cowboys and tourtered any and every Cowboy fan we saw.
That was the infamous game where we used silly string, and then filled a super soaker with vinager and blasted every Cowboy fan we saw.
This Cowboy fan and his son (might have been 8 or 9) parked next to us. We told him he couldnt, yet he still did. We threw an entire bundleof the Sunday Washington Posts at him and just made his life a nightmare. He then enlisted his young son to come to my face and flick me off and tell me the redskins suck. I gave pops a warning and his son came back and told me to go fuck myself.
I then proceeded to dump the entire contents of the super soaker on the kid in 20 degree weather.
Pops came in defense and got dropped by the CEO.
Then we dumped the bottle of vinager on him and beer and silly string.
The guy and his kid told on us, but security was in our pocket and did nothing.
About 45 minutes later they came back, IN REDSKINS GEAR cause their clothes were drenched. They had it turned inside out, but it was still burgunday and gold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Below is a picture of me roaming the lot with my super soaker, when we ran out of vinager I just filled it up with pee.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a218/DTC4LIFE/433118332JXahWg_ph.jpg
That was the day that Cowboy fans figured out that this was OUR MOTHERFUCKING HOUSE!
September 26th, 2008 at 10:44 AM
I remember Jamie and I being the last two at my house for the Moss game. Everyone had left and i think Jamie stuck around to smoke one last cig.
I was at the Cooley game with Jamie and remember thinking this is one of the greatest days of my life.
I also remember watching both the Taylor game and the playoff clinching game against DAL at my house with Jamie. Come to think of it, our only playoff win in forever was watched at my house with Jamie being on the bottom of a man pile when Taylor ran the fumble back for a TD.
Shit, we are totally fucked this weekend. I’ll be watching at my house and Jamie will be in Wilmington. Its all your fault, Mr. Mottram, if we don’t win Sunday. Get your ass back to DC.
September 26th, 2008 at 10:50 AM
OK, I’ll preemptively say it: Comment #8 is the gayest-sounding in Mr. Irrelevant’s four-year history. Of course, it’s all true.
September 26th, 2008 at 11:03 AM
Um, excuse me, but I was in that man-pile for the Taylor game and that playoff win, too!
September 26th, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Comment #8 was the gayest comment in the 4 year history until comment #10. Two record breaking comments in less than 20 mins!
September 26th, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Most of the Junkie fans comments are pretty gay.
And by the way, your reader testimonials are fucking great!
September 26th, 2008 at 12:23 PM
I approve of this post.
September 26th, 2008 at 12:29 PM
Also what song is that playing in the YouTube video? Surely it is some 1980s awesome movie that I cannot think of.
Someone help me here.
September 26th, 2008 at 2:38 PM
I was at Bailey’s that night too (yeah, it’s lame, but friends were there). At the time of this play I was outside, pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, on the phone with my sister. She’s a passionate Redskins fan, even more than me, but she works in a job that makes her travel a lot, which leads to her watching the games alone, which in turn leads to her calling me to cuss out the team when they’re losing in the fourth quarter.
She was in the middle of a bitter “can’t stand this, wtf, effin Brunell” rant when I saw the TV screen through the window and saw people start screaming.
Hung up and went back inside. When they won, I wept with joy. I WEPT, man. I think the only other sporting event that’s done that to me was the first time I saw the Miracle on Ice (well, Monk’s induction was pretty damn close).
I was born in ‘82, so like you, I remember the Super Bowls of the 80s the way I remember Thundercats and Transformers: pleasant but vague. Most of my fandom, in other words, was Norvous. So the memory of that game is still the best moment in my history as a fan – even if it was the only thing Gibbs 2.0 had ever produced, that alone would be worth it.
That Philly > Dallas thing is something I’ve heard a lot, and I really think it only has to do with the fact that Philly fans tend to be more obnoxious these days (well, ever, but more lately). Dallas fans have a glass jaw, and they fold easily: in the blowout game, my sister and I were singing “don’t let your babies grow up to be Cowboys,” in the lower level by halftime, and the Cowboy fans in front of us LEFT. They paid for lower level seats, and they left at halftime! Jeez. Philly fans are more likely to get drunk and get in a fight. So it just depends on which one you dislike more.
BTW, the soccer bar in Courthouse is Summer’s.
September 26th, 2008 at 2:42 PM
I have to say that my favorite Dallas game was the Sean Taylor game. I go to the Dallas game every year and that one definitely sticks out the most. It was the craziest ending to a game I have ever seen in person. I have never seen that much excitement at FedEx. I cant wait for Nov. 16th.
P.S. Snyder sucks
September 26th, 2008 at 2:59 PM
Yes, Ben! Summer’s, that was it. Right across the street from where Taco Bell/Wendy’s is.
September 27th, 2008 at 11:01 AM
Wow, I’m ashamed that our fans would go soft like this on Dallas. Do you know why it sometimes seems like a one-way rivalry? Because Dallas fans are some bitches, and they think that their team was personally touched by God. That’s the whole point of the rivalry: Dallas is a lofty, high-flying team that pretends it could care less, and we’re the old-school guys that come into town and smack the taste out their mouths.
That’s why they can’t win in the playoffs and why they look like crap down the stretch. From Jerry Jones to Felix Jones, they’re a bunch of whiny, over-pampered bitches. And because of that, the fans never really get behind their team the way that us Skins fans do.
Remember when Neon Deion came to town? Now before he came to town, he was far and a way my most hated player. But I have to like every player, so I cheered even for him. Imagine having a whole team of Cowboys!
And to the idiots who think that Washington-Dallas is anything less than the second biggest sports rivalry (behind Boston-New York): How often do you see players move between Washington and Philly, or Washington and New York? I’d say that it’s pretty often. Players almost never go from Dallas to Washington or Washington to Dallas because the hate runs so deep.
September 27th, 2008 at 11:39 AM
I understand where Chris is coming from in his first comment.
I’d rather beat Dallas (especially tomorrow), but Philly fans are scum.
September 27th, 2008 at 1:36 PM
“Players almost never go from Dallas to Washington”
Scott Galbreith and Brandon Noble disagree.
September 27th, 2008 at 8:39 PM
yes, way to throw that obscure reference in there.
I agree Chris. I hate Philly fans way worse but would rather beat Dallas. Bottom line, any time a Philly fan starts talking shit to me I wave my fingers in his face and ask him how many rings he has. That or I congratulate them on being the new millennium Bills, only not as successful.
And there are much worse places to watch a game than Bailey’s. Although the service is shit, the spicy chicken rolls are bomb.
At the time of the Santana bombs I was still in school in Charleston, SC. After feeling like a total anus for cheering this anemic team for 45 minutes I was running around the bar like a jackass. Nobody understood. I’m glad to cheer for my team at home.
September 27th, 2008 at 8:43 PM
RE omgwtfbbq: I couldn’t agree more. I know this turd burgaling Eagles fan who has a picture of a bunch of Eagles’ fans pissing on a Cowboys decorated van. He says it’s the proudest moment he has of being a Philly fan. I guess they don’t have much better.
see: http://www.phillysucks.com/images/uploads/Birds2.jpg
September 28th, 2008 at 2:09 PM
“Scott Galbreith and Brandon Noble disagree.”
Um…Galbreth retired in ‘99 and Noble hung it up in ‘06. I’m comparing these scrubs to the players you see moving between DC and New York/Philly: Trotter, Pierce, Thrash, Mitchell, to name a few.
September 28th, 2008 at 3:20 PM
you’re all retarded.
June 17th, 2010 at 12:09 PM
Re: comment #20 & 23. So would Mike Gaechter, Darrick Brownlow….
….and two of the more-hated Cowboys ever, Calvin Hill AND Duane Thomas. (Each of whom scored two TDs for the ‘Skins in a game against the ‘Boys.)
God, you guys ARE young.
And anyone who didn’t see the two NFC Championship wins over Dallas at RFK as they happened is, well, I just feel sorry for you. Going outside – in a snowstorm! – to throw the football around after the second one is still a favorite memory. So is my friend Troy – a staunch Dallas fan – walking the six blocks to my door to shake my hand and congratulate me after the first one. Firm handshake; not one snarky word. (No. We COULD NOT HAVE watched that game together. We were friends; and THAT WAS WHY.)
And: all of this said. My two favorite ‘Skins playoff wins? The two over the Bears, both on the road, in consecutive years after Dikka won the Super Bowl. The Bears are remembered as a one-year thing, not a dynasty; and the Redskins are why. Other than that, the Bears don’t even close to rate compared to the Cowboys. Nor do the Iggles, in my mind…although the ‘90 playoff win, scant weeks after the Body Bag Game, ranks right up there with the NFC championship wins. Go figger. Some teams just have Uniquely Annoying Periods; and the Bears and the Iggles were having them when they ran into the ‘Skins. (Even the Cards had a UAP; and if you don’t remember that one, you’re up too late; go to bed.)
And OK, fine, I didn’t see the Nats win the World Series either. (And if you say “when was THAT?,” put your pacifier back in.)
But I *did* see Washington win an NBA Championship.
(You just spit out your pacifier.)
The noise in Cap Centre after the Bullets went up 33 in Game 6 in what became – and remained for years – the biggest NBA playoff margin ever is still one of the loudest sounds I ever heard. Hey, Dallas! How many NBA titles do *you* have?
(Sorry. This got me going a bit. I HATE DALLAS.)
(Even though I once hated the Orioles as much as I ever hated the Cowboys.)
(Your pacifier is in ORBIT now, I bet.)