Regardless, it was painful to sit through that game. As was already mentioned by others, the 'skins beat the hated Raiders in the regular season that year, so I was not ready for 38-9
I remember being so confident before the game. My friend Dave-from-Oxon-Hill, they only other person who could distinguish Herbie Plews from Reno Bertoia, gathered a bunch of us at an apartment that had a color TV with cable. Wow. Double wow, if you've ever tried to watch TV in Manhattan using an antenna.
We had arm-loads of beer and pretzels, and I had to tell Redskin Dan v1978, my five-year-old, that he couldn't come along to an adult drinking bash. He was heartbroken, especially because he had just begun to understand about the Redskins. The year before he had not quite understood why I was jumping and screaming when Riggins broke free.
We circled the TV. We watched. We waited for the Diesel to start, and we saw that blocked kick. Argh. Otis Wonsley missed the block, right? Then the interception TD on the Rocket Screen.
The Redskins started the second half by stomping fown the field, just like normal. It felt like maybe things were falling into place, and then, kaboom.
Personally, I thought some of the players seemed flat. Whether they were run down from the season, or from party-ing before the game, I don't know. But I've always thought that the Skins just looked unready that day.
And little Dan gave me a hug when I got home. We waited, and watched SB 22 together. That was different.
