GrandPa Hogette

From the DC Sports Bog:

Ralph Campbell — who died last week at the age of 73 — was one of the 11 original Hogettes. He was known as GrandPa.

For most of the past 27 years, being a Hogette was a huge part of Campbell’s life — he went to two Super Bowls, conducted the National Symphony, rode an elephant down Pennsylvania Avenue, and appeared in a Visa commercial.

The Navy veteran, who served in Vietnam, actually arrived in the D.C. area early in the Gibbs Era as a Cowboys fan, due to Roger Staubach’s Naval connections. He was on the path to conversion when the Hogettes began, and that completed the trick.

Lori Cole, Campbell’s youngest daughter recalls “All of our friends made fun of us . . .but later as we got older, we got to see all the events he did. We went to Joe Gibbs stuff, went to Gary Clark stuff, we actually saw the good in it, and then it got to be ok.”

Campbell will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery next month, wearing a Redskins tie. He’s the first original Hogette to pass away.

His daughter said that he was also an avid sailor, and a devoted father and grandfather, and a 27-year Navy man, but she said it was fine for him to be memorialized as a Redskins fan in a dress, tying balloons for kids and making silly puns and boasting about his yellow dress.

He would love to be remembered [that way], his daughter said, and we would love for him to be remembered for all the good he did.

Those Damn Yankees

Here is my memory and tribute to George Steinbrenner.

My earliest memories of George and the Yankees include plaid fashion statements, Billy Martin (all versions), and my first trip to a major league baseball game with my dad.

I don’t remember the exact date, or even who the other team was. All I remember was that I was going to Yankee Stadium to see the Yankees play. This alone was an amazing event considering my dad was born and raised in Brooklyn and was a diehard (former) Brooklyn Dodgers Fan who referred to the Bronx Bombers, like his dad, as the Damn Yankees.

He still hates the day the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to LA.

I can clearly remember my dad and I driving to the Bronx and having enterprising young businessmen boldly walking up to our car at each intersection offering to wash our windows or park our car for us. For a small fee of course.

We managed to get to the stadium in one piece, in our car, with dirty windows, and all money intact.

The game time experience was amazing. Oh the vocabulary I learned that day! I do remember seeing George, well, actually the owners booth. I’m sure he was there. Billy, well, being Billy and that the Yankees won.

And I remember the great team George assembled back then with the likes of Reggie, Thurman, Bucky and Lou.

Everything associated with the Yankees and George Steinbrenner was about greatness. About winning. About being larger than life. And I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in the midst of greatness.

Of course I have a bit of my dad in me and there is a small part of me that still occasionally thinks of them as “the damn Yankees”. Myself, being born and raised in Maryland, can relate to my dads memories of the Brooklyn Dodgers by remembering the former Washington Senators play on TV. I never saw them play in person and of course, like the Dodgers, moved out of town to someplace in Texas.

And now that I am back in the DC area, I prefer the Orioles and Nationals. Hey, I tend to be geographically loyal, OK.

But, back to those Damn Yankees. . .

The Yankees are an organization instantly recognizable and instantly polarizing. We all love to hate them and hate to love them.

AND; we all cannot deny the force and influence George has had on both baseball and the world of sports entertainment.

Ummm (cover your ears dad)

Thank you George.

You will always be remembered.

A Toast to you and all that you have done!

May you rest in peace.

And say hello to Thurman and Billy.

Sean Taylor

Yes, Sean’s locker at Redskins Park has been covered and preserved since his death.

Yes, they are moving Sean’s Locker from Redskin Park to FedEx Field.

Yes, they are moving it to the club level.

No, Dan Snyder is NOT installing a coin slot for viewing.

I’ve heard some fans complaining that this is just another pandering to high paying customers, ticket holders.

It’s a weak argument.

Moving Sean’s Locker to the club level makes a lot of sense.

– It keeps it indoors out of any exposure to any weather related changes in temperature and humidity.
– It mitigates the chance of a riot or at least an ugly scene being broadcasted on national TV. Imagine the reaction to a drunken fan of a competing team doing something stupid. And the ensuing, not that we Redskins Fans every drink, reaction of loyal Fans to whatever this stupid act would be.

It also helps bring some closure to the event within the team and at Redskin Park.

A tough situation, handled well by the new management.

RIP Sean.

RIP Abe

Today, Abe Pollin will be buried.

I think it is safe to say that no other person has had more of an impact in the Washington DC sports, entertainment, real estate and philanthropic landscape than Abe.

He will truly be missed and never forgotten.

Ted Leonsis tribute

Abe Pollin was the bravest man I ever met. A man of courage and compassion, with high levels of personal empathy and integrity.

He showed passion and commitment to our city when no one else would. He consistently showed his love to the fan base and to his extended family — his employees. And you could take his handshake to the bank.

He was a man of conviction and principles, of strong views and great accomplishment. He was the only world championship holder among the major team ownership groups around town today.

He was the last “don”; the last of the family-man moguls, the last authentic nice guy in business.

Most of all Abe was a family man — and a man of spirit — who knew his higher calling and the value of public service. His selflessness and caring are evident around Washington today.

I will treasure our times together and the wonderful advice he always offered to me. I will never forget the sage advice Abe gave me in regard to leading a team as a public trust, nor his memorable counsel of “Ted, don’t get too high with the highs or too low with the lows — as this too shall pass.” He was a mentor, a friend and a pioneer in so many ways.