The Ballston Skulls sounds like a gang. They weren’t. The Skulls played semi-pro football representing the village of Ballston. They played and practiced on a field, known as Ballston Stadium, at Ball’s Crossroads, currently the site of Ballston Common Mall. In 1937, when the Redskins moved here from Boston, the team worked out at the Ballston facility with the Skulls. ... Read More »
![Washington, D.C., 1920. "Gripp, Mathew, [Nathan] Lahn, Troske -- Gallaudet U." Gridiron stars of the first college for the deaf, credited with inventing the football huddle in the 1920s as a way to keep its signed plays secret.](http://ghostsofdc.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/SHORPY_29576u1-150x150.jpg)
According to legend, the Gallaudet football team invented the huddle as a means to prevent opposing teams from stealing their plays by reading their sign language. Below are four players from the 1920 Gallaudet University football squad … looking super psyched. Read More »
On Friday, November 2nd, 106 years ago, this was the sports page of the Washington Times. Read More »
Sunday is our first game and the beginning of RGIII in D.C. Let’s bring back some pride to the Washington Redskins. And we’d like to give a quick shout out to GoDCer, and giant Redskins, fan Drew at Meridian Pint. This one’s for you. Thanks for the friendly football conversation the other day. The United States was a full year ... Read More »
That football bet story, uncovered in the last post, about Marjorie Morris is too good not to look into, and sure enough, there’s an article about it titled “Hilltop Football Victory Wins Bride for Student.” Below is the Washington Post article from November 21st, 1928. When Georgetown’s football team downed the University of West Virginia Saturday, it rang the wedding ... Read More »
The site of so many wonderful baseball and football memories, Griffith Stadium, had it’s life ended by the brutal swings of a wrecking ball in 1965. The hapless doormat of the American League, the Washington Senators stopped playing in there after the 1961 season, after which, the days were numbered. Howard University was looking to acquire the site for their ... Read More »
Well, football is coming to a close this weekend and you’re probably thrilled to watch the commercials. Oh, and I’m sure everyone has their plans set to watch the Super Bowl too. One thing you will not be watching this Sunday is the Washington Redskins … again … #FAIL. A generation ago, the Redskins were a good team. Yep, good ... Read More »
Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington