Talk:Hail to the Commanders

Dates needed

A couple questions for any knowledgeable 'Skins fans out there:

1. When did Corinne Griffith create the song and/or when did it come into use?
2. What was the exact date that the lyrics were changed — or did it happen gradually over the 1960s?

Thanks! • Benc • 06:18, 21 Aug 2004 (UTC)

As I understand it, the Redskins Marching Band debuted in the 1938 season and Hail to the Redskins debuted that same year. You may also want to include information about the period where the Cowboys original owner held the rights to the song. The first band leader, Barnee Breeskin, became upset with George Preston Marshall and sold the rights to Hail to the Redskins to Clint Murchison, who was attempting to get permission to found the Dallas Cowboys. The rights changed hands for $2500.00 and were offered back in exchange for support for his bid and cash. Murchison got his team and Marshall got his song back.

The truth is that Irvin N. Hackerman, a Major in the Army in WWII was the originator of the lyrics to 'Hail To The Redskins.' At that time it was not uncommon for people to be paid off for taking credit for lyrics they never wrote. In this case, there was a threatening demand made of Mr. Hackerman to allow Corrine Griffith to take the credit. Irvin Hackerman was paid $200 to let the issue rest. Later on in life, Irvin N. Hackerman became a Federal Administrative Law Judge (Judge I.N. Hackerman) with Health and Human Services. He was one of the longest serving Judges in the department. Judge Hackerman past away June 2008 so there is no way to prove this truth. However, in accord with Freedom of Speech and in accord with doing what is right; this truth should remain here on this web site. Judge and Major I.N. Hackerman is the original writer of the original version of 'Hail To The Redskins.' —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.0.138.25 (talk) 04:28, 29 November 2010 (UTC)

As far as when the current version started, I think this article, apparently written by a Social Security Administration Administrative Law Judge, states or at least implies that the changes came about as a response to a protest in 1972. See http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/13374604-95/my-turn-for-the-washington-redskins-and-the-nfl-there-is-no-defense. It states: "In 1972, a delegation of Native Americans, including Dennis Banks from the American Indian Movement, LaDonna Harris, president of Americans for Indian Opportunity, and Leon Cole, president of the National Congress of American Indians, met with Edward Bennett Williams, president of the Redskins. They told Williams to shelve the racially derogatory epithet, Redskins. They also wanted Williams to get rid of the Redskinettes, the pseudo-Indian sideline dancing girls, and they wanted him to change the lyrics in the fight song 'Hail to the Redskins.' Williams made no promises, but he did listen. Williams’s only concession had to do with the fight song lyrics."

Someone had previously claimed the old lyrics were in place between 1962 and "1980s." I think that's probably wrong, no source was cited, and while I don't know when the current lyrics were created and started being sung, I grew up in the D.C. area, and I don't think I remember the old lyrics being sung in the 1980s in Washington. So I removed that bit about the old lyrics being used from 1962 through the 1980s. I think the issue of when the song was changed to its current version is not an insignificant one, and no claim should be made about when it was changed until we're reasonably clear about when the change was made and there's a legitimate source to cite. Robert Kelly (talk) 19:43, 21 September 2014 (UTC)

Other Southern Teams

The notion that there were no other Southern teams until Atlanta is inaccurate.

• Baltimore Colts - 1950
• Dallas Texans - 1952
• Dallas Cowboys - 1960
• Houston Oilers - 1960

(although not the center of the South, still part of the South) --H2O 03:02, 28 Aug 2004 (UTC)

You're absolutely right. Feel free to fix this yourself if you like — I might not be able to get around to fixing this myself for a day or two. Thanks, • Benc • 07:51, 29 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Lyrics

I hate to say it, but if the song is still under copyright, the lyrics should be deleted under WP:L&P. Perhaps somebody could go through and quote just the sections that have changed? --Chancemichaels 13:06, 9 August 2006 (UTC)Chancemichaels

Done. SixFourThree (talk) 17:45, 28 April 2008 (UTC)SixFourThree

Dubious claim on lyrics

The YouTube video at [1] shows the lyrics said "D.C.," not "Dixie," as early as the 1940s. (Go to the 3:35 mark of the video.) -- Mwalcoff (talk) 02:51, 30 September 2010 (UTC)

Weird

Isn't it weird that this 'song' originated around the same times white American sympathies to Nazi Germany were at an all time high? And it was approved by a guy who was so racist that he only started taking black players on his team because the federal government threatened to kick him out of the RFK stadium (that the federal government built but is no longer active as of the 21st century) they were originally hosted in? Let me know if you agree. Balst32 (talk) 01:44, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

Afro American paper

Back in 2015, a user threw into a reference to the Afro American (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hail_to_the_Redskins&diff=prev&oldid=654648593)

The date of the edition doesn't exist, but if anyone has any ideas which day/year he might have meant, there is a very nice archive here: https://news.google.com/newspapers/p/afro?nid=UBnQDr5gPskC&dat=19631026&b_mode=2&hl=en

LeverageSerious (talk) 17:37, 5 July 2020 (UTC)

Found it! LeverageSerious (talk) 18:36, 5 July 2020 (UTC)