Evening star., 1962-10-09
SKGH At LARGE
Some Questions
For Dear Abby
BY MORRIS sIEeEL

MAYBE WE SHOULD ASSIGN the omniscient Miss
KnowIt-A Dear Abby, to the Redskins beat As result
Of their sudden bent winning the Redskins have Great
ed problems which be coped with only by our intrepid
Dear Abby She frequently solves crises that don't exist
The Redskins certainly are too much for the regular
Of reporters who finding 1t more difficult to
shake off the hangovers Of defeat than the players Sue
hasn't spoiled George Marshas athletes but 1t has
spawned salubrious brand of tension
Last year the team had trouble making first down
against strong wind The boys couldn't get themselves
arrested. Nobody wanted em. But look at EN- today
They're unquesonably the best of the TV shows and
just as easy to take live and in the flesh.
THEY WERE so bad last season that their staunchsst
supporters in the Dixie datwisng set finally threw In
the towel Afternoon movies bad and old as they
are often got as much attention the Redskins who
for years the unchallenged viewing habit chiefly
because they the only football show in town.
This year under the CHS rotation pan Redskins ap-
pearances in Dixie are alternaed with the Baltimore Colts
Before the season started this proof positive that
the program manpuatos felt at least half sorry for the
Dixie viewers whose patience with the Redskins had
thin long ago.
But the we-ntended project has boomeranged in the
faces Of the network who originally were congratu
lated for what everyone thought was act of mercy.
Now everybody on the puppy corbread circuit
wants the Redskins "You stuffed em down throas
when they were lousy, how you take EN- away
from us when they're good?" Is the newest Dixie melody
chanted in angry tones to fit the mood.
rIL/GET DEAR ABBY off that hook on that one
The viewing pattern won't be changed It's part OF the
package deal and the Southern clientele shouldn't
be stranger to package deals Didn't they originate the
wartime arrangement whereby customers seeking Scotch or
bourbon forced to take bottle Of in the packageP
SO much for that Now here's real poser for Dear
Abby Among the new the Redskins have picked
up auto dealer in Wheaton, sponsor Of UnSung
Hero Contest" Fans vote on Redskin player who in
their judgment unheralded contributions to the
team The winning player will receive 1868 car for free
Now, Dear Abby here's a real problem: Who do you
suppose is leading the "Unsung Hero Contest? Norman
snead and. Bobby Mitchell They've gone about as un-
noticed shaving commercial during the World Series
teecasts But that's the way is with these Redskins;
everybodys hero leaving the "unsung" field restricted
to Equipment Manager Kelly Miller's staff
COACH BILL McPEAK, who had the foresight to lose
his hair before year. also is finding living more diff
cult these days. His explanations to how come his team
got so good SO quick are too bland.
We aren't willing to accept the whole truth, nothing
but the truth the judgments about spirit team Jeing,
confidence and hard-nose football Which brings up this
question: Has anybody seen soft-nose player2
Maybe the reason McPeak's pronouncements don't
seem to fit so well is because they aren't uttered with
conviction. But that's understandable He hasn't been
with winner long enough to become an expert It's like
Floyd Patterson trying to convince critics he knows how
to knock out, Sonny Liston.
Just one more, Dear Abby, and we'll let you retreat
to the womans section where the ground rules more
refined If the Redskins are this good how they
can't convince the oddsmakers? The smart boys make e
4pont underdogS against the Cardinals whom they have
already conquered once this season.