Ol' Ricky's Washington Football Tales - Cheerleaders & The Name Game
Ol’ Ricky has watched Washington’s cheerleaders long before his father explained the birds and the bees. Now he’s old enough to be their young grandfather so we’re keeping it clean here.
Owner George Preston Marshall created the NFL’s first cheerleading squad to attract young men to games in 1962. But unlike today’s cheerleaders who pose in calendars wearing little more than a smile, the early ones donned squaw outfits. The women were dressed in buckskin dresses with a headband and feather with dark wigs and pony tails. They were partly discontinued in 1968 and completely abandoned in 1972.
Uniforms have changed over time. In 1978, coach Jack Pardee banned exposed midriffs, but the look was glammed up in 1982 when boxer Sugar Ray Leonard’s sister-in-law designed suede outfits. The 1980s saw a Madonna influence with white go-go boots and one-piece burgundy bodysuits. The exposed midriffs returned in 1998. Along the way there have been bolero jackets, leather shorts and halter tops plus lots of rhinestones.
Today, the “First Ladies of Football” do far more than entertain fans. They’ve done USO tours since the early 1980s and Dept. of Defense tours since 1998. The women have performed in 35 countries and alongside famous singers like James Brown and Ricky Martin.
There may not be cheerleaders this season on the sidelines given fans might also not attend given the pandemic. But, they’ll surely return once the health crisis is resolved.
Tomorrow, Ol’ Ricky is enjoying the weekend. See ya Monday for the final week of Ol’ Ricky.
Rick Snider is an award-winning sports writer who has covered Washington sports since 1978. He first wrote about the Washington football team in 1983 before becoming a beat writer in 1993. Snider currently writes for several national and international publications and is a Washington tour guide. Follow Rick on Twitter at @Snide_Remarks.
