September 21, 2010

The Five O'Clock Club


There are any number of ways to contrast the NFL of a generation ago from today’s game—the size of the players, the money they make and the media’s breathless year-round saturation coverage...

But there may be no more revealing a data point, particularly to those who follow the Washington Redskins, than the legendary 5 O’Clock Club.

During the early 1980’s, members of the Redskins’ famous “hogs” offensive line and select others, including Hall of Fame members Russ Grimm and John Riggins, would gather after practice in an old equipment shed at Redskins Park to unwind, share camaraderie and throw back a few cold beers.

Thirty years later there is a certain warm innocence that resonates around that story, an endearing (if somewhat naïve) swashbuckling quality and “we’re good enough to get away with it” roguishness.

That is largely because they were good enough. The strong foundation provided by the hogs played a central role in helping head coach Joe Gibbs lead the Redskins on a magical 12-year run, winning three Super Bowls, losing another and laying claim to be mentioned among the NFL’s Mt. Rushmore of dynastic teams.

But there had to be more…didn’t there? Even on a winning team, could having a handful of key players hanging out in a shed after practice drinking beer be considered a good thing..?

CLICK HERE  for your Free Subscription to read the rest. You won't be sorry.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mark, I have to say your writing is always spectacular. Reading your blog is one of those pleasures I always look forward to. But this magazine bs is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. The website is poorly run, the other articles are mediocre at best, and the signup experience is extremely poor. I have yet to even find your articles on the site. Overall I see no advantage to you as a writer being involved in this thing. All it does tarnish the entire OM experience imo. Please consider dropping the idea altogether or at least holding off until these jokers get their shit together.

Mark "Om" Steven said...

Thanks for the kind words my friend...I apprectiate your taking the time to read my stuff.

I'm also surprised and disappointed in your first impressions of Hail! Truth is I've been flattered to be asked to be part of this adventure given the quality of the people involved.

As to any issues/problems you have had with the main site or the signup process, I know Murf and his partners take feedback seriously, so please pass them on directly. I can almost guarantee you'll get a positive response.

As to the quality of the content itself, all I will say is that I respectfully disagree. Hope you'll hang with us as we look to hit our stride. I think this project is firmly headed in the same direction as the team...

Onward and upward.

Anonymous said...

I might have been a bit harsh, but reading your stuff is at times like watching the end of rudy, or the music video for kenny chesney's new song "The Boys of Fall"(if you haven't seen it, do. Don't be surprised if you find yourself with you arms around a tackling dummey by the end.) the stuff I read there was good, but its just more football articles like I can get at any other site. Now, maybe the cool stuff is behind the curtain, but since the site doesn't seem to remember I signed up despite sending me an email 2 days afterward, I haven't seen what's behind the curtain. I'll send them an e-mail, but I still stand by what I said. There is nothing more aggravating than having an article chopped in half by a link you can't follow for whatever reason.

Mark "Om" Steven said...

Shoot me an email brother ... I'll get you hooked up.

Hail.

om.steven@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

annoyed at the needed clickthrough also. And signup. I blew it off. Consider, at least linking and having the whole article.

Mark "Om" Steven said...

Anon,

It's an online magazine my friend. It's free. The signup takes about 15 seconds. Consider at least taking a look at what it is you're blowing off?

Just sayin' man.