Prelude to greatness: Ray Flaherty, the coach with the highest winning percentage in Redskins history, on his first team outing in 1937.

In the meantime, Flaherty took most of his players on a bus to Frederick, Maryland, to play an exhibition game against the American Legion All-Stars. But just before Rockville, the bus driver was pulled over by a policeman and charged with reckless driving for crossing a solid line while passing a car. At length, the team made it to Frederick and dressed. Then a downpour hit, and the game was postponed. The next day, the Redskins went back and won, 50-0. Marshall, selling tickets in the flush of the victory (such as it was, given the opponent), debunked baseball. "That's a commonplace game," he said. "You have one every day." He declared pro football "the national pastime."

On Wednesday, September 8, 1937, Baugh finally stepped off an Eastern Air Lines plane in Washington, and there to shake his golden passing hand were Marshall and Flaherty. A sculpted version of Baugh's hand would come to occupy a place on Marshall's desk. But for now the loquacious promoter signed the taciturn Texan for a single season. Eight days later, on a Thursday night, the Redskins were to begin their long-playing run in Washington with a game against the Giants at Griffith Stadium.

On the Anacostia practice field, Battles, 255-pound all-league tackle Turk Edwards, big back Erny Pinckert and other veterans warmly welcomed the rookie Baugh. No surprise: They would need him against the Giants. On Thursday afternoon, the Senators drew a

Other Pages in Chapter 1: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42

Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 Names, Numbers Trivia Quiz Index

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