The Commanders, or “Redskins” as many fans still call them, are heading to the NFC Championship game of the 2024-25 NFL season. It is an extremely surreal time to be a Skins fan, with Rookie QB Jayden Daniels leading the team its first NFC championship game since the 1991 season.

As a kid in the early nineties, I barely recall any form of greatness from the Redskins. I enjoyed the time with my dad, watching football and when they were good, in the 80s and early 90s, I didn’t have the attachment. We moved around alot growing up, from being born myself in Baltimore, I was raised in Atlanta, GA suburbs and rural/suburban Pittsburgh, PA. It wasn’t until 7th grade or 1997, that we made our return to family in Maryland. Why is this important? Because as I continued to watch football with my dad growing up, all I ever remembered was watching my dad’s devotion and expectations of the then Redskins fall from greatness to what I recall as painful sunday afternoons of loss after loss. Quarterback and coaches rotated like the seasons, having 26 different starting QBs over the course of 33 years.

As I grew into my teenage angst, we lived in Pittsburgh. I still loved the sport, watched with my dad regiously. In 1996, in 6th grade, hating everything in city of Pittsburgh from the team and fans, to the cold weather…I did the unthinkable as a Redskins fan. I jumped ship that year to root for the Cowboys. They were an amazing team to watch, and went to the Superbowl with the Steelers that year in 1996. I watched in awe to see what football could look like. This hatred of the Steelers and cheering on America’s team was short lived. Maybe till we moved back to Maryland and my dad and uncle bob would take me to Redskins games, so two year or so. I honestly think the sheer ability of teasing my dad during Cowboys/Redskins games was more gratifying than the enjoyment as an actual fan in my teens.

When I came to my senses in High school, I started to understand the game and appreciate my dad’s tolerance of the Redskins and jumped back on board. I would wake up early most school mornings just to watch highlight reels on ESPN with my dad. My younger brother and youger sister and I would crowd around the tv and watch, with my dad, mom and grandma ellen in the sunroom overlooking the potomac river view. We shook our heads at the team, at the coaches, the terrrible ownership under Dan Snyder. But we stuck by them.

In 2009 I met my now husband, Jason. When he heard this story of my shortlived treachery he says it was almost a deal-breaker. I scoffed at him, as I still do sometimes…but one thing is for sure. He is one of the five biggest Redskins fans I have ever met. My dad, my Aunt Dee, Grandma Ellen and Nani (jason’s great grandmother). He doesn’t miss a game. He wears the same stained Riggo jersey that he has had for 15/20 years. He is incredibly superstitious. And he has always stuck by them.

If you’re still with me. The Redskins under Dan Snyder’s ownership was run into the ground over 20 years. They changed the name, rebranded through three name changes, now known as the Commanders, price gouged, and committed some terrible things.

The Commanders team last season won a total of 4 games in the 2023 season. In that year they have changed ownership to Josh Harris and Magic Johnson amongst other partners. They gained a new coach in “DQ” or Dan Quinn. They drafted Jayden Daniels in the offseason, the 2nd round pick from LSU. They completely rebuilt the organization from the disastrous dumpster fire it once was.

This season, we have one 8 straight games. Something I haven’t ever seen happen, even in 2012 when we had a slight glimmer of a good team. Watching the skins this year has been incredibly exciting. Every game was still a near heart attack at times, but something was different. It was literally magical. From the hail-mary catch early in the season, to winning the first and second round games of the playoffs despite facing adversity and teams with better records. No one was betting on this team. Jason, me and the girls have been all in. Hazel gets marginally excited, usually falling asleep during the games. Ella and I yell and scream in excitement. Jason with his walking boot gets up in prances around in pure exctasy.

Watching them beat the Lions this past Saturday was surreal. I felt detached from reality at times, not illness induced symptoms of my mental health condition. An out of body experience that I have never felt before with any other sports team. I didn’t get this way even over the Capitals in 2018 when they won the Stanley Cup. It is something unexplainable and I just watched in awe of our team and what they did and are capable of still doing. I can tell you one thing, I believe in this team. They have a team chemistry right now that is unstoppable and could take them all the way to the Superbowl. And I am right there enjoying every freaking minute of it. Now our girls are little Commanders fans, and I couldn’t be more proud to crowd around the tv as a family and cheer on this unstopppable team.

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