Joe Gibbs Is Back

January 30, 2004
By: Dave Zirin

Joe Gibbs is back. Let me write that again. Joe Gibbs is back. I feel like a kid at Christmas, Chanukah, or even Kwanzaa. So many reasons to be excited about Gibbs- the history, the tradition, the 140 career wins, the 16-5 record in the playoffs, and the 3-1 record in Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks. I also love the town-buzz after another dud of a season. Businesses are touting 'Welcome Back Joe Gibbs' in print ads. Dominos pizza even held a 'Joe Gibbs Tax 'day where if your name was Joe you got $3.00 off on pizza, but if your name happened to be Richie, Marty, Terry, Steve, or Norv - (the team's last five coaches) - then it was a dollar more. I have never actually met anyone named Norv but I'm sure it was a dark and cheeseless day for them. (I however, bought a fake I.D. calling myself Joe T. Josephson).
But I am the most excited because of the Gibbs press conference. The last two Washington coach media intros have been more macho than a Texas high school locker room. A Pentagon press briefing in the Playboy mansion would have had less machismo than Marty Schottenheimer's press conference two years back. That was where 'General Schottsie', his Jay Leno-esque jaw jutting forth, said 'I'm here to teach MEN how to play FOOTBALL!' Marty then proceeded to challenge members of the press to strip down for some light Greco-Roman wrestling.
That was low. But Steve "Superior" took the ego games to another level. He was like the kid at college who couldn't stop talking about how cool he was in high school. He pledged to give "Mr. Snyder" the game ball "when" they beat Dallas and talked about how he just wanted to see how his 'pitch 'n catch' offense could work in the NFL. He sounded like the love child of Martha Stewart and Forrest Gump.
Gibbs was different from these guys - as different as success and failure - as different as being beloved and being ignored. He was humble to the point of exhaustion. He kept giggling like a teenager on his first job interview. He tittered in a high voice, "This is going to be super hard." Despite all the hallelujah's and hosanna's about the return of the legend, he acted like the honor was his alone, when everyone in the packed pressroom would have said otherwise. After a decade of successful runs on the NASCAR circuit he said with a blushing laugh that he was coaching so people would 'listen to me again'. He spoke freely that he had a 'ton to learn' about 'the new NFL'. He spoke of the Dallas Cowboys but instead of guaranteeing victory, he said, "We will be lucky to gain a yard on that defense."
But I am also excited because Gibbs in his time away from football has developed a more public social conscious. He has in recent years spearheaded a campaign against the company Abercrombie and Fitch for marketing sexually aggressive ads to children. Here is an excerpt from a public call to boycott A & F authored by Gibbs:

Dear Abercrombie and Fitch:
The idea that each of you approved a campaign that distributes these sexually suggestive images to make a profit is, in my opinion, stooping as low as you can go. Do you allow your own children to view these images?
My goal is to become personally involved in a grass-roots campaign to end this sickening marketing strategy. I intend to work diligently to make as many Americans as possible aware of your sexually provocative advertising campaign and to encourage them to boycott A&F.
As a Nascar Winston Cup team owner, former coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the NFL Hall of Fame, I have the unique opportunity to speak to hundreds of thousands of race fans and football fans during the course of the year. I commit to you that each time I am speaking at an event associated with racing or football, I will mention you, your company and your repulsive marketing campaign that is aimed at exploiting our youth.
I can promise you-I will devote my full efforts to spread the word about this campaign. My hope is your business will indeed suffer as a result.
A lot of us out here are concerned about this country and we do stand up for moral rights. We care about the youth of America. I can only hope that you will see your profits decline as a result of this campaign.
Sincerely,
Joe Gibbs

Gibbs exudes a tremendous moral authority and conviction. That's why I think he is possibly the only person who, by taking a public stand, could change the name of the Washington Redskins to something that isn't an embarrassment. Think about it: no one knows better than Gibbs that the name is not what makes the team special. It's the connection with the fans and the hard work of his players. Gibbs also believes very clearly, as the letter states, in 'moral rights' and opposes 'repulsive marketing campaign[s]' and 'grass roots' actions that hit corporations right in the profits. Clearly Gibbs can see that Washington football's billion-dollar success is no excuse for a marketing campaign built on glorifying the defeat and mass slaughter of Native Americans. Clearly standing up for 'moral rights' means not branding this team which we hold so dear with a slur more at home in the 19th century than the 21st. Gibbs has the moral authority to make this a reality.
If he acts, his legacy will extend far beyond the number of Lombardi trophies on his office mantle.