John Riggins, Sammy Baugh are part of Joe Posnanski’s ‘Why We Love Football’

Posnanski’s latest book features tales from all levels and various leagues of America’s most-watched sport.

One of sports journalist and author Joe Posnanski’s favorite chapters to research and write in his new book, “ Why We Love Football ,” is titled simply “The Diesel.” It’s an account of former Washington running back John Riggins’s record-setting four-game stretch during the 1982 NFL playoffs, which began with Riggins telling Coach Joe Gibbs he wanted the ball before a first-round win over the Detroit Lions and culminated with him rushing for 166 yards in a 27-17 triumph over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII.

Riggins, who rushed for 610 yards on 136 carries during Washington’s postseason run, remains the only player in NFL history to have at least 35 rushing attempts in three consecutive games.

“Three straight games of 35 carries after demanding the ball,” Posnanski said in a recent phone interview. “That’s legendary stuff.”

Riggins’s 43-yard touchdown run on a fourth-down play called 70-Chip to give Washington the lead for good in its first Super Bowl win could be among the topics of conversation when Posnanski joins former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Hall of Famer Darrell Green and former Washington Post sports reporter and editor Len Shapiro for a discussion about football at the S. Dillon Ripley Center in D.C. on Wednesday. The event, which is being put on by the Smithsonian Associates, begins at 6:45 p.m. and will be moderated by longtime RFK Stadium public address announcer Phil Hochberg. Tickets will be available online until 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Follow Sports

There’s no mention of Green in “Why We Love Football,” though Posnanski admits the speedy 5-foot-9 cornerback, who arrived in D.C. as a first-round draft pick three months after Riggins’s postseason heroics and spent all 20 years of his Hall of Fame career with Washington, was worthy.

“I’m not just saying that because we’re doing the event together,” Posnanski said. “He was just this little guy who could fly and played forever in the NFL. He’s exactly why we love football. What I remember about him is just the speed. He was one of those guys that, even in my very, very young days of covering the NFL and writing about the NFL, everyone had such admiration for him.”

“Why We Love Football,” an entertaining and informative follow-up to Posnanski’s “ Why We Love Baseball ” book published last year, features a countdown of 100 moments from all levels and various leagues of America’s most-watched sport. There are memorable plays that virtually every college and pro football fan knows, including the “Kick Six” and the “Immaculate Reception,” as well as stories of obscure moments and less-heralded players, such as Canadian Football League wide receiver Milt Stegall’s game-winning 100-yard touchdown catch in 2006 and trailblazing UCLA superstar Kenny Washington.

Posnanski, 57, grew up in Cleveland and had just turned 20 when Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway led the game-winning drive against his beloved Browns in the AFC championship game in January 1987. Posnanski’s personal experience with the sport is a small part of the book, so while there’s plenty of ecstasy in “Why We Love Football,” there’s also a good dose of pain, including a (very) short chapter on “The Drive.”

“I kind of feel like every team has at least a little bit of that,” Posnanski said. “Every team has had that heartbreak. I figured that no matter who you were — even if you were a Patriots fan or a Steelers fan or whatever — you can read that chapter and go, ‘Oh, yeah, I’ve felt that.’”

Washington’s NFL history is well accounted for. There’s a chapter on legendary quarterback Sammy Baugh, the franchise’s first draft pick after relocating from Boston before the 1937 season, and Chicago’s 73-0 rout of Washington in the 1940 NFL championship game. Bears Coach George Halas motivated his team before the historic blowout by posting quotes from Washington’s owner, George Preston Marshall, in the locker room. Marshall had referred to the Bears as “crybabies” and a “first-half team” after Washington defeated Chicago during the regular season.

There’s a chapter on Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian’s gaffe on a blocked field goal in Super Bowl VII, which resulted in safety Mike Bass scoring Washington’s only touchdown in a 14-7 Miami win that capped a perfect season, and an account of Los Angeles Raiders running back Marcus Allen making Washington’s defense look silly in a 38-9 rout in Super Bowl XVIII.

Daniel Snyder, the team’s previous owner, is not mentioned in the book.

“I think as soon as Dan Snyder stopped being the owner of Washington, immediately the Cleveland owner [Jimmy Haslam] became the worst in the NFL ,” said Posnanski, who paused to consider the question of whether Washington or Cleveland football fans have endured more misery over the past 30 years. “I wouldn’t want to be a fan of either of them if I had a choice of all the teams, but I think you can make a pretty good argument that if you’re 30 and under, being a Washington fan has been even worse than being a Browns fan.”

• The Commanders aren’t yet chasing glory. They’re selling hope.

  Earlier today
  The Commanders aren’t yet chasing glory. They’re selling hope.
  Earlier today
• Jayden Daniels stumbled, survived and thrived. It’s still just Week 2.

  September 15, 2024
  Jayden Daniels stumbled, survived and thrived. It’s still just Week 2.
  September 15, 2024
• Jayden Daniels tracker: Still no touchdown passes or picks, but a win

  2 hours ago
  Jayden Daniels tracker: Still no touchdown passes or picks, but a win
  2 hours ago

Subscribe to comment and get the full experience. Choose your plan →

• washingtonpost.com
• © 1996-2024 The Washington Post
• About The Post
• Contact the Newsroom
• Contact Customer Care
• Request a Correction
• Send a News Tip
• Report a Vulnerability
• Download the Washington Post App
• Policies & Standards
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Settings
• Print Products Terms of Sale
• Digital Products Terms of Sale
• Submissions & Discussion Policy
• Sitemap
• RSS Terms of Service
• Ad Choices
• CA Notice of Collection
• Your Privacy Choices