Tag: Sonny Jurgensen jersey retired

What is Daniel Snyder up to recently as Commanders owner?

What is Dan Snyder really up to?

Is Daniel Snyder really backing out of selling, or might he be attempting to raise the price?

Snyder not appearing for the season finale against Dallas when the greatest ambassador in the history of the Washington Redskins was being honored certainly seized the attention of many. Was it the conclusive sign that Snyder has checked out emotionally?

Sonny Jurgensen was perhaps the most popular player in franchise history, and all he did after playing was broadcast Redskins football for another 38 years. Yet, Snyder did not appear at Jurgensen’s jersey being retired? Nor was there any statement about Snyder being ill or why he was absent.

So if he indeed has checked out emotionally (which frankly he is free to do), what is Snyder up to now with revelations over the weekend that he prevented Jeff Bezos from the process of submitting bids to purchase the Commanders?

These are men with huge egos. Egos that know how to stonewall others, how to increase tension in the buyer’s mind etc. Might this not actually be a matter of Snyder being petty, as has been suggested over the weekend?

Snyder knows he insisted that the team should sell for $7 billion. He is 1.5 billion under that desired bid right now. Wouldn’t Snyder be embarrassed if the Commanders only sold for 5.5 billion?

The demand for this team is not what Snyder expected and desired. That has to be disappointing for Snyder. Secondly, there has not been the several bidders that were suggested, and there was no bid for $6.3 billion as earlier reported.

Perhaps Snyder is simply attempting to drive up the bids of the competitors? Perhaps Snyder is even attempting to drive up the desire of Bezos to purchase, and thus increase the odds that Bezos would increase his bid.

But Snyder does realize better than all of us that a new stadium is needed and that ticket receipts are way down. He, more than all of us, would know if his family is tired and willing to simply walk away from public scrutiny and public hatred of Daniel Snyder.

He might extend this a few more months than anticipated, but isn’t it probable that some fellow NFL owners have made it clear to Snyder that it would be best for Snyder if he were to make the sale?

Speaking of worth, how much would it be worth to Dan and Tanya to simply move out of the DMV, away from the fan base that dislikes him so?

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Frank Herzog happy Commanders reached out to him

Frank Herzog spoke to Commanders Wire about his weekend attending the Sonny Jurgensen jersey retirement and how he got his start.

Last weekend was one Frank Herzog will likely never forget.

Friday, January 6, he was talking with Kevin Sheehan on The Team 980’s “The Kevin Sheehan Show.”  When the topic became the Sonny Jurgensen jersey retirement, Sheehan inquired if Herzog was going to be in attendance at FedEx Field for the season finale against Dallas.

Herzog stated he was not and was going to watch it in the comfort of his home. Sheehan then asked if Herzog had been invited. Herzog calmly replied he had not and clearly did not push the issue any further.

Understandably, Sheehan was frustrated Herzog had not been invited, voiced it and the Commanders became the object of scorn and ridicule for the next couple of hours on social media.

Herzog departed for a short period of time and upon his return found a  message on his voicemail. It was Julie Donaldson of the Commanders. She was apologizing for the fact that Frank had not been officially invited. Herzog says she was clear she wanted him there to participate in the finale honoring Sonny Jurgensen. “I was caught completely by surprise,” expressed Herzog.

When they connected a few moments later, Donaldson explained to Herzog there had been earlier discussions of having Herzog come, but between the Jurgensen family requesting only family and a few close friends, the organization regrettably had not followed up on it to get him there.

The Commanders conveyed to Herzog they would fly him and get him to FedEx. They wanted him there. “Sure, I’d be happy to come, ” and they made the flight arrangements Friday for Frank.

It was great for Herzog to be wanted by the organization. He had certainly earned it, having been the play-by-play announcer for Redskins football games from the 1979-2004 seasons. He broadcast four Washington Super Bowls, and five NFC championship games and did all of them with a Redskins legend on both sides of him, linebacker Sam Huff and quarterback Sonny Jurgensen.

Sam Huff, Sonny Jurgensen and Frank Herzog
Photo courtesy of Julie Donaldson and the Washington Commanders.

But Herzog wasn’t always famous and in high demand in Washington, D.C. He had spent some time in the United States Air Force in the 1960s in tech school at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. He got his first experience working in radio, on the weekends at KGKL spinning records.

Frank came to Washington DC, would enroll at American University, majoring in Political Science, and wanted to continue working in radio. He nagged the boss for a job, and the boss finally relented and offered a position as a WTOP copyboy making $2 an hour.

Frank took the job and worked up next to the production assistant position which involved taking news feeds from the network and editing them to put on the WTOP station broadcast.

“When the boss asked me why I wanted the WTOP job I replied, ‘Because my foot is in the door.'” It would prove to be the first of several large doors Frank would get his foot into over the next decade.

On Monday (part two) Frank Herzog from news reporter to sports play-by-play announcer

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Chris Cooley amazed by Sonny Jurgensen

Chris Cooley offers the ultimate praise for Sonny Jurgensen, thankful to be a part of his life.

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Chris Cooley knows greatness when he sees it and he readily has praised Sonny Jurgensen over the years.

The two-time Pro Bowl tight end out of Utah State was a Redskin from 2004-2012 and then was employed as a member of the team’s radio game-day broadcasts from 2013-2019.

Jurgensen had begun working the broadcasts in the 1981 season with Frank Herzog and Sam Huff. When Huff needed to step aside due to health issues, Cooley was hired as his replacement. Cooley then had the opportunity to work with Larry Michael and Jurgensen during the 2013-2018 seasons. In Cooley’s final 2019 season, it was a two-man booth with Michael doing the play-by-play.

A guest on the “Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast Thursday, Cooley, with no preparation, spoke to Sheehan glowingly of Jurgensen, the man, and fellow broadcaster.  Cooley was happy for Jurgensen that his No. 9 is finally being retired Sunday at FedEx Field in the 2022 season finale against Dallas.

“It was amazing for me to get to know Sonny. As a player, he was always amazing, as he and Sam were always great to me. Many times on the bus on game days, I would sit with those two, have a chance to talk with those guys about their careers.”

“As I called the games, I was so appreciative to have had Sonny as part of my life. He was great with my children. He was great with my wife.”

“He was unbelievable as a player, unbelievable as a broadcaster. And without saying anything else about who deserves jerseys retired, for everything that Sonny did as a part of Washington, he deserved his jersey retired a long time ago.”

“It is somewhat unfortunate, in my opinion, that it is game number 17 in a non-impactful game. Like you said earlier, there will be more Cowboy fans. But the fact of the matter is they are retiring his jersey, and it will be forever that his jersey is retired.”

“It is something that he gets to be a part of while he is still alive, his family gets to be a part of, and I am so proud of all that he did.”

“I have always been amazed by Sonny.”

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Sonny Jurgensen celebrated with family Saturday

Sunday is a big day for Washington legend Sonny Jurgensen. But Saturday was special for Jurgensen, too.

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Sunday is going to be a very public day for Christian Adolph (Sonny) Jurgensen.

However, Saturday he and his family traveling from near and far came together in McLean for family time before the more formal festivities which will take place Sunday in his honor.

Ole No. 9 is going to have his jersey officially retired Sunday at FedEx Field. As an NFL quarterback, he was good enough to be a Pro-Bowler five times, voted to the All-60s decade team, and voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

The Commanders will have a suite reserved for Sonny on Sunday with all sorts of memorabilia recalling his illustrious and productive seasons in Washington (1964-74). In addition, this year’s team will also wear a “9” decal on their helmets, honoring the franchise’s greatest quarterback.

Sunday will also feature “I Like Sonny” attire that can be purchased in the team store, a halftime celebration of his number being retired, a Sonny Jurgensen mural in Legends Plaza, and a large No. 9 erected outside section 131.

Thousands will observe these at FedEx Field, and hundreds of thousands will watch on TV and social media as they are presented. It is all quite fitting for the most popular player to ever wear the burgundy and gold uniform. It will all mean much to Sonny, but Saturday, he was with those he loves.

While his legacy is that he is in the Washington Ring of Fame and Football Hall of Fame, he is most at home these days at age 88 with his family, as was the case Saturday.

His sons were present, their children and there were great-grandchildren as well, all enjoying time together as family, being brought together to honor and love a man who, to them, is more than a Hall of Fame quarterback. To them, he is more than a celebrity radio announcer and Redskins ambassador of 37 years.  He is a great-grandpa, grandfather, dad, and husband.

“While this is WAY overdue for a man of Sonny’s caliber, the timing allows for such an incredible gathering of family for him. That’s a blessing that I think makes Sonny very happy,” said former broadcasting partner Larry Michael.

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