Quotations from the book “America’s Rivalry: The 20 Greatest Redskins-Cowboys Games,” written by The Examiner’s John Keim and Rick Snider along with Micke Spagnola and Davis Elfin.
“Losing to Dallas was the worst feeling in the world. You’d rather have your arm cut off.”
— Diron Talbert (defensive tackle, Redskins: 1971-80)
“Joe Theismann is a garbage-mouthed little SOB. He’s such a hot dog that all he needs is a bun.”
— John Dutton (defensive lineman, Cowboys: 1979-87)
“If you grew up in metro Washington, you grew up a diehard Redskins fan. But if you hate your parents, you grow up a Cowboys fan.”
— Jim Lachey (offensive lineman, Redskins: 1988-95)
“When you sign with Washington, you sign a contract to hate the Cowboys.”
— Charles Mann (defensive end, Redskins: 1983-93)
“In the back of my mind and in my heart, I never like to see [Dallas] win. It’s just inbred in my blood since I was a Redskin. I bleed burgundy and gold. I will always have that in my soul to hate the silver and blue.”
— Mark May (offensive lineman, Redskins: 1981-90)
“[Tom] Landry had people walking behind the fence at the hotel checking things out. When I first got here and saw that I asked [teammate] Blaine Nye, ‘What are they doing over there? What are guys doing at the hotel over there looking in the windows?’ And guys explained to me, ‘Hey, this is Redskins Week. Things get tight around here. They don’t allow certain things to happen. They don’t allow people in the locker room.’ It was like, ‘wow, what the hell is going on around here? But once you’re in it, you’re in it. You become part of it.”
— Preston Pearson (running back, Cowboys: 1975-80)
“We got on the sidelines and everyone is jacked up [before a Sept. 5, 1983 game]. I’m standing next to [Redskins offensive line coach] Joe Bugel. Joe was all worked up, acting as if he was getting ready to play himself. Then he looks across the field [at Dallas defensive line coach Ernie Stautner] and he just starts screaming, ‘Stautner! Stautner! I’m going to kick your [butt]!”
— Babe Laufenberg (quarterback, Redskins: 1983, 85, 87; Cowboys: 89-90)
