January 30, 1983: John Riggins and the Hogs

John Riggins

January 30, 1983: Super Bowl XVII is played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Washington Redskins come from behind to defeat the Miami Dolphins, 27-17. It is the team's 1st NFL Championship in 40 years, and the beginning of a decade of greatness for the franchise. Under coach Joe Gibbs, they would reach 4 Super Bowls, winning 3, in 10 seasons.

Running back John Riggins is named Most Valuable Player, running behind the offensive line known as the Hogs: Center Jeff Bostic, guards Russ Grimm and "Mean" Fred Dean, and tackles Joe Jacoby and George Starke. Tight end Don Warren was considered an "Honorary Hog." (Later Hogs would include guards Raleigh McKenzie and R.C. Thielemann, tackles Mark May and Jim Lachey, and tight end Clint Didier.)

Top row, left to right: Don Warren, Bruce Kimball, Roy Simmons,

assistant coach Joe Bugel, Bob Winckler and Ken Huff.

Bottom row, left to right: George Starke, Mark May,

Jeff Bostic, Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby and Rick Walker.

There are other heroes: South River, New Jersey native Joe Theismann, the Redskin quarterback, throws a pass that Dolphin linebacker Kim Bokamper -- one of the Miami defense's "Killer Bs" -- deflects, but is unable to intercept, as Theismann knocks it away and prevents a touchdown. The Redskins' receiving corps, led by Charlie Brown, was known as "The Fun Bunch." For the Dolphins, Fulton Walker returns a kickoff 98 yards, the 1st kickoff returned for a touchdown in the history of NFL championship games under any name.

I don't know if the 1982-92 Redskins were the best sports team in Washington-area history, but they were easily the most fun.

UPDATE: The Commanders have a Ring of Honor. From their Super Bowl XVII winners, they have elected quarterback Joe Theismann, running back John Riggins, receiver Art Monk; "Hogs" center Jeff Bostic, guard Russ Grimm and tackle Joe Jacoby; defensive tackle Dave Butz, defensive end Dexter Manley, linebacker Monte Colrman, kicker Mark Moseley; owner Jack Kent Cooke, head coach Joe Gibbs, assistant coaches Charley Taylor and Richie Petitbon, general manager Bobby Beathard, former star turned executive Bobby Mitchell, trainer Bubba Tyer, public address announcer Phil Hochberg, and former star turned broadcasters Sonny Jurgensen and Sam Huff.

Theismann, Riggins, Monk, Grimm, Jacoby, Butz, Manley, Moseley, Gibbs, Beathard, Taylor, Petitbon, Cooke, Huff and Jurgensen have also been elected to the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame. So have safety Mike Nelms, executive Charley Casserly, and broadcaster Frank Herzog. So has Johnny Holliday, a legendary radio personality in Cleveland, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Washington area, who has worked with the Bullets/Wizards, the Senators, the Nationals, the Redskins/Commanders and the Capitals.

Strangely, while assistant coach Petitbon has been inducted into both the Ring and the DC Sports Hall of Fame, without having truly been a star player like fellow assistant Charley Taylor, assistant coach Joe Bugel, who built the "Hogs," has not yet been inducted into either.

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January 30, 1983 was, like all Super Bowl days, a Sunday. Baseball was out of season. The NBA, accepting that TV ratings would probably be lousy, scheduled only 1 game, but it was the right game, with what were already the league's 2 most popular franchises: The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 110-95 at the Boston Garden.

And there were 2 games in the NHL. One turned out to be a preview of the Stanley Cup Finals, as the New York Islanders beat the Edmonton Oilers, 4-2 at the Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton. The other was an "Original Six" matchup: The Chicago Black Hawks beat the New York Rangers, 5-4 at Madison Square Garden.