Talk:George Preston Marshall

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[edit] WikiProject class rating

This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as start, and the rating on other projects was brought up to start class. BetacommandBot 15:33, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Laundries

I don't have any authorities to cite, but Marshall's daughter told me that his father, a newspaper owner, received a laundry (or two) in payment for a bad debt. Marshall wanted to be an actor, but was blacklisted, so his father put him in charge of the laundry. Unfree (talk) 05:16, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Basketball

Before getting into football, Marshall (with several friends) owned a basketball team. If I recall correctly, it wasn't successful, despite a name change. Marshall bought out his partners either before or after trading the basketball team for a football team -- also according to my conversations with his daughter, Catherine. Unfree (talk) 05:24, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Funeral

Marshall's funeral at the National Cathedral drew immense crowds and was covered by all the networks. It deserves a paragraph or two. Unfree (talk) 06:04, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Controversy

The controversy over Marshall's long-maintained claim that his team's fans would never tolerate racial integration deserves much more discussion, as do other controversies involving him. He loved any kind of publicity, and wasn't beyond stirring up plenty of controversy to get it. His frequent criticism of his coaches' decisions was calculated more to get people excited about football than to blow off steam or win support for himself. Also, Charlie Taylor deserves a mention, since Bobby Mitchell wasn't the only early African-American to win over the fans. His catches of Sonny Jurgenson's passes, especially long ones, were thrilling, and well worth the price of admission. Marshall also had immense respect for his older veterans, especially linemen. Many of them had long careers and made the team famous not only for protecting their own quarterback, but for taking down their opponent's. They managed to get away with a lot of holding, too. Unfree (talk) 06:04, 6 April 2008 (UTC)