Editing Washington Commanders (section)

==Rivalries==
===Divisional===
====Dallas Cowboys====
{{Main|Commanders–Cowboys rivalry}}
The Commanders' rivalry with the [[Dallas Cowboys]] features two teams that have won 31 combined division titles and 10 championships, including eight combined [[Super Bowl]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Cowboys-Redskins rivalry redefines the term 'fight song' |url=http://cadillacof.msn.com/foxsports/article.aspx?category=nfl&articleid=5962642 |access-date=April 7, 2008 |website=[[FOX Sports]]}}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The rivalry started in 1960 when the Cowboys joined the league as an [[expansion team]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFL History 1951–1960 |url=http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1951-1960#1960 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070209180120/http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1951-1960#1960 |archive-date=February 9, 2007 |access-date=April 7, 2008 |website=[[National Football League]]}}</ref> During that year they were in separate conferences, but played once during the season. In 1961, Dallas was placed in the same division as the Redskins, and from that point on, they have played each other twice during every [[Season (sports)|regular season]].

Texas oil tycoon [[Clint Murchison Jr.]] was having a difficult time bringing an NFL team to [[Dallas]]. In 1958, Murchison heard that [[George Preston Marshall]], owner of the Washington Redskins, was eager to sell the team. Just as the sale was about to be finalized, Marshall called for a change in terms. Murchison was outraged and canceled the whole deal.<ref name="beginning">{{Cite web |last=Toomay |first=Pat |title=A rivalry for a song ... and chicken feed |url=https://www.espn.com/page2/wash/s/toomay/020314.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409160431/http://espn.go.com/page2/wash/s/toomay/020314.html |archive-date=April 9, 2008 |access-date=February 1, 2022 |website=[[ESPN.com]]}}</ref> Around this time, Marshall had a falling out with the Redskin band director, Barnee Breeskin. Breeskin had written the music for the team's [[fight song]], now known as "[[Hail to the Commanders]]", which gets played by the [[Washington Commanders Marching Band]] after every touchdown at home games.<ref name="beginning" /> He wanted revenge after the failed negotiations with Marshall. He approached Tom Webb, Murchison's lawyer, and sold the rights for $2,500 ({{inflation|US|2500|1960|r=-2|fmt=eq}}).<ref name="beginning" /> Murchison then decided to create his own team, with the support of NFL expansion committee chairman, [[George Halas]]. Halas decided to put the proposition of a Dallas franchise before the NFL owners, which needed to have unanimous approval in order to pass. The only owner against the proposal was George Preston Marshall. However, Marshall found out that Murchison owned the rights to Washington's fight song, so a deal was finally struck. If Marshall showed his approval of the Dallas franchise, Murchison would return the song. The Cowboys were then founded and began playing in 1960.<ref name="beginning" /> At the time in 2016, a matchup between the teams on Thanksgiving was the most-watched regular-season game broadcast by the ''[[NFL on Fox]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coppinger |first=Mike |date=November 25, 2016 |title=Cowboys-Redskins was most-watched regular-season game in Fox history |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2016/11/25/ratings-cowboys-redskins-fox/94432960/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220062234/http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2016/11/25/ratings-cowboys-redskins-fox/94432960/ |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |access-date=February 3, 2017 |website=USA Today}}</ref> The Cowboys lead the series {{Win-loss record|w=78|l=48|t=2}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Matchups, Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=was&tm2=dal&yr=all |access-date=January 5, 2025 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

====Philadelphia Eagles====
{{Main|Commanders–Eagles rivalry}}
The Commanders' rivalry with the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] began in 1934. Washington leads the series {{Win-loss record|w=90|l=87|t=6}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Matchups, Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=was&tm2=phi&yr=all |access-date=January 5, 2025 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

====New York Giants====
{{Main|Commanders–Giants rivalry}}
The Commanders' rivalry with the [[New York Giants]] began in 1932. The Giants lead the all-time series {{Win-loss record|w=108|l=73|t=5}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Matchups, Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=was&tm2=nyg&yr=all |access-date=January 5, 2025 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

===Other===
==== Baltimore Ravens ====
Though the two teams play each other infrequently as they are in different conferences, the Commanders have taken part in a minor geographic rivalry with the [[Baltimore Ravens]] as both stadiums are approximately 40 miles apart.<ref name="f867">{{cite web | title=Are The Ravens and Redskins Really Rivals? | website=FOX Sports | date=June 30, 2017 | url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/are-the-ravens-and-redskins-really-rivals | access-date=August 10, 2024}}</ref><ref name="v213">{{cite magazine | last=Zimmerlee | first=Connor | title=Commanders' Sale Spawns Rivalry With Ravens? | magazine=Sports Illustrated | date=July 21, 2023 | url=https://www.si.com/nfl/ravens/news/baltimore-ravens-washington-commanders-sale-dan-snyder-training-camp | access-date=August 10, 2024}}</ref> The Commanders particularly had long blocked the return of an NFL team to Baltimore since the [[Baltimore Colts|Colts franchise]] relocated to Indianapolis in 1984. Former owner [[Jack Kent Cooke]] had been accused in multiple instances of orchestrating any means to prevent the city from receiving a new franchise until the Cleveland Browns relocated to Baltimore in 1996, prompting Cooke to put the Redskins' then-new stadium in Landover, Maryland.<ref name="o660">{{cite news | last1=Shapiro | first1=Leonard | last2=Maske | first2=Mark | title=BALTIMORE NFL BACKERS SAY COOKE UNDERCUT EFFORTS TO LAND TEAM | newspaper=Washington Post | date=December 8, 1993 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1993/12/08/baltimore-nfl-backers-say-cooke-undercut-efforts-to-land-team/bceec396-7548-446b-a32e-cd766f9ebec7/ | access-date=August 10, 2024}}</ref><ref name="e613">{{cite web | last=Howard | first=Johnette | title=Howard: Cleveland, Baltimore football history could have changed at meeting | website=ESPN.com | date=January 31, 2013 | url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8901484/cleveland-baltimore-football-history-changed-meeting | access-date=August 10, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://russellstreetreport.com/2015/07/31/flashbackfridays/tagliabue-couldnt-stop-baltimore/|title=Tagliabue Couldn't Stop Baltimore!|date=July 31, 2015 }}</ref> The two teams play each other annually during the preseason.<ref name="a809">{{cite web | last=Bumbaca | first=Chris | title=Baltimore Ravens' preseason win streak ends vs. Washington Commanders | website=USA TODAY | date=August 22, 2023 | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/08/21/baltimore-ravens-preseason-win-streak-ends-vs-washington-commanders/70647160007/ | access-date=August 10, 2024}}</ref> The Ravens lead the all-time series {{Win-loss record|w=5|l=3}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Matchups, Washington Commanders vs. Baltimore Ravens |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=was&tm2=rav&yr=all |access-date=October 14, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>