The New Name of the Washington Football Team

It’s a new day for the Washington Football Team as they take a new name into the 2022 NFL season after searching for the right one.

After 18 months of searching for the right name the Washington, D.C. area football team will be called the Commanders. That’s right, this team finally has a name, but is it the right one? It’s hard to tell for sure, but we better get used to the Washington Commanders as the new name.

Why Choose Commanders as the New Name?

Since the early days of the United States, the nation’s capital has been home to a strong military presence. Washington, D. C. is home to the Pentagon and the area has military bases for all branches of the armed forces. The President of the United States is the Commander in Chief of the military.  Also, the top brass from every branch is stationed in the area to be available on an as-needed basis. The name fits the area but seems a bit generic considering the time it took to produce it.

Wait a Minute; Daniel Snyder Said He Wasn’t Going to Change the Name

It’s true, since buying the franchise in 1999, Daniel Snyder was adamant that a name change would never take place. Unfortunately for him, the team’s original name, the Redskins, is a name that doesn’t fit in modern society. This name met protests against it dating back to the 1970s. Finally, after the turmoil in the summer of 2020the old name is gone from our vernacular. The brutal murder of George Floyd marked that summer as a time of change and for the Redskins name to go away.

Money is Certainly an Underlying Factor

Even after the racial turmoil of 2020, more was needed to convince Snyder to change the name. The new name wasn’t simply a move toward racial equality.  Instead, it ensured continued sponsorship by some of the biggest names in the world. The top sponsors of the Washington Football Team include FedEx, Pepsi Co., and Nike.  All of whom vowed to end their sponsorships if Snyder didn’t change the name. Add to this, elected officials in D.C. informed the team they could never return to the District unless the name was changed.

A Temporary Name was Found

The brutal killing of George Floyd occurred on May 25, 2020, and the NFL team in the Washington, D.C. area changed its name in July. It happened that quickly, with a name that was simple and temporary. Most NFL fans quickly got used to the Washington Football Team.  Some of the talking heads on ESPN and other sports networks bashed the name as unimaginative and lacking creativity. Now that the name is Commanders, those same pundits are also giving this new moniker a complete thrashing.

A Hopeful New Era Begins

It’s been a rough few years for the soon-to-be Commanders. Futility on the field, controversy in the offices, and Daniel Snyder relinquishing control to his wife, Tanya, isn’t what you would call a thriving franchise. Through all of the turmoil, Ron Rivera, head coach of the team, has battled his own fight with cancer, which he thankfully beat. Rivera remains the pillar of consistency for this franchise. He gives fans hope that he can captain this ship in the right direction and put all of the challenges behind the team. It sure would be nice for this franchise to simply focus on playing winning football and not all the other stuff that gets in the way.

How Do Fans Feel About the New Name?

A poll conducted by SportsbookNation shows fans don’t like the name Commanders. Many feel the name and the logo lack imagination and creativity. The logo is a large block capital “W” with angled cuts and serifs. The size of the letter is to emphasize the team’s roots in the Washington area, and the angled cuts depict progress and forward movement.

When graded out, the poll revealed only two percent of the fans polled approve of the new name with an A grade. The largest grade was an F, which earned 37 percent of the vote. There’s something familiar about this; fans weren’t pleased with the change to the Washington Football Team either, but soon got past that and got used to the new title.

As a secondary part of this poll asked fans which name they like better, Commanders or Football Team. More than 78 percent stated they prefer Football Team over Commanders, which is a little insight into how much we hate it when things change.

Unveiling the Name on National Television

The new name announcement was made live on NBC’s “Today” show with a social media announcement following this event. A media event took place at FedEx field with owners, the team president, and several high-profile former players in attendance. Members of the organization donned varsity athlete jackets colored in scarlet and gold with large W’s on the front. These jackets appear to belong more to a high school team than an NFL franchise but gave off a youthful vibe that goes along with the idea of moving forward in a new direction.

The Colors Remain the Same

The Washington Commanders will continue to wear scarlet and gold uniforms, also displayed on the Today show. The mascot is currently under construction, but the helmets will lose the Alabama-like numbers on the side in favor of a block W, the team’s symbol. We will certainly get used to the new name of this NFL team as the era of understanding unfolds for a team that took a long time to realize how wrong its former name was. Love it or hate it, the Commanders are the team in Washington, D.C.; the only question is whether or not they will command anything on the field or will futility remain.