The “Washington Football Team New Name” is, the Washington Commanders.
On Wednesday, February 2, 2022, the Washington Football Team officially revealed its new name as Washington Commanders, ending a search that took more than one year according to cnbc.com.
After 18 months of speculation, the Washington Football Team officially revealed its new name as “The Washington Commanders.” in a nod to the region’s links to the armed forces.
Washington Football Team new name Selection Process
The new name, which was announced on NBC’s “Today” show on Wednesday February 2, 2022, was chosen after the team received more than 40,000 submissions from fans online and through the mail. The team then boiled a list of 1,200 unique names down to 50, and those were tested in market research groups filled with fans, season ticket holders, former season ticket holders, politicians, current and former players and other groups.
The Team’s President Speech About Washington Football Team New Name
This is what Jason Wright, the Washington Commanders Team president said as he announced the new name of the Washington football team on the 2nd of February 2022:
“It’s a name that has the weight and meaning befitting a 90-year-old franchise,”
“Our task was less of a marketing endeavor and more about finding a cross section of unity,”
“It’s something that broadly resonated with our fans,” he added, “and it’s something that we believe embodies the values of service and leadership that really define the DMV (the District, Maryland and Virginia) in this community.”
The team’s colors will remain burgundy and gold. Its logo centers on a capital “W,” and the new uniforms also incorporate elements of the D.C. flag, with three stars and two bars. As for a new mascot and fight song, Wright said the team wants its fans to help work on those ideas.
Mr. Wright announced the name at FedEx Field alongside former Washington quarterback Doug Williams. Asked about his initial reaction upon hearing the new name, Williams said, “I’m going to hug Commanders, because that’s what we are, and we’ve got to go forward with it.”
“I do like the name,” he added. “It’s got a good sound to it.”
After a two-year search, the Washington Football Team announced a new name and mascot to replace the generic moniker it adopted to replace the longtime name, which was considered a racial slur of Native Americans (nytimes.com).
Wednesday’s big announcement ends months of research, focus groups and fan submissions for team’s new names.
Twitter Fan’s Reactions on the Washington Football Team New Name
On Twitter, reactions were mixed, with some fans complaining that the name wasn’t as exciting as the “Red Wolves”
Other comments noted that this is the second Commanders pro football team, after the San Antonio franchise of the short-lived Alliance of American Football league.
Washington Redskins Before Washington Commanders
The team scrapped its previous name, the “Washington Redskins” in July 2020 after years of pressure to do away with it because of its racist connotations against Native Americans, a name it had for 87 years.
Last August, the team banned fans from wearing “Native American-inspired” dresses inside its home stadium, such as headdresses and face paint. The new guideline was announced in a stadium policy and protocol update ahead of the 2021 NFL season.
Did the Washington Football Team New Name Leak?
Before the Washington football team new name was officially announced, some internet sleuths discovered it a bit earlier than planned.
According to Sporting News, a Twitter user by the name of LarryLegendBTW noticed that the Commanders.com domain had been transferred to California-based MarkMonitor which is the company the National Football League (NFL) uses to control most of the domain names for its teams and brands, according to .
Names that were Off-the-Table for the Washington Football Team
Jason Wright said in a statement in January 2022 that one option was off the table when it came to the team’s new name: anything to do with “Wolves” or “Red Wolves.”
While the “Red Wolves” was a fan favorite, Mr. Wright said “trademarks held by other teams would limit our ability to make the name our own. And without Wolves, variations like RedWolves wouldn’t have been viable either for these and other reasons.”
In July 2021, Wright canceled out another possible choice of the team’s name “the Warriors,” “with the clear acknowledgment that it too closely aligns with Native American themes.”
For the longest time, the team’s owner, Dan Snyder had brushed off lobbying efforts by activists and Native American groups to change the franchise’s name.
“We’ll never change the name,” he told USA Today in 2013. “It’s that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.”
But seven years later, the push for the team’s name change resurfaced after the murder of George Floyd and the nationwide outcry regarding racial and social injustices of people of color.
The House Oversight Committee will hold a roundtable on Thursday with several former team employees to discuss “issues of workplace misconduct and the National Football League’s (NFL) failure to take steps to prevent sexual harassment and verbal abuse within the WFT under the leadership of owner Dan Snyder.”
According to the committee, the roundtable is intended to inform “potential legislative solutions” to protect workers from harassment and discrimination.
A timeline of the Washington Football Team’s Name Change saga
nssports.com recorded the following:
In July 3, 2020
After team owner Dan Snyder and Washington faced pressure from the public and major team sponsors such as FedEx and Nike to change the nickname, the organization announces that it will launch a “thorough review” into the team’s name and logo, which was considered to be a racial slur by many.
In July 13, 2020
Ten days later, Snyder and Washington announce that the former name of the team will be retired. “Dan Snyder and Coach (Ron) Rivera are working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years,” the team said in a statement. In the coming weeks — and still to this day — numerous suggestions for new nicknames and designs flooded in. From RedWolves to RedTails and everything in between, internet campaigns became huge.
In July 23, 2020
Despite all the name suggestions, Washington goes a separate route. The team announces that it will enter a new era as The Washington Football Team. It is a stop-gap and viewed as a temporary name as the organization wants to take more time into making sure the next brand of the franchise completely embodies everything they want.
In Aug 17, 2020
The Washington Football Team hires Jason Wright, a former NFL player and management consultant, to be the new team president. Wright is given plenty of tasks, but none bigger than implementing a new culture from top to bottom and helping the team find its next name.
In August 28, 2020
The Washington Football Team unveiled its uniforms for the 2020 season. Jerseys and pants are rather similar to the old look with the slight difference of “Washington” being written near the chest. The biggest change is that the helmets featured just the numbers of the players in place of the old logo that had been retired.
In January 12, 2021
Even with the season now over, there isn’t much of an update on if a new name will join the team in 2021. Head coach Ron Rivera notes that until he hears something new from Wright and Snyder, the team will remain the Washington Football Team.
In April 16, 2021
The internet explodes when Wright and the Washington Football Team send out a survey asking ticketholders to share what names they like from a broad list. In two survey documents obtained by NBC Sports Washington, names such as the Aviators, Wild Hogs, Presidents, Capital City Football Club, Ambassadors, Monarchs, Riders, Redwolves, Wayfares, Griffins, Warriors, Armada, Rising, Swifts, Commanders, Pilots, Rubies, Renegades and DC Football Club were all listed as potential options.
With plenty with strong opinions over the names listed, Wright explains that those names are not a final grouping but rather just a point in the process to see where fans are at. A decision on the name is still not imminent.
In February 2, 2022
After 18 months of speculation, the Washington Football Team officially revealed its new name as “The Washington Commanders.” in a nod to the region’s links to the armed forces.
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