After 87 years because the Redskins and 18 months because the Washington Soccer Group, the franchise is now formally the Commanders.
The choice has been a year-and-a-half within the making after a lot built-up rigidity and public outcry towards the racist connotations related to the crew’s earlier identify.
“Commander, mainly, is Washington D.C.,” retired NFL quarterback Joe Theismann, who led Washington to the Tremendous Bowl in 1983, mentioned in a Monday interview with CBS Sports activities Radio. ”A variety of commanders in Washington D.C., within the Pentagon and a number of completely different branches of the service.”
The identify was leaked final night time when a NBC’s native affiliate chopper cam caught website of it. It was confirmed this morning, nonetheless, on NBC’s As we speak Present.
“This new id embodies probably the most highly effective features of Washington’s story by paying tribute to the crew’s wealthy historical past and championship tradition, personified by mission-driven gamers who take command, forge success and break obstacles on and off the sphere,” the crew instructed As we speak in a press release.
Different identify contenders within the combine included Armada, Presidents, Brigade, RedHogs, Commanders, RedWolves, Defenders, and Washington Soccer Group.
“The crew employed Code and Idea, a digital artistic company, to information it by the rebranding course of, which has included 40,000 submissions from followers, a number of focus teams, surveys and a digital rollout to provide followers perception into the method,” in line with The Washington Submit. “The brand new identify and brand can be revealed in early 2022, Wright mentioned, and can retain the standard burgundy and gold colours which can be entrenched within the crew’s historical past.”
And whereas this closes out a controversial chapter in Washington soccer historical past, this system itself nonetheless faces myriad points.
Off the sphere, this system has been known as dysfunctional and mismanaged by an proprietor who has been embroiled in scandal.
“Daniel Snyder is the worst proprietor the NFL has had for the previous 20 years,” wrote longtime sports activities journalist Vinnie Iyer. “In his 21 years proudly owning the Washington crew, stamped by his long-time adamance to maintain the ‘Redskins’ identify till being compelled to alter in 2020, he’s mismanaged the group to the purpose of constant failure.”
Iyer mentioned that though Washington retains recognition and stays a worthwhile soccer group, its revevance as a successful crew has waned since Snyder took the helm.
The Washington Soccer Group underwent a year-long investigation based mostly on quite a lot of sexual assault allegations raised towards former workers, in line with the Washington Submit. NFL officers concluded in July 2021 that Snyder “presided over a tradition of worry, bullying, intimidation and sexual harassment.”
The league finally fined the crew $10 million.
Professional Soccer Discuss sports activities writers Mike Florio and Charean Williams not too long ago famous that Snyder, who bought the crew in 1999, has flubbed the naming course of — notably in his adamance in retaining the Redskins identify, and once more with the choice course of for the crew’s rebrand.
“A majority of the individuals are going to be upset with the ultimate identify, no matter it’s,” Florio mentioned earlier than the official launch. “Once more, dysfunction. Dysfunctional groups do dysfunctional issues.”
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Sarah Sicard is a Senior Editor with Navy Occasions. She beforehand served because the Digital Editor of Navy Occasions and the Army Occasions Editor. Different work could be discovered at Nationwide Protection Journal, Process & Function, and Protection News.
