The Washington Football team is ready to leave the past behind and today announced its new name: the Commanders.
After 18 months of speculation, the team revealed the new name that will substitute the previous one (the Washington Redskins) due to the pressure it received after activists groups considered it racist with connotations against Native Americans. They have had that name for 87 years.
“It’s a name that has the weight and meaning befitting a 90-year-old franchise,” team president Jason Wright said when he announced the new name.
The Washington Commanders will keep their burgundy and gold colors and now, its logo has a capital “W”; the uniforms will incorporate the D.C flag, with three stars and two bars.
[Facebook: Washington Commanders]
However, for their mascot and a fight song, the team is still looking for ideas.
It was in July 2020 when concerns for its racist name began to surface and even though the team’s owner, Dan Snyder, claimed the name would never change and it was off the table. Finally, they did.
Last August the team banned fans from wearing “Native American-inspired” dresses inside its home stadium, such as headdresses and face paint, and was incorporated in the new stadium policy and protocol ahead of the 2021 NFL season.
Other names like Red Wolves and Warriors were considered but were dismissed because of the limitations and references to Native American themes.
