Say goodbye to the Washington Football Team and hello to the Washington Commanders.
The Washington Football Team on Wednesday officially revealed its team name has been changed to the Washington Commanders. The team's new name and logo were unveiled on the Today show and in an announcement video shared via social media.
Team president Jason Wright told Today the new name has "the weight and meaning befitting a 90-year-old franchise" and is "something that broadly resonated with our fans." Plus, Wright added, it's "something that, importantly, we can own and grow for the next 90 years." Co-CEO Dan Snyder said the new name pays "homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation's capital."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Washington Commanders were formerly known as the Redskins, but the team announced in 2020 it would rebrand due to criticism that the name was a slur against Native Americans. Since then, the team was simply known as the Washington Football Team, and it said Wednesday the new name was picked after an 18-month "collaborative effort with our fans, alumni, players and local DMV community." Among the names in consideration included the Red Wolves, but Wright previously said that "trademarks held by other teams would limit our ability to make the name our own."
A new logo was also unveiled Wednesday, and the team said the "symbol carries forward an element of the Washington Football Team chapter in the franchise's history and acknowledges the team's deep Washington roots."
On the Today show, Craig Melvin, noting that the team's previous name was "widely viewed as racist," asked Wright whether the NFL has a race problem, especially in light of former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores' bombshell lawsuit against the NFL over alleged discriminatory hiring practices. "When ownership is fully committed to diversity," Wright said, "when they're really all in, change can happen very rapidly."
-
Quiz of The Week: 16 – 22 AugustQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Can Soho House get its edge back?Talking Point The private members' club has lost its exclusive appeal – but a £2 billion buy-out could offer a fresh start
-
The week's best photosIn Pictures A human pyramid, a church on wheels, and more
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster showSpeed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
