ASHBURN, Va. — Washington team president Jason Wright sat at his desk last summer, pondering the five letters from fans in front of him. To Wright, they represented the challenge the team faced as it entered its rebranding efforts in search of a nickname and logo.
One letter focused on the former nickname, explaining in a long essay why the brand shouldn’t have been changed and how it devastated their family. Another was the opposite; the writer expressed pride in the franchise for finally moving on, allowing them to continue being a fan.
A young child, inspired by his father’s regaling of the franchise’s famed offensive line nicknamed The Hogs, drew in crayon a gray warthog wearing a gold sweater with a burgundy W. A Vietnam veteran said he liked the military tie-in. Finally, the last letter mentioned Doug Williams’ role in franchise history as the first African American quarterback to start and win the Super Bowl and pitched the name Red Tails, combining the race and military connection.
“It showed at the core it’s not about the name,” Wright said. “It’s about the opportunity we have to unify a set of people under a burgundy-and-gold banner…. People still love this team.”
Understanding the passion of the fan base was part of the process that led the franchise to its new nickname — Commanders. Here is a look at some key steps along the way after the team announced in July 2020 that it would retire its former controversial name.
Picking the name
Washington decided on Commanders without much internal fanfare. As the group involved in the process, including owner Dan Snyder, looked at logos and designs during the fall, they realized each had settled on this name.
It was so unceremonious that Wright couldn’t recall whether it was late October or early November. There was no aha moment. Wright declined to say which names were the finalists. But it was widely known that others under consideration included Presidents, Brigade, Redhogs, Football Team, Armada,…
Source : espn
