Washington Name: Should a Rebrand Happen?

July 19, 2024

by David Earl

Short Recap

As everyone knows, the Redskins name was retired in July, 2022 as a result of pressure from the team’s then minority owners and corporations such as Nike and others. This pressure was applied during a time in which the scandals the of prior owner had come to light, which culminated in the Redskins name vanishing forever. I won’t go into details or opinions on that whole situation, as that’s been far overreported and played out. What I will say is that the selection and rebranding process never satisfied the majority of the older and newer generations, as the iconic history of the Redskins name had been part of the very fabric of this fan base’s existence. The recent poll goes a long way to show the trainwreck of the “Commanders” rebrand was over the past two years. I get it: some fans still want people to move on with this brand, and suggest that most of us grow up about this current brand. Well, this poll confirms what I’ve said all along, which is that those fans advocating that position are in the minority and may want to start listening to other fans instead of demonizing their views.

As far as the process the team used to select the new brand, that in itself was simply a disaster. After lengthy fan polls, written suggestions, and interviews with fans (including both me and Alex Zeese) the current name was nowhere on the radar of possibilities. The Commanders’ name, aside from its extremely weak and amateurish rollout, was simply an abomination , to say the least. The supposed concentration on keeping the team’s history woven into the new brand fell spectacularly short. This is not only about maintaining a reference to the Native American representation this organization had since 1933, but the new branding (aside from the color scheme) did nothing to tie in the Hogs of the 1980s or the Over The Hill Gang under Head Coach George Allen, to name a couple. Before you mention Commanders represent D.C. and the military representation within the Pentagon, stay focused on the promise of representation of the team’s history by the new brand, not a poor representation of the military.  While the organization was tasked with a near-impossible scenario of replacing the iconic Redskins brand, they decided to unnecessarily butcher the process. NFL league rules cover the renaming process – what could be the next step for his organization?

The Obvious Option: Washington Warriors

The most obvious name option not in the recent poll is the Warriors. While the name Warriors would certainly be perceived by some as just another Native American reference, allowing critics to claim the new front office is blind to the original issue, let’s just open the mind here a bit. Using “Warriors” will certainly maintain a call back to the Redskins name, as it should, while never utilizing Native American imagery. Even though Montana Senator Steve Daines took a stance against a bill that would transfer the RFK Memorial Stadium site rights, he also didn’t make a clear statement to return the honored logo to the team. In his words, he simply wanted, “The Washington Commanders to honor the pride, history, and heritage of the Blackfeet Tribe who are my constituents in Montana for the tribe’s contributions to the team’s legacy.” The organization could certainly use Warriors while incorporating other logo options unless they get complete support from Native Americans to bring back the team’s iconic former logo. The fact remains the Redskins name was never used in an inflammatory way while “Warriors” would allow those who remain distant from this brand to be more accepting and possibly return.

The use of “Warriors” could be used much more than just as a representation of Native Americans, but inspiration for a team entering every season. Under the Native American Warrior Code, two particular codes stand out: Heroic Courage and Honor. As applied to this team, Heroic Courage encourages each player to rise above challenges and adversity while digging deep mustering all of his heart and strength. Honor would represent this team with integrity in the decisions they make. It would not not necessarily be using “Warriors” as a mascot, but rather operating under an ethos by which Native Americans live through in the Warriors Code.

The Names Listed in the Poll

Before we dive into the names something notable certainly stands out in the option “None of these (names)” coming in with 42% of the vote. Not only does this give the impression none of the following names will get overwhelmingly great support, but one could safely assume that, of the 42%, there may exist a significant lean towards going back to Redskins and/or desiring Warriors as a suitable replacement. Before you even suggest it, I will confidently say the number of those fans who want it to stay Commanders probably equals the 3% that want Brigade as the new name. With that said, let’s look at the other options.

• Washington Football Team (19%): A quick and generic name used so late into the offseason because of the logistical difficulties associated rebranding process. This was a placeholder that many may have settled on if Redskins were never to return and to avoid any form of rebrand disaster. It’s possible that with such a generic name many would still resort to using the name “Redskins” because saying Football Team would be ridiculous, until it wasn’t, as we saw halfway through year one. That’s when the frustration with this name set in, at least for me, when commentators would use “Football Team” instead of at least saying Washington. Regardless, the one aspect of this result that was surprising to me is “Football Team” was more popular than “Redwolves”.
• Redwolves (17%): The “Redwolves” name became interesting and polarizing during the rebranding process. This name would reflect both the obvious Native American heritage and the endangered species that once roamed the Northeast Region. As far as this name’s use to represent Native American culture, a similar agreement could be made as the one between Florida State University and the Seminole Tribe. The marketing behind the Redwolves name would also be limitless from variations in logo design to moniker. As far as trademark issues go, if this organization wants this branding they can certainly make it happen. More on this name here.
• Defenders (12%): This was a surprise entry on this list considering the UFL DC Defenders existed. The name doesn’t make a great deal of sense when you want to consider maintaining the history of this organization. Even the argument that the name would reference and honor the military comes across as weak and Pop Warner-like. In fact, the Defenders name actually makes the Commanders name look stronger, and that is not a compliment for the current name.
• Redhogs (6%): It’s understandable that the team would not want to be named, after a pig even though the “Hogs” part the the name would speak to a core group of fans. Even my name series column showed a lack of interest and support in simply using just “Hogs” as a name. The “Red” part would feel forced and the overall feedback might rival the complaints on the Commanders branding too. Personally, it’s not a favorite choice of mine, but I believe many would welcome at least this change and the fact that it would supplant the current branding today.

Final Thoughts

First off let me give a quick wild card option that most would likely just brush off and not even consider: Red Tails. The name would pay great homage to the Tuskegee Airmen, who became one of the highest decorated units in the Army Air Corps, who were awarded over 850 medals in their mission of providing escort for American bombers in over 1,500 total missions. Their story truly is heroic and honorable and this organization could proudly support every Sunday while allowing these heroes’ legacy to continue forever. You can read more in my name series column here.

As far as a potential rebrand, this poll and Josh Harris’ evasive answers to the rebrand questions suggest a change may very well be on the horizon. Granted, there probably won’t be one single name the fan base will collectively get behind, so timing of a change would have to be just right. A part of me believes that internal discussions are happening – where there’s smoke there’s fire, right? – and maybe part of their timing of hedging on the development of Jayden Daniels. If Daniels becomes that franchise quarterback and captivates this fan base, that would be the best timing for a rebrand. It would have to be a name that is able to capture the current status of this organization while drawing on parts of this organization’s history. If I had to predict right now, I see a new branding of this organization within two years. What are your thoughts? What name would you like to see, whether it’s a name listed above or something entirely different?