(PresidentialHill.com)- For almost two years, the NFL team formerly known as the Washington Redskins worked on a new team name that they and constituents agreed would represent the local community, the team’s tradition and at the same time not offend anybody.
Finally, after being known as the Washington Football Team for two years, the organization finally landed on a name — the Washington Commanders. And despite integrating the input of local constituents in the decision-making progress, not a lot of people are in favor of the new name.
A poll conducted recently by The Washington Post revealed that only 41% of people approved of the new team name. Of those people who were surveyed, 11% said they didn’t hold a strong opinion on the issue, while 49% said they disapproved of the Commanders name.
What’s more, a whopping 17% of fans said they “hate” the new name. That’s compared to only 5% of respondents saying they “love” the Commanders name.
Many conservatives accused the team’s owner, Dan Snyder, of folding to the pressure of the far-left. Snyder had for years vowed to never change the Redskins name, even as local Native American groups tried to convince him to do so.
Then, when he finally decided to give in to those sentiments, Snyder for the most part kept the entire name change process close to the vest. And when the team finally announced their new name, it didn’t pay homage or tribute to any particular person or thing from the region or its culture.
The Commanders have a large fan base that stretches throughout at least three states plus Washington, D.C. The team’s home is in a Maryland suburb of D.C. Many fans also come from Northern Virginia and even North Carolina, since the Panthers didn’t begin as a team out of Charlotte until the 1990s.
Many people have mocked the team on social media, saying they ripped off the name from the San Antonio Commanders, who were a part of the Alliance of American Football, an alternate professional football league that didn’t last too long.
People also don’t like the “corporate” look of the team’s uniforms, with many saying the uniforms look like the team plays in the Arena League. There’s also no real logo or mascot to speak of — at least not yet.
The team revealed that its helmets will have a prominent letter W on it, just as they have in the past two years when the team went by the Washington Football Team. The Commanders also didn’t reveal a new logo, instead saying there would be a “Team Crest” that would appear on t-shirts and hats that would be available for fans to purchase.
It’s very unlikely that hardcore fans of Washington’s NFL team will stop following the team, purchasing its gear or rooting for them because of the lackluster name, some fair-weather fans might think twice before throwing their support behind them.
