The Washington Football Team has a new name, the Washington Commanders.
“As an organization, we are excited to rally and rise together as one under our new identity while paying homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation’s capital,” said Dan Snyder. “As we kick-off our 90th season, it is important for our organization and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy, and the greats that came before us. We continue to honor and represent the Burgundy & Gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington. Today may mark the first day for the Washington Commanders, but we are and always will be Washington.”
During Wednesday’s episode of the Today show, the team’s president, Jason Wright, said, “It’s a name that has the weight and meaning befitting a 90-year-old franchise.” He added, “It’s something that broadly resonated with our fans, and it’s something that we believe embodies the values of service and leadership that really define the DMV [the District, Maryland, and Virginia] in this community.”
Unlike the team’s name, their colors will remain burgundy and gold. As far as their mascot and fight song, the team has decided that fans should choose.
The team has also unveiled new branding features, such as a primary logo, a wordmark, and a crest.
Their logo is now a forceful “W” with angled cuts, bolded lines, and serifs, which symbolize forward-moving progress while representing the Washington Football Team chapter from the franchise’s history.
The new logo incorporates the diagonal parts of the stripes around the “W” that originate from military rank insignias, and “WASHINGTON” is a wordmark that presents the towering letters of the team’s name. By using the cuts in the “C,” the eye travels across the mark and the two stripes that surround the name, which echoes the D.C. flag, giving the mark a feeling of power and authority.
New name, new marks pic.twitter.com/KxN5pWg4X1
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) February 2, 2022
The team’s crest will represent its unique brand element within the NFL, showcasing its identity and defining moments throughout its history. The top left and bottom right quadrants are a tribute to the club’s 90-year history.
The main logo mark, the “W,” is featured in the top right quadrant, symbolizing the team’s future, while three stars are featured in the bottom left quadrant, representing the stars on the D.C. flag and the team’s location in the Nation’s Capital.
The words “Washington Football” across the top of the crest pay homage to the many historic firsts and iconic legends associated with this Washington team during its nearly 90-year tenure in the DMV, while the years 1937, 1942, 1983, 1988, and 1992 written across the bottom honor the franchise’s World Championships and Super Bowl victories.
Wright made the announcement alongside former Washington quarterback Doug Williams at FedEx Field; when asked about his reaction to the new name, he said, “I do like the name,” adding, “It’s got a good sound to it.”
The announcement comes after months of research, focus groups, name submissions by fans, and years of pressure to change the Teams name from The Washington Redskins, due to racist connotations against Native Americans.
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