The Washington Football Team has revealed its new name: the Washington Commanders.
Washington owner Dan Snyder said in a statement: “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. 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 and Gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington.”
Head coach Ron Rivera said he thought of leadership when he heard the new name: “In today’s world, we seem to have a lack of true leadership, and we need people to step forward and lead this country and really help to take us in the right direction. I think it’s greater than just the name of a football team as much as it’s really just something that we have to look and say, you know, it’s an opportunity for us to take charge, take command and go forward.”
The team officially made the announcement on the Today show, and tweeted it on the new Washington Commanders page, with the caption: “One legacy. One unified future. We are the Washington Commanders #TakeCommand” The new name comes 18 months after the franchise dropped its old name under pressure from sponsors, following years criticism that it was offensive to Native Americans. The organization committed to avoiding Native American imagery in its rebrand, after being called the Washington Football Team the past two seasons.
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