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Selling you on Washington Redskins rebranding ideas

By Ian Cummings

WASHINGTON, D.C. - DECEMBER 5: Billy Kilmer #17 of the Washington Redskins drops back to pass against the New York Giants during an NFL football game on December 5, 1971 at RFK Memorial Stadium in Washington D.C.. Kilmer played for the Redskins from 1971-78. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, D.C. - DECEMBER 5: Billy Kilmer #17 of the Washington Redskins drops back to pass against the New York Giants during an NFL football game on December 5, 1971 at RFK Memorial Stadium in Washington D.C.. Kilmer played for the Redskins from 1971-78. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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KEENESBURG, CO – OCTOBER 20: A rescued timberline wolf howls at The Wild Animal Sanctuary on October 20, 2011 in Keenesburg, Colorado. The non-profit sanctuary is a 720 acre refuge for large carnivores that have been confiscated from illegal or abusive situations and is currently home to over 290 lions, tigers, bears, wolves and other animals. It is the oldest and largest carnivore sanctuary in the United States, having been in operation since 1980. On Tuesday the owner of a private 73 acre animal reserve in Zanesville, Ohio set loose 56 animals, mostly large carnivores, before shooting himself. Of the animals that fled, 49 were hunted down and killed by sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement officers. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
KEENESBURG, CO – OCTOBER 20: A rescued timberline wolf howls at The Wild Animal Sanctuary on October 20, 2011 in Keenesburg, Colorado. The non-profit sanctuary is a 720 acre refuge for large carnivores that have been confiscated from illegal or abusive situations and is currently home to over 290 lions, tigers, bears, wolves and other animals. It is the oldest and largest carnivore sanctuary in the United States, having been in operation since 1980. On Tuesday the owner of a private 73 acre animal reserve in Zanesville, Ohio set loose 56 animals, mostly large carnivores, before shooting himself. Of the animals that fled, 49 were hunted down and killed by sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement officers. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) /

Washington Redwolves

Yeah, I know. This one seemed kind of corny to me at first, too. Then it grew on me. Then it cooled off. But now it’s grown on me again.

If you think about the “Redwolves” in the same context as the Redskins, it’s going to feel weird and forced to you. But if you think of the Redwolves as its own thing, it may help you accept the uniqueness of the idea.

A red wolf is actually a real thing; it’s not a made up mascot contrived to fulfill a team’s color scheme requirement. Red wolves are actually an endangered species, native to the United States. In times where the red wolves had higher numbers, they may have been found in D.C., but they’ve been reduced to wilderness areas in North Carolina and captive breeding grounds.

In a way, the Redskins are not so different from the Redwolves. Outnumbered, up against the odds, but perhaps destined to make a dramatic return. Below is the uniform design for the Washington Redwolves, a slick all-white option that emphasizes the rugged aspect of the wolf. There’s logically very little gold, as the red and the white are the primary colors of the elusive beast.

Eye the spined stripe on the helmet, resembling a wolf’s fur, as well as the classic Redskins “R” which has been distorted, designed to fit the image of a wolf. Also take note of the claw marks on the shoulders, as well as the streamlined, ethereal white-on-white look, with the burgundy serving as an efficiently-used accent. Some of these ideas could be refined, but I’m a big fan of paying homage to the classic “R”, while also adding in a rogue wolf element. And the colors could easily be flipped, with a dark, rustic burgundy underlying a brilliant silver on a home uniform.

https://twitter.com/DCsportsXP/status/1281351266086662146

Numerous Redskins and former Redskins have voiced their support for the name “Redwolves”. Jonathan Allen apparently expressed excitement at the idea of howling after a sack, and former Redskins Will Compton and Anthony Armstrong also spoke out in favor of the idea.

It’s ultimately a fan-made prototype, so Snyder and Rivera might not even be considering this. But if the support seen from the Redskins fan base and players is any indication, maybe they should.

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