The Washington Commanders. It kind of has a nice ring to it.
Live on the NBC Today Show on Wednesday morning, Washington announced its new Commanders moniker while debuting a new set of uniforms, as well as an updated version of the “W” logo and crest.
Fans will find any reason to complain, so the nickname has drawn mixed reviews across social media. We, on the other hand, are trying to find the positives of the decision. Spoiler alert: if you dig deep enough, you’ll find plenty.
By the start of the 2022 season, Commanders will roll off the tongue. After all, the franchise went by the Football Team nickname for the past two seasons and it became second nature pretty early in the process.
At the same time, though, there are myriad fans who still need convincing that Commanders was a fine choice.
That’ll take time, and rightly so, but perhaps Ron Rivera speaking on the name’s symbolism and historical context will do the trick.
Ron Rivera, wearing his new Washington Commanders jacket: "It's a name that carries a lot for our community. It'll be a good representation for who we hope to be."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) February 2, 2022
Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera explained the significance behind the team’s new nickname.
Before diving into the nitty gritty of the Commanders nickname, Rivera, who worked very closely with the Snyder family, president Jason Wright and everyone else involved in the decision-making process, noted that more than 30,000 fans submitted name suggestions to the team.
Rivera even acknowledged that some of the proposals were considered, but logistical (and legal) concerns forced them to be revoked. By the time the choices were narrowed down to a final group, Commanders was the only choice.
Take it away, Rivera.
"“When we started talking about the Commanders, my first thought was about leaders,” Rivera said during a Wednesday interview on CBS Mornings. “In this world, we seem to lack true leadership, and you need people to step forward and lead this country to help 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 something that we have to look at as an opportunity for us to take charge, take command and go forward.”"
In addition to representing leadership, Rivera believes Commanders puts the organization in a position to turn over a new leaf while also honoring the franchise’s five championships and three Super Bowl titles.
"“When we started going through the list and started bringing it down to a final grouping, the Commanders stood out the most,” Rivera said.“I’m really excited about the fact that we are starting a new chapter. We’re turning a page, we’re going forward, we’re trying to step away from all the things that happened in the past. But we also want to make sure we honor what has happened with this football team in terms of the championships and Super Bowls that they’ve won.”"
You can catch the full interview right here.
MEET THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: The Washington Football team officially has a new name.
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) February 2, 2022
Head coach Ron Rivera says “Commanders” stood out as the best choice as the team looks to be “leaders” in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/GOmYSjL5LD
Pretty powerful stuff from Washington’s Commander in Chief.
Too soon?
As you could imagine, it’s been a pretty busy day for Rivera. After finishing up with CBS, he hopped on a Zoom call with reporters to discuss the rebrand.
With an extensive military background, the 60-year-old head coach cited his delight that Commanders pays tribute to the military and that the new nickname will give extra meaning to the next Salute to Service game.
Tough to sell the name better than Rivera has done thus far. At the end of the day, though, consistent winning on the field is what will really suade fans to dive head first into this new era of Washington Football.
But this was definitely a promising start.