Jan 9, 2022; East Rutherford, N.J., USA; Washington Football Team cornerback Bobby McCain (20) celebrates after returning an interception for a touchdown against the New York Giants in the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Due to publicly available domain information, many have pointed to the “Commanders” being the new name of the Washington Football Team. While it’s not 100% confirmed, it’s the likely candidate when the new name is revealed on February 2.

Reaction about the Washington Commanders has ranged from neutral to negative. Typically, a team rebrand will tend to have a negative reaction because it’s new and it’ll take a while for people to get used to that. This one is hitting a bit different.

For one thing, some have taken to shortening the Commanders’ name and calling them the “Commies” which is pretty much the exact opposite of what they’re trying to achieve with Commanders. And second, anyone who has read or seen The Handmaid’s Tale knows that calling a team the “Commanders” isn’t the best idea.

In The Handmaid’s Tale, the “commanders” are a group of men who rule over the oppressed “handmaids,” which are fertile women who are made to have children and at times are subjected to rape. Given that the Washington Football Team has been the subject of investigations and fines about the treatment of their cheerleaders, being called the “Commanders” may not go how the team thinks it will.

Many gave their thoughts on the potential new name. There’s still six days for WFT to change their minds but time is ticking.

About Phillip Bupp

Producer/editor of the Awful Announcing Podcast and Short and to the Point. News editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. Highlight consultant for Major League Soccer as well as a freelance writer for hire. Opinions are my own but feel free to agree with them.

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