Jun 9, 2021; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Football Team players' helmets rest on the field prior to drills as part of minicamp at Inova Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
NFLBy Michael Dixon on

Unless we’re being tricked, the Washington Football Team will soon be known as the Washington Commanders.

Not only was it leaked by franchise legend and current broadcaster, Joe Theismann, but helicopter pilot Brad Freitas of NBC4 in DC spotted “Commanders” on the walls of Washington’s team store while flying above it.

There have been some clever takes.

Others have been more positive.

https://twitter.com/SEASportDiaries/status/1488680886115520513

The positive takes seem to the minority — at least on Twitter.

Plenty of people are just not feeling the new name. As if to say, WTF, WFT?

There were other questions. A big one was, how was this so easy to spot less than 24 hours before the big reveal?

https://twitter.com/thegquad/status/1488679860897648640

It’s even been suggested that this may be done as a diversion tactic.

There’s one other pressing question on the mind of some people. Regardless of what anyone feels about Commanders, it really took two years to come up with the name?

Even that’s a misrepresentation. It’s been two years since the decision to move away from the Redskins. But this controversy has been going on for decades. The idea that nobody in the organization thought of possible new names until two years ago is laughable.

And to be fair, there’s almost no nickname that wasn’t going to generate an “it took you two years to come up with that?” response.

This leak does beg the question that we’ve already addressed. Is this possibly just one elaborate ruse being pulled off by Dan Snyder and company? Maybe, on Feb. 2, a different team name will be revealed and it will blow all of our collective socks off.

Anything is possible, of course. But that kind of sneakiness would require some sharp work from the Washington front office. And since Snyder took the reigns of this franchise, it hasn’t been known for being that adept at well, anything.

[Brad Freitas]

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