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.
#SpoilerAlert: Hail to the #WashingtonCommanders #WashingtonFootball #HailYeah #BREAKING #NFL #washingtonfootballteam pic.twitter.com/ibajnDNHL1
— ʙʀᴀᴅ ꜰʀᴇɪᴛᴀꜱ (@Chopper4Brad) February 2, 2022
There have been some clever takes.
Washington Commies, might as well call their fanbase the Red Scare now https://t.co/nbpExjymn6
— ِ (@rmEicsUKS7OVG) February 2, 2022
Others have been more positive.
Like it. Liked Armada or Admirals better but 🤷♂️ https://t.co/8equdhm378
— Craig Choate (@craigwchoate) February 2, 2022
No way! The Commanders? Not bad. https://t.co/RyRrawkXb4
— Seattle Sports Diaries Podcast (@SEASportDiaries) February 2, 2022
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?
Still better than Redskins but not as quite up to the level of Washington Football Team. https://t.co/VaLmuFqNC6
— Dusty Lane (@Dustin_L_Lane) February 2, 2022
What a stupid name. Red Hogs woulda been 100x better. RedTails, even staying WFT. https://t.co/vnOblgmlQQ
— John Fricke (@JohnFricke) February 2, 2022
Imagine having Red Hogs sitting right in front of you and going with this junk smdh https://t.co/uvwFOKScnU
— Sully Engels (@sullyengels) February 2, 2022
Yikessss https://t.co/E9wedFgFDr
— Jeremias. (@_Hollywood_7) February 2, 2022
This #WashingtonFootball name reveal will be the most anticlimactic event since the opening of Capone’s vault. https://t.co/iEubjLngRU
— I wanna be sedated (@The_Squibb) February 2, 2022
Washington Commanders… thanks for coming. https://t.co/q5Ry0LQ18e pic.twitter.com/GjJreXMZCM
— Jeaux Burreaux (@RichNotInCanada) February 2, 2022
There were other questions. A big one was, how was this so easy to spot less than 24 hours before the big reveal?
They didn't tarp the windows…. https://t.co/898SzXoHFu
— JFLAN (@JFLANland) February 2, 2022
If they truly wanted to keep a tight lid on this thing until tomorrow, how effin’ hard would it be for the employees to put up the sign and stock the shelves at 6 a.m? Or say the store opens 1 day later? Or at 6 pm. I mean, there’s not gonna be some kind of rush on it. https://t.co/alTCrjwDaN
— Steve Czaban (@czabe) February 2, 2022
The Washington Football Team concealed their workplace discrimination better than keeping their new name and logo a secret https://t.co/eI3GBqbXcd
— The G Quad Podcast (@thegquad) February 2, 2022
It’s even been suggested that this may be done as a diversion tactic.
Imagine this is a breakaway wall with the real name hidden behind it. Ultimate swerve. #WashingtonFootball https://t.co/2EdnJrMOsg
— Matthew Wood (@PhotogMattW) February 2, 2022
They have got to be doing this intentionally to screw with everyone, right? #WashingtonFootball https://t.co/wRjqHGsx3u
— Michael (@Nats3256) February 2, 2022
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?
Y’all made those fans wait 2 years to be called the Washington Commanders?
— The 4 Man Rush (@4ourmanrush) February 2, 2022
2 full years to come up with a name and chose Commanders lolol https://t.co/W6iyg8dcj9
— 🇹🇹😌 (@DMVCoop301) February 2, 2022
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.