The NFL’s Washington Football Team officially became the Commanders on Wednesday following a 569-day search, and judging by public reaction, the club should have taken a bit more time.
Fans flooded social media with snarky memes, ranging from ‘GI Joe’ villain, Cobra Commander, to an image depicting team owner Dan Snyder as a communist dictator.
The club had previously been known as the Redskins dating back to its inception in Boston in 1933, but ditched the moniker in 2020 amid pressure from Native American groups, who believed that the name and the team logo were racist.
While fans were divided on whether or not to keep ‘Redskins,’ they almost unanimously disapproved of ‘Commanders,’ judging from reaction on social media.
One Twitter user likened the new logo to a W-shaped taco holder, while many fans complained about the team’s new uniforms, which maintained the franchise’s color scheme, but little else.
President Joe Biden’s social media team got in on the fun by posting a picture of his dog, Commander, writing: ‘I suppose there’s room for two Commanders in this town.’
But other reactions were less congenial.
One Twitter user referenced the Commanders from ‘Handmaid’s Tale,’ a group of characters who enslave women: ‘Honestly, I don’t know how I could ever not think of the Handmaid’s Tale when I hear this lol… so I’m going to keep calling them the Football Team.’
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Fans flooded Twitter with snarky memes, ranging from ‘GI Joe’ villain, Cobra Commander, to an image depicting team owner Dan Snyder (pictured) as a communist dictator
Several Twitter users referenced the Commanders from ‘Handmaid’s Tale,’ a group of characters who enslave women
One fan tweaked the new logo slightly to make it spell: ‘We suck’
Many made references to GI Joe villain, Cobra Commander (right, alongside Dan Snyder)
President Joe Biden’s social media team got in on the fun by posting a picture of his dog, Commander, writing: ‘I suppose there’s room for two Commanders in this town’
Another took a shot at the prior name: ‘Give credit to Washington, The Commanders is definitely the name of a group that would hate The Redskins.’
One disgruntled fan added: ‘No, I’m not blown away by the Commanders, but let’s be honest, this is America in 2022. People were going to hate whatever name Washington picked because that’s what people do.’
Snyder released a statement announcing the decision Wednesday.
‘As an organization, we are excited to rally and rise together as one under our new identity while paying homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation’s capital,’ owner Dan Snyder said.
‘As we kick off our 90th season, it is important for our organization and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy and the greats that came before us. We continue to honor and represent the Burgundy and Gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington.’
The Commanders’ announcement follows other similar moves aimed at removing team names that are offensive to Native Americans. Previously Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians adopted the ‘Guardians’ as their new team name.
The NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and baseball’s Atlanta Braves have not announced any similar moves.
Team co-owners Dan and Tanya Snyder pose for a photo with current Commanders and alumni
The Washington Football Team announced its new name, the Commanders, on Wednesday, two years after ditching the racially insensitive Redskins
The team had spent two years as the generic ‘Football Team’ after getting rid of the racially insensitive Redskins
One Twitter user joked that the Commanders took their name from the mid-sized Jeep SUV
This fan made an amusing joke about how the Washington Commanders fit in the NFC East
The organization is largely keeping its color scheme of burgundy and gold – which it has been since the 1930s – but adding a black third jersey
Washington execs worked with digital creative company Code & Theory, as well as designers from both Nike and the NFL, as well as combing through over 40,000 submissions from fans.
Wednesday’s announcement – confirmed via the team’s new Twitter account – came after several clues emerged this week.
A DC-area news chopper caught a ‘Commanders’ logo while circling the club’s FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.
Then earlier in the week, former Washington quarterback Joe Theismann uttered the new name to CBS Sports Radio.
‘I think the Commanders is a name that is going to be one that hopefully people like going forward,’ Theismann said. ‘There were so many different options, but once again it’s trademark infringement — it’s getting approval from different people. If you choose a name, is there a group out there that isn’t going to like it?
He later walked back his comments, saying he’d learn the new name Wednesday, along with everyone else.
Theismann attended Wednesday’s announcement.
Many wanted the team to be named for the Redtails, black fighter US fighter pilots in WWII
The team is largely keeping its color scheme of red and gold, but adding a black third jersey
Former player Joe Theismann looks on during the announcement of the name change
A Washington Commanders sign is shown as they unveil their NFL football team’s new identity
Team co-owner Tanya Snyder speaks during the announcement
Wednesday’s announcement came after several clues emerged this week. A DC-area news chopper caught a ‘Commanders’ logo while circling the club’s FedEx Field
The name change serves as a welcome distraction from the team’s 7-10 campaign in 2021 and recent allegations in the Washington Post that owner Dan Snyder (pictured) sought to prevent former employees from speaking to NFL investigators who were probing allegations of sexual harassment at the club
The name change serves as a welcome distraction from the team’s 7-10 campaign in 2021 and recent allegations in the Washington Post that owner Dan Snyder sought to prevent former employees from speaking to NFL investigators who were probing allegations of sexual harassment at the club.
The NFL investigation resulted in a $10 million fine for the WFT and Snyder temporarily stepped down from day-to-day control of the franchise, but details about the league findings have never been revealed despite demands from accusers, attorneys, and fans.
The club spent two seasons as The Washington Football Team (WFT) after the 2020 decision to lose ‘Redskins’ amid a national crackdown on racism in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of African-American man George Floyd.
The club originated in Boston, where then-owner George P. Marshall had wanted to call them the ‘Braves’ but opted for his second choice due to the existence of the city’s National League baseball team, which has since moved on to Milwaukee and Atlanta.
The term’s origin is disputed, according to a 2016 Washington Post article, that claims it was first used as a pejorative as early as 1863 in Minnesota.
‘The State reward for dead Indians has been increased to $200 for every red-skin sent to Purgatory,’ read an announcement in The Winona Daily Republican. ‘This sum is more than the dead bodies of all the Indians east of the Red River are worth.’
By 1898, Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary began defining ‘redskin’ with the phrase ‘often contemptuous.’
Leah Muskin-Pierret of Washington DC works on signs as part of a Native Americans protest against the Redskins team name before the Washington Redskins play the Arizona Cardinals in Landover MD on December 17, 2017
A hand-painted concrete barrier stands in the parking lot of FedEx Field in July of 2020
A 2016 Washington Post poll found that 90 percent of the 504 Native American respondents were ‘not bothered’ by the team name. Snyder ultimately wrote an open letter, defending his decision to keep the moniker by citing the study.
However, that survey and other similar studies have been slammed by journalists and social scientists as being unreliable.
‘The reporters and editors behind this story must have known that it would be used as justification for the continued use of these harmful, racist mascots,’ read a statement from the Native American Journalists Association. ‘They were either willfully malicious or dangerously naïve in the process and reporting used in this story, and neither is acceptable from any journalistic institution.’
In March of 2020, UC Berkeley revealed a study that found that more than half of its 1,000 Native American respondents were offended by the team name.
The Supreme Court ruled in 2017 that a trademark law barring disparaging terms infringes on free speech rights. Prior to that, the United States Patent and Trademark office had tried to revoke the Redskins’ trademark because it was a racial epithet.
The team has shared a look at its 18-month rebranding process on its ‘Making the Brand’ video series on the team website. The franchise said it has received nearly 40,000 fan submissions from 61 countries and all 50 states of potential new names for the team, from Legends to Wolfpack to Redwolves.
A Washington Redskins fan wears a Native American headdress at a game along with a pig mask, which is a nod to the team’s former offensive line, dubbed ‘The Hogs’
What’s in a name? Sports team and logos change to avoid offending Native American groups
The Washington Commanders aren’t the only pro or college sports to change its name recently under pressure from Native American groups or other social justice organizations:
A young Indians fan in the stands holds up a foam Chief Wahoo and a Slider doll during the fifth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians on August 8, 2018, at Progressive Field in Cleveland
- Nebraska Cornhuskers logo (NCAA, 2022): Just announced yesterday , the Big Ten school altered its ‘Herbie Husker’ mascot to no longer make the ‘OK’ symbol, which has become associated with white supremacy
- Cleveland Indians to Cleveland Guardians (MLB, 2021): After retiring their Chief Wahoo logo, the American League franchise did away with the name permanently ahead of the 2022 season
- North Dakota Fighting Sioux to North Dakota Fighting Hawks (NCAA, 2015): The nickname was retired in 2012, but the state of North Dakota passed a law prohibiting the university from adopting a new nickname until January 2015
- Arkansas State Indians to Arkansas State Red Wolves (NCAA, 2008): One of the first team names to change in response to the NCAA’s 2005 ban on ethnically or racially derogatory mascots at championship events
- University of Illinois Fighting Illini (NCAA, 2007): While the state university kept their old name, they retired the Native American mascot Chief Illiniwek and said that the team’s name now refers to denizens of the state
Staff members put up Cleveland Guardians signage at Progressive Field on November 19, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cleveland Indians officially changed their name to the Cleveland Guardians in November
In recent years, the franchise has become a laughingstock for the team name, numerous scandals involving front office employees and incompetence on the field, where they’ve won just three postseason games in the past 30 years.
Snyder reportedly attempted to interfere with the NFL’s investigation into sexual harassment and hostile workplace claims against the club with the help of attorneys, private investigators, and an attempt to bribe a woman who accused the billionaire of sexual misconduct in 2009.
As reported by the Washington Post, Snyder sought to prevent former employees from speaking to independent investigator Beth Wilkinson, a prominent attorney who was originally hired by the Washington Football Team (WFT) in 2020 to investigate the hostile workplace allegations against the club.
The NFL took control of the investigation in 2020 and Wilkinson began reporting to commissioner Roger Goodell’s office until July of 2021, when the probe was concluded, the team was fined $10 million, and Snyder temporarily stepped away from day-to-day control of the franchise.
As reported by the Washington Post, Snyder sought to prevent former employees from speaking to independent investigator Beth Wilkinson (left), a prominent attorney who was originally hired by the Washington Football Team (WFT) in 2020 to investigate the hostile workplace claims against the club
When Snyder’s attorneys reportedly learned that his accuser still intended to speak to investigators, Donovan sued Wilkinson in federal court in an effort to bar her from speaking to NFL officials about the settlement
Allegations against team employees ranged from inappropriate comments to the creation of a lewd behind-the-scenes video from a cheerleader calendar shoot in 2008, according to a 2020 Washington Post report. Snyder, himself, was accused of making inappropriate comments to one cheerleader, but he denied the claim. Nearly all of the accused employees have left the team or were dismissed.
The NFL did not release the findings of that investigation, citing privacy issues, but one revelation did surface in December of 2020 when the Washington Post reported that Snyder had previously settled a sexual misconduct claim for $1.6 million in 2009.
The specifics of the accusation are not clear, but the incident allegedly occurred on Snyder’s private plane returning from the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. References to the allegation also surfaced in separate court filings, which have been reviewed by DailyMail.com.
The change also comes as the NFL remains inundated with claims of systemic racism, with the subject coming up just this week following a lawsuit filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores.
Flores filed a bombshell lawsuit against the NFL and three of its teams Tuesday, saying racist hiring practices by the league have left it racially segregated and managed like a ‘plantation.’
The lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal Court included text messages between Flores and his former boss, New England Patriots coaching legend Bill Belichick, in which Belichick mistakenly congratulates his former protege for getting hired by the New York Giants before he even interviewed with the team.
Apparently Belichick intended to text another Brian, former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who was ultimately hired for the position.
Ostensibly, Belichick’s mistaken text message suggests that Flores was never a real candidate for the Giants job, and instead was merely being interviewed to comply with the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for top coaching and executive positions.
The filing also accused Stephen Ross, the owner of the Miami Dolphins, of trying to bribe Flores $100,000 for every game he lost during the 2019 season so the team could get the first pick in that year’s NFL Draft.
The lawsuit seeks class-action status and unspecified damages from the league, the Dolphins, Denver Broncos and the Giants, along with unidentified individuals.
It alleged that the league has discriminated against Flores and other black coaches for racial reasons, denying them positions as head coaches, offensive and defensive coordinators and quarterbacks coaches, as well as general managers.
The NFL currently has just one black head coach, longtime Pittsburgh Steelers leader Mike Tomlin, and none of the 32 teams have a black general manager.
WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM SEXUAL HARASSMENT FALLOUT:
Majority owner Dan Snyder: A former cheerleader named Tiffany Bacon Scourby told the Washington Post that Snyder suggested that she join his ‘close friend’ in a hotel room in 2004 so they ‘could get to know each other.’ The 56-year-old billionaire is also accused of belittling executives, according to three members of the executive staff. Specifically, he’s accused of mocking Dennis Greene for being a college cheerleader, once allegedly ordering him to do cartwheels for his amusement. Snyder has privately settled one sexual harassment allegation, according to The New York Times and Washington Post. Snyder remains the team’s official owner, but has stepped away from day-to-day involvement with the club and made his wife Tanya co-CEO as the league imposed a $10 million fine.
Dan Snyder (left) still owns the Washington Football Team, but has ceded day-to-day control of the franchise following the NFL’s investigation into sexual harassment claims against the club. He has since accused now-former team president Bruce Allen (right) of conspiring to spread false information about him to an Indian website
Chief operating officer Mitch Gershman: Former team employee Emily Applegate said he would routinely compliment her body while also regularly berating her for insignificant problems, like printer malfunctions. Her allegations were supported by two other female former employees. When contacted, Gershman told The Post, ‘I barely even remember who she is,’ adding that he ‘would apologize to anyone who thought I was verbally abusive.’ Gershman left the team in 2015.
Team president Bruce Allen: Although Allen was not accused of sexual harassment or verbal abuse, Applegate claims he must have known about her problems because ‘he sat 30 feet away from me… and saw me sobbing at my desk several times a week.’ The brother of former Virginia Governor and US Senator George Allen, Bruce found himself at the center of Jon Gruden’s email controversy in October of 2021 when the now-former Raiders coach’s racist, homophobic messages were mysteriously leaked to the media. Bruce Allen was fired after the 2019 season, when Washington went 3-13.
Former Washington Redskins director of pro personnel Alex Santos
Director of pro personnel Alex Santos: Six former employees and two reporters who covered the team told the Washington Post that Santos made inappropriate remarks to them about their appearances. He also asked them if they were interested in him romantically. In 2019, he allegedly pinched Rhiannon Walker, a reporter for The Athletic, and told her she had ‘an ass like a wagon.’ This resulted in an internal investigation. Another reporter, the Ringer’s Nora Princiotti, also accused Santos of harassing her. Santos, who declined to speak with The Post, was fired in July.
Team radio play-by-play announcer Larry Michael: Seven former employees told The Post that ‘the voice of the Washington Redskins’ frequently talked openly about female co-workers looks, often making sexually disparaging remarks. He was once caught on a ‘hot mic’ in 2018 discussing the looks of one intern, six sources told The Post. He is also accused of ordering employees to edit together a video of lewd behind-the-scenes outtakes from a 2008 calendar shoot. Michael, who declined to speak with The Post, retired after 16 seasons in July.
Former radio announcer Larry Michael (left) and former assistant director of pro personnel Richard Mann II (right)
Assistant director of pro personnel Richard Mann II: In a text message obtained by The Post, Mann told a female colleague that he and other men in the office debated whether she had plastic surgery on her breasts. He also warned another female coworker to expect an ‘inappropriate hug’ from him, adding, ‘don’t worry that will be a stapler in my pocket, nothing else.’ Mann declined to speak with The Post after being fired in July.
Former president of business operations Dennis Greene
President of business operations Dennis Greene: Five former employees told The Post that Greene asked female sales staffers to wear revealing outfits and flirt with wealthy season ticket holders and suite holders. Greene worked for the club for 17 years until 2018, when it was revealed that he had sold access to team cheerleaders at a bikini photo shoot in Costa Rica as part of a ticket package. According to a New York Times investigation, the 2013 calendar shoot did not involve any sex, but team officials did worry the cheerleaders by taking their passports. Some cheerleaders say they were required to be topless, although the shoot did not include any nudity. After a 14-hour shoot one day, nine of the 36 cheerleaders were reportedly asked to escort suite holders to a local nightclub. Several of the women began to cry, according to the Times. Greene declined to comment and has not worked for the team since he resigned in 2018.
