In the latest episode of “Making The Brand,” Washington Football Team president Jason Wright announced the franchise has narrowed more than 40,000 submissions for a new nickname down to three options.
The caveat? He didn’t actually say what those potential monikers are.
“So the three that will go through are, (redacted), (redacted) and (redacted), Wright said to head coach Ron Rivera, to which Rivera responded, “I like (redacted).”
During the three-minute episode, eight different nicknames appeared on the stadium’s Jumbotron, including Armada, Brigade, Commanders, Defenders, Presidents, RedHogs, RedWolves and Washington Football Team.
Wright later clarified that those were not a final eight, but rather a random selection of names used to gauge the thoughts of the fans included in the video.
“Just to be clear, because everyone keeps asking, we are down to and working through a final three but this is no form of final eight list,” Wright said on Twitter. “These are just a selection of names that happened to show up in the video our team produced.”
It’s been 13 months since Washington retired its controversial Redskins nickname under pressure from sponsors and nationwide protests against racial inequality.
Warriors had emerged as a fan-favorite option since it doesn’t carry the same negative connotation as the previous nickname, but Wright recently noted that’s not under consideration because engagement groups revealed discomfort with retaining any Native American themes.
All that said, the plan is for Washington to reveal its new name and logo before the start of the 2022 season. It’s unclear if finalists will be announced, but the team’s current burgundy and gold color scheme is expected to remain intact.
“We have a very diverse fanbase, and what we’re seeing emerge as we engage folks is a commonality that is beautiful,” Wright said. “Resilience, grit, tradition, nobility, history, a sense of pride. These are things that unite us, so our new name and logo should allow that spirit to continue. That is our commitment going forward and our promise to our fanbase.”
Photo courtesy of @WashingtonNFL on Twitter.
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