Washington’s NFL team has picked a new name, the Commanders.
The team formerly known as the Redskins made the announcement Wednesday. The franchise had said in 2020 that it was dropping the name and its Indian chief logo, responding to complaints from Native Americans and others who found the moniker offensive. It played the past two seasons as the Washington Football Team.
Team names, school mascots and corporate logos have been getting makeovers to drop offensive elements. Cleveland’s baseball team changed its name to the Guardians from the Indians last year.
Washington’s football team was founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves and changed its name to the Redskins the following year. The franchise moved to Washington in 1937 and has had a storied history, including three Super Bowl titles.
The team’s owner, Dan Snyder, announced in July 2020 that the old name would be retired, following backlash from corporate sponsors including FedEx Corp., PepsiCo Inc. and Bank of America Corp.
Along with the name change comes a new logo and uniforms. The team retains its burgundy and gold colors.
The announcement comes after weeks of speculation and hype. The franchise had said in January that it would debut a new name after whittling the potential choices down to eight.
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