Washington's NFL Team Will Call Itself Washington Football Team -- For Now

Washington’s NFL franchise has a new name: The Washington Football Team.

At least, that’s what the club will call itself while it searches for a permanent team name.

The name was unveiled on Twitter Thursday along with a new logo and the caption “It begins here…” See the tweet below:

It begins here… pic.twitter.com/CHCCZ64W81

— Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL) July 23, 2020

Also Read: Washington Redskins to Change Team Name

The team announced on July 12 it would retire the “Redskins” name, which it had used since 1937. Criticism over the team’s name has stretched as far back as the 1960s.

The term “Redskin” is considered by many to be a racial slur that disparages Native Americans.

The team formally began the renaming process on July 3, following a request from its largest corporate sponsor, FedEx, whose name adorns its stadium. FedEx added that if the team did not change its name, it would remove its signage from the stadium after this coming season, according to the Washington Post. Along with FedEx, a group of investors worth more than $600 billion wrote letters to Nike and PepsiCo to encourage them to pressure the team to change its name. Nike removed all “Redskins” merchandise from its online store.

Criticism of the team’s now-former nickname had swelled for years; the franchise and its owner Daniel Snyder have resisted changing the name however up until this point. In the middle of the 2013 season, Bob Costas said the name was both an insult and a slur during halftime of the team’s “Sunday Night Football” game against the Dallas Cowboys. That following season, multiple TV broadcasters and reporters who covered the NFL stopped using the name. In the last few years, however, the outcry over the team’s name had receded from public view.

That outcry returned in a big way over the last few months, following the protests against systemic racism that were sparked by the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The incident and the nationwide movement that has followed has forced a re-examination of cultural sensitivities.

Washington’s NFL team becomes the second D.C.-based franchise to change its moniker. The NBA’s Bullets became the Wizards in 1997 over concerns the name was tone deaf given the high crime rate, particularly from gun violence, in the nation’s capital in 1990s.

Washington Commanders and 14 Other Sports Teams That Dumped Racist Names and Mascots (Photos)

After years of protests over the Redskins name and logo, Washington's NFL team finally decided to make a change, now calling themselves the Washington Commanders. But they weren't the first to dump offensive or racist team names. Here are some other sports teams that followed suit over the years.
When the Philadelphia Warriors basketball team moved to San Francisco in 1969, they decided to drop the Native American logo in favor of the locally known Golden Gate Bridge (but kept the name).
Following student protests, North Dakota's Dickinson State University in 1972 dropped the Savages as the school's mascot. Two years later, they officially became the Blue Hawks.

Dickinson State University
In 1974, Dartmouth College football team discontinued its old mascot the Indians -- which dated back to the 1920s -- and now go by the The Big Green.
Eastern Washington University changed its name from the Savages to the Eagles in 1973 after a vote by the student body ruled that the mascot for the prior 52 years was no longer acceptable.

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The Eastern Michigan Hurons also changed its name to the Eagles in 1991 after the Michigan Department of Civil Rights released a report suggesting that all state schools discontinue racially-insensitive logos.
In 1994, St. John's University in New York City changed its team name from the Redmen to The Red Storm, sporting a new horse logo replacing the cartoon logo of a Native American.
Before becoming the Redhawks in 1997, Miami University of Ohio were known as the Redskins. The change was advocated by Dr. Myrtis Powell, who consulted the Oklahoma-based Miami tribe.
Oklahoma City University changed its team name from the Chiefs to the Stars in 1999, having actually been nicknamed the Stars prior to 1944.

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In 2000, Nebraska Wesleyan University changed its mascot to the Prairie Wolf after representing the school as the Plainsmen since 1933.

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Having been originally known as the Maroons, Seattle University's mascot became the Chieftains in 1938 to honor the college's namesake, Chief Seattle, but became the Redhawks in 2000.
Located in Wichita Falls, Texas, the Midwestern State University Indians became the Mustangs in 2006 to "eliminate the potential for a hostile or abusive environment," the school said.

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In 2007, the University of Illinois dropped the Chief Illiniwek logo and mascot following two decades of complaints that the logo and the mascot's ceremonial dance performed during halftime perpetuated stereotypes. The use of the mascot dated back to 1926. The team is still called the Illini.

Erik Abderhalden/Creative Commons
Arkansas State University changed its mascot from the Indians to the Red Wolves in January 2008.
The Cleveland Indians removed the Chief Wahoo logo from their uniforms and stadium signs following the 2018 season. The team still retains retail rights to the logo. Chief Wahoo had been in use by the Indians since 1947.

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In December 2020, the Cleveland Indians decided to drop its team name -- and in July 2021 announced they'd be called Cleveland Guardians.

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In July 2020, the Washington Redskins announced it would retire its name and logo after FedEx, which has a minority stake in the team and naming rights for its stadium, voiced opposition. For two years it went without a name and was known only as the Washington Football Team, but in February 2022, they became the Washington Commanders.

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Cleveland’s baseball team is the latest to bow to public pressure over offensive names and logos

After years of protests over the Redskins name and logo, Washington's NFL team finally decided to make a change, now calling themselves the Washington Commanders. But they weren't the first to dump offensive or racist team names. Here are some other sports teams that followed suit over the years.

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Washington Commanders and 14 Other Sports Teams That Dumped Racist Names and Mascots (Photos)

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