One of my toughest gigs is being a Redskins fan because they have broken my heart since Joe Gibbs left. Ooops, I said it . . . . Redskins. I’m not necessarily pooh poohing dropping the name due to its perceived disrespect of a group of people but, now I have a bunch of jerseys, pajama bottoms, shirts, drinking glasses and other paraphernalia with the logo just hanging around wishing for some use. The team is now called the Commanders. Ugh.
There were several other names considered. Among them were Armada, Presidents, Brigade, Red Hogs, Commanders, Red Wolves, Defenders and the Washington Football Team. Personally, I favored Red Tails because of its historical significance and the logo would have been cool. The name didn’t make it to the end and Daniel Snyder stepped in to push for Commanders. Wait, I thought he was giving the running of the team to Mrs. Daniel Snyder because he is a creep and thought it best to slime himself away from the action. He still had to leave his stamp on the team by promoting the new name.
Well, the name is here, and we have to live with it. I have to admit the uniforms turned out quite good despite the lame name. Now, if they could just win something.
Growing up a Redskins fan brought with it glory during the Joe Gibbs era. In the 12 years he coached, the team went to the playoffs eight times and the Super Bowl four times, winning three. Jack Kent Cooke allowed him to run the team and it proved to be the best way to win.
The Snyder years have been terrifying. From Wikipedia: “Since Snyder bought the Washington Commanders, the team has had a losing record (164–220–2 through the end of the 2022 season) and had ten head coaches over twenty-three seasons. Washington has not advanced past the Divisional Round during his tenure. The media allege that his managerial style and workplace culture have indirectly affected the team’s performance during his tenure as the principal owner. Under Snyder, the team sued season ticket holders who were unable to pay during the Great Recession in the late 2000s, despite his claim that there were over 200,000 people on the season ticket waiting list. Partway through the 2009 season, Snyder temporarily banned all signs from FedEx Field, leading to further fan discontentment. Fans have also expressed discontentment about the game day experience, rising ticket and parking prices, and Snyder’s policy of charging fans for tailgates in special areas of the stadium lot.”
Eventually Snyder will be gone, and he’ll take with him a legacy as a selfish money-grubbing loser. Hopefully, the new owners will let the team succeed without their stifling involvement in the football operations other than that of concerned owners cheering for their team and dealing with the team’s economics.
In any event I can live with the name, Commanders, no matter how stupid it sounds. I just hate that Snyder lobbied for it and got his way.
I’m just glad they didn’t name the team the Salamanders.
With love,
Bake My Fish