Once upon a time, former Washington owner Daniel Snyder said that he would “all-caps” never change the team’s name. Current ownership says the team will never change the name back.
Meanwhile, new ownership continues to keep the old name and logo in circulation.
The most blatant dipping of the toe happened recently, when the team made available T-shirts honoring franchise greats that include the old name and logo.
If the effort was aimed in part at seeing what the reaction would be, there was one.
“The franchise retired this branding in 2020 after decades of advocacy by Native Peoples and one of their large sponsors requesting they change it,” the Association on American Indian Affairs said in a statement issued to WUSA. “Native Peoples’ diverse cultures are not brands to be retired and then revived when there is money to be made. The renewed commercialization of Native stereotypes is part of a broader pattern of disrespect toward Native Peoples at a time when Native Nations are fighting very real threats to their sovereignty, cultures, lands, and sacred places. Reviving harmful imagery — that has been proven to harm Native youth — for nostalgia and profit only perpetuates the stereotypes Native Peoples have spent decades demanding be left behind. And, that the sponsors of the Washington Commanders have said should be left behind. Native Peoples have been clear, consistent and unwavering: We are not your mascot.”
Here’s how the team official explained the move, also in a statement to WUSA: “When we recognize alumni through merchandise, our goal is to ensure those products authentically reflect the era they represent, and that is shown in the handful of items we are selling. It’s also important that we protect our trademarks. We are required to maintain the marks in commercial usage so that [the] marks remain under franchise control. There are no changes to our previous position on the team name, and we’re excited to showcase the Commanders brand this season in ways that celebrate our past while looking toward the future.”
The trademarks argument seems flimsy. Even if the law requires the Commanders to use mothballed names and logos in order to preserve the rights to them, it doesn’t have to be quite so conspicuous. Besides, it felt like a “by the way” addition to the primary argument that they want merchandise honoring alumni that is authentic and accurate.
But that can easily be accomplished, by using an image of the player that includes a straight-on view of his helmet, with the logos not clearly visible.
The bigger picture is this. Even if current ownership says they’ll never bring back the old name, they’re keeping it close enough to use if needed.
In 2020, the planets lined up in a way that got Snyder to do something he said he’d never do. At some point in the future, the planets could line up in a way that results in Harris (or the next owner) doing what the team now says it will never do.