Washington’s NFL franchise is once again under fire and of course, for the same reason. In my opinion, this is an issue we shouldn’t be having anymore in the year 2020. Not because it’s not controversial, but because the issue regarding Washington’s team name has been around for almost three decades. The Redskins’ name and logo has been protested for the past 30 years and it looks like a change will finally be made. Washington have apparently met and discussed the potential name change. Of course, this happened with a little “push” from their sponsors.
While the whole mess is resolved, all we can do now is speculate on what the Washington team will end up being called. So for now, here’s a short list of what I believe are best name change suggestions for Washington’s NFL franchise.
Special mention: Skins
Wouldn’t it be so simple and easy to just drop the first three letters of the name? First, and most important, it would save them a whole lot of time and money on rebranding. Second, it’s pretty much the same name and fans would probably not even notice the difference.
Although ideal, this potential name change might be a couple of decades to late. As stated earlier, simply dropping the first three letters won’t take away much in terms of what people have associated and attached with the name. So sadly, this one will have to be a pass.
3. Sentinels
I’ll be honest, this one comes from my own personal bias. The Washington Sentinels was a fictional team in the movie
The Replacements, which was released in 2000 and starred Keanu Reeves. For me, this name change would be the best for two main reasons.
First, all the branding and color schemes can already be based off the movie. Maybe a few changes and modernizations are needed, but the blueprint is as good as done. This makes the franchises job a lot easier and will make the transition a lot smoother, which brings me to the second point.
It’s free marketing and publicity. Not that the team needs more exposure, but this might just be the way Dan Snyder turns this whole mess into a positive for his team. You bring the fictional team to life and along with it some, of the cult-classics fans as well. Maybe even tap Keanu Reeves, one of the most popular actors right now, to promote the team.
You resolve the name controversy once and for all and you put a positive spin on everything. Win-win.
2. Redtails
This is one of that popped up a lot online and for good reason. The name comes from the planes the Tuskegee Airmen piloted during World War II. Not only were they the first black aviators in the United States Armed Forces, three of the members were actually from Washington, giving this name deep roots to the city and history.
With all the recent protests and events revolving around the Black Lives Matter movement and this being a complete 180 from their past name, it’s definitely a yes for me.
1.Bravehearts/Warriors
By far the most popular and suggested, this one simply fits. Personally, I wouldn’t choose Warriors because I think a certain NBA team in San Francisco already owns that real estate, but either one works.
The overall aesthetic and vibe of the team wouldn’t have to change with this option and they’d would only have to tweak their fight song a tad bit. Hail to the Bravehearts? They’d keep most their identity and recall with fans so this one is definitely a top choice.
However, I have my own reason for putting this at number one.
The one thing I’m excited for when it comes to this potential name changes is Washington permanently bringing back those beautiful spearhead helmets. Debuted in 1965, Washington can resurrect this popular design as well as adding a new twist to it, hopefully giving the team the boost it needs after going through tough times.
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