Josh Harris, the controlling owner of the Washington Commanders, said Monday he has no plans to change the team’s nickname and that it has been catching on with fans.
The previous administration’s decision to change the team’s nickname caused a ton of blowback from fans. Daniel Snyder renamed the organization the Washington Football Team from the Washington Redskins amid a summer of racial tension in the U.S. in 2020. Then the team was renamed the Commanders from there.
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Harris made clear the team name would stay put.
“I think it’s now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff, so, we’re going with that,” Harris said. “Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something. It’s about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It’s really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.”
Bringing the Redskins nickname and logo back has been a topic broached a few times since Harris took over.
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Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said in November “good faith negotiations” about honoring the team’s history, including the Blackfeet chief logo that the organization used for decades, helped lawmakers and the organization come to a deal on the RFK Stadium site in D.C.
“As far as rebranding and bringing (back) our past, which obviously I grew up with and all the Super Bowl championships and our future together, you’re going to see us head back towards honoring our past and bringing it together with our future,” Harris said.
Harris said talks are ongoing with Maryland, Virginia and D.C. officials about a new stadium and put 2030 as a “reasonable target” for opening.
“I grew up with a great stadium, and I understand what it’s like to play in a stadium where it’s hard for the visiting team to play,” Harris said, referring to RFK Stadium, the team’s former home in Washington from 1961-96 before moving to Landover, Maryland. “We need to have a great place where our fans can show up, and, as much as possible, we want that to be an advantage to our team in terms of winning on the field.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said a stadium in D.C. could be a “huge economic driver.”
“I think it can be great for our nation,” Goodell said. “I remember that as a kid growing up, the power of that. If that’s the best alternative, I think it would be a great thing.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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