Former Washington owner Daniel Snyder once said he would never get rid of the team’s former name. In time he did.
Under new owner Josh Harris, the team has said it will never bring back the abandoned name and logo. And the team continues to send inconsistent messages about whether it will ultimately bring back the logo, if not the name.
In May, we looked at the mixed signals the franchise had sent, under the assumption that the team is testing the options of bringing back the logo, name or both.
Now AJ Perez of FrontOfficeSports.com reports that the team will use the old logo on alumni shirts honoring players who played for the team before its name was changed in 2020. The clothes will go on sale later this month.
But a team spokesperson tells Perez that “[t]There is no appetite within the Commanders organization to bring back the former ‘R’ icon with Native American imagery as an official team logo, even as part of a rebranding.”
There may be “no appetite” now. But the appetite changes. Especially when, as in the case of the alumni clothing, the team restarts the discarded recipe.
This appears to be part of a broader effort to bring the logo back into circulation. First, it’s alumni merchandise. Then maybe it’s a throwback uniform. In the long run, who knows?
The logo itself was never a problem. It was the word that, over time, had become a dictionary-defined slur.
And let’s be honest. The political winds have changed. Those who oppose the previous logo and/or name are dismissed as ‘woke’. Many see last month’s presidential election as a referendum on that ideology — which, taken in its logical extension, will undo many of the changes implemented four years ago.
The logo can be considered an acceptable compromise. Once again, the name was the problem. Although baseball’s Cleveland Indians became the Guardians, the Chiefs continue to do well without complaint, as far as the war song’s name for the tomahawk chop goes.
Times change. The appetite changes. Ultimately, every professional sports franchise hopes to maximize revenue. Viewed solely as a business principle, the return of the old logo could result in a net financial gain for the Commanders
Then there’s the fact that Snyder is gone. That’s a big step toward opening the door for a chat with the old logo. The alumni gear represents the latest step.
Make no mistake about it. If the merchandise sells well and if the PR effects are minimal, the team will continue to change its tune regarding the old logo.
Just as Snyder eats his words about the former team name, Harris may reverse course on the former logo. The only question is: how long will it last?
It all depends on how the rollout of the old logo for alumni merchandise is received.
