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The Washington Football Team made a wise move in removing its former team name from a racist slur after years of criticism from football fans and sponsors alike. On Wednesday (Feb. 2), the team changed its name to the Washington Commanders and NFL Twitter has plenty to say about the big reveal.
First established in 1932 in Buffalo, N.Y., the team was first given the name the Braves, named after the Boston Braves (now Atlanta Braves) Major League Baseball team. It was later changed to the Redskins and the name persisted until 2020 when the team hired coach Ron Rivera and promised to honor the call to remove the logo and slur.
At one point, it appeared that the WFT moniker would have to stick after it was reported a Virginia man trademarked a number of assumed name choices for the team. However, landing on the Commanders, Washington remains in the burgundy and gold color scheme with rolling out a military-styled “W” as its logo.
It appears that a number of savvy fans knew that this name was coming early as last month, but the change is finally official. Even team owner Dan Snyder was aware that the team name change wasn’t exactly kept behind the most secure of vaults.
On Twitter, reaction to the name change garnered praise and some criticism. Time will tell how swiftly the team’s loyal fans will adapt to the new nickname, but it’s certainly more appropriate and less offensive than the previous iteration.
We’ve got reactions from NFL Twitter and the like below.
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Photo: Getty
11.
Properly dramatic.
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