LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 29: Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder stands on the field before a preseason game between the Baltimore Ravens and Redskins at FedExField on August 29, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Washington continues to screw up their rebrand.
In an offseason that included a bombshell report unearthing widespread sexual harassment and the release of a promising running back in Derrius Guice after being charged with strangulation, Dan Snyder could have changed the old, offensive Washington team name to something that rolls off the tongue and would set them up nicely for the next few decades. Instead, Snyder couldn’t come up with anything better than the über-generic “Washington Football Team” or a generic yellow “W” as the team name and logo.
Even their team-specific hashtag on Twitter was a colossal disappointment. Washington wanted “#1932” as their hashtag, a homage to the fact that the team was founded as the Boston Braves in 1932. Unfortunately, they didn’t realize that you can’t hashtag numbers.
Someone needs to tell Washington’s marketing team how Twitter works.
This rebrand has been a disaster for Washington. While names like the Redtails, which honor a fighter pilot squadron in World War II, and Redwolves, which are native to the Southern United States, were frequently mentioned as potential alternatives to their old moniker, Snyder went for generic rather than listening to his fanbase. After that chaotic misstep, did anyone really think their hashtag reveal would go off without a hitch?
The one part of this rebrand that Snyder’s team did not mess up was the new helmets, as the maroon helmets with gold numbers on the side of the helmet are nothing short of excellent. A small silver lining among all of the subpar debris.
Based on what we’ve seen over the last few months, Washington’s fans have a better vision of what this team should look like than Snyder and the higher-ups do. Until they get a new, permanent name with a fraction of creativity, expect the jokes on social media to continue.