“Color is a powerful measure of loyalty and an indicator of a brand,” said O’Hara. The team’s colors are “unique and it’s who they are,” he said.
He said the Commanders name fits well with the significant military presence in and around Washington, DC, although O’Hara said the name sounded a bit generic and might have too many syllables.
“It works with the region,” he says. “But it feels worn, not fresh.”
Some names were removed because they were used by other teams or because of concerns they might violate trademarks.
Ultimately, four finalists went through a full design process that included seeing how they looked on TV, in print, on social media, and on uniforms and helmets.
The alternative names included the RedWolves, Admirals, Generals, Armada and Presidents, names that appeared in social media announcements and statements from Wright, who dropped some names from the dispute because they conflicted with brands from other teams, including both variants of the name RedWolves.
Teams are sometimes renamed or rebranded when they move to different cities or are sold to new owners. The Rams kept their name and colors but changed their logo and uniforms when they relocated from St. Louis to Los Angeles ahead of the 2016 season. In Major League Baseball, the Marlins replaced Florida with Miami in their name when they moved to a stadium within city limits. The current Cleveland Browns are a reactivated version of the team after Art Modell moved his version to Baltimore and it became the Ravens.
In Washington’s case, the team faced demands from fans, sponsors and Native American groups for years to drop the previous franchise name, long considered a racial slur against Native Americans. The team’s owner, Daniel Snyder, resisted this pressure and fended off legal action aimed at stripping the team of its trademarks.
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