NFL fans really don’t like Washington’s new team name

Earlier this year, the former Washington Football Team announced that the two-year process to find a new name had come to an end. This week, the result was announced: the club will henceforth be known as the Washington Commanders.

To say fans would be less than thrilled about the name would be an understatement. Pats Pulpit’s sister site Hogs Haven had to say the following about the name reveal:

No one was surprised by the big reveal, which had been leaked in numerous ways over several weeks in advance of the announcement, but the fan base responded with a collective shrug and a frown on social media platforms. The name Commanders was not among the favorites that many had been hoping for, and it struck a lot of fans as being overly generic and lacking in any real meaning or identity.

The unveiling of a “W” logo that is a slightly modified version of the one that the Football Team employed for two seasons also failed to inspire.

The fanbase of the newly-named Commanders were not the only ones left disappointed by the eventual name reveal. SB Nation’s latest Reacts survey shows that fans across the pro football landscape are not in favor of the name.

Not only are 78 percent participants of the opinion that the “Football Team” name was a superior one to the one eventually chosen, the “Commanders” moniker itself did also not fare well on the grading scale: 37 percent gave it a failing grade, with 29 percent handing out a D; 21 percent gave a C with 12 percent grading it as a B.

Only 2 percent of NFL fans regardless of team affiliation voted to give the Commanders an A for the name they eventually picked.

Of course, fans can get used to even the most generic name if the team carrying it plays good football. So, what can be expected of the Commanders in that regard looking forward? Not a lot, according to DraftKings Sportsbook: at the moment, Washington has only the 23rd best odds to win the Super Bowl in 2022 at +5000. For comparison, the New England Patriots are ranked 12th at +2500.

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