13 July 2020 was not what you would consider a fresh beginning.
It felt like something had been snatched away from you.
There was no long wind-up, no gentle easing of fans into a concept. One moment, the Redskins existed, carrying with it memories dating back decades, the next, it was gone. For many, that alone was what stung. Not that it had to change, but in the way that it did.
Because even with how emotional the entire affair was, there was something more subtle underlying it, which made it all the more painful to deal with.
From Redskins to Football Team to Commanders: A Complicated Path That Finally Feels Right
Was it a Morality or Money Decision?
It did not feel as though the organization had taken a step back to determine this was the appropriate course of action; it did not feel as though it was a turning point born from soul-searching. Had that been the case, it is unlikely that fans would have reacted the way that they did. Not necessarily better, or worse, but they would have likely taken comfort in the thought that the change came from the top.
The decision was 100% business motivated.
Nike discontinuing all Washington merchandise on their website during the first week of July was not symbolic; it was pure commerce. Nike had leverage and used its political stance, carrying the clout of the league’s official supplier. Once that became clear and Nike stood along with FedEx and PepsiCo putting heat on the organization, it seemed only obvious that this would happen.
Not because the organization collectively changed its mind, but because it was compelled to for morally sound reasons.
And therein was the source of all the irritation.
Rebranding to the Washington Football Team
The name change to the Washington Football Team somehow felt even more bizarre.
After all of the feeling and the buildup and the emotions. It sounded like it barely was even a name. It sounded temporary because it was temporary, but you still had no problem saying out loud how completely absurd the whole situation was.
You really had no choice but to laugh at the name. Rival fans cracked jokes immediately. It felt incomplete and sounded that way as well. It literally felt like they’d just put the franchise on pause for an indefinite amount of time.
But then the games began, and the vibe changed a bit. There was no mascot or branding to pick apart. Only the numbers, the colors, and the game. It was less thrilling than they’d hoped, but it was also less overwhelming. In the context of the last year and a half, the straightforward nature of it was more welcoming than anyone anticipated.
For a little while, it even seemed like it might be more lasting than they had anticipated.
That made the final step feel that much more awkward.
New Beginnings: The Washington Commanders
After two years of waiting, the team was called the Commanders. And after another outpouring of emotion, the response was strangely subdued. It wasn’t that no one cared, it was that they’d already gone through the hard part. The name didn’t generate gasps. It didn’t instantly convince fans. But it didn’t dredge up everything July of 2020 did.
Because time had passed. And that changes everything. At some point it stopped being about the name. It became about everything else. The history was never going away. The culture was never going away, and the memories were never going to fade. The games you watched with your dad. Your favorite players and the ones you wish they never went after in free agency. This Super Bowl years and the two decade long stretch of misery.
None of those memories were ever tied to the logo as much as anyone thought.
It was tied to the feeling.
And because of that, there’s a different kind of acceptance today. There’s a time in your life where you realize you aren’t losing anything. You already lived it and you already experienced it. No one can ever take that away, no matter what name is on the uniform today.
It’s sort of like the final episode your favorite long running television show ending. You know it’s not coming back again, that that chapter has closed. But the memories still are. The lines you remember, the moments that played out in your head again, and the feelings when the episode was the best part of your week. Those moments never really go away just because it ended.
It’s something you just carry with you now. And at some point, not really being aware it’s even happening, the present stops struggling with the past. It simply exists next to it. This is where we are today. And truth be told, it’s a pretty decent place to finally arrive.
I’m finally at peace with being a Washington Commanders fan. And you should be too.
Main Image: Ana Beltran/Reuters via Imagn Images
