By this time next week, the Washington Football Team will have a new name after using its temporary moniker for two mildly successful, by WFT standards, NFL seasons.
Nothing is official, but former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason believes that when the team makes its announcement on February 2 the Admirals are going to be the new team in Washington, D.C.
Should that be the case, the majority of NFL fans who were surveyed about what the new team name should be will be disappointed. Of the new nicknames reportedly being considered by the organization, the Washington Defenders was the most popular among fans surveyed, with 40% expressing a favorable opinion of the name per a new Morning Consult poll.
Following the Defenders were the aforementioned Admirals and the Commanders at 38% each, followed by the current Washington Football Team name at 35%. Possibly because the announcement about the team name is coming on Groundhog Day, the Red Hogs were listed as an option. Not a popular one, as that name clocked in at just 24%.
“Washington’s NFL team has its work cut out for it in choosing a name that fans can get on board with right out of the gate,” according to Morning Consult. “Among NFL fans, Defenders was the only choice that had a positive net favorability rating, meaning the share of respondents with a favorable opinion of the name was greater than the share with an unfavorable opinion. Still, the fact that 1 in 3 NFL fans believes the team should remain the Washington Football Team shows that fans can grow to like a name over time, even one that was almost universally panned when it was first introduced. The surest way to inspire enthusiasm for a new name, of course, would be to achieve some level of postseason success — something fans haven’t seen since the team’s last playoff win in 2005.”
It’s a good point. If Washington wins, fans won’t care what the team calls itself. Maybe Red Hogs has a chance …
“While we’ve always understood it would be a nearly impossible task to select a name that all of our fans would identify with as their first pick, we are very excited about our final selection, which aligns with our values, carries forth our rich history, represents the region and, most importantly, is inspired and informed by you, our fans,” said team president Jason Wright. “We are confident that this identity is one that our team and our fans across D.C., Maryland, Virginia and beyond can rally behind for another 90 years and more as we continue to cheer on the Burgundy & Gold in this next chapter.”
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