One of the hot topics in sports today is around the name of the gridiron football team that plays near our nations capital. I was a Redskins fan back in the 1980s when John Riggins and the Hogs were among the best in the NFL. There was rarely has been a better a group of gentlemen who were more of a team than the 5 members of the Redskins offensive line. Only one of them, Russ Grimm was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. Of course, I was never one to dress in drag and wear a plastic pig snout, but I was still a fan.
But that does not mean that I believe the Redskins should keep their name. I was made aware of this plight when I was a senior at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and found a poster that used many racial slurs as team names in comparison to the Redskins name. However, what most people of the liberal side of the argument don't realize is how difficult and costly branding a sports franchise can be.
Of course, there are the legendary naming contests. However, what most people don't realize is that these so-called contests are nothing more than marketing schemes. It helps people feel as though the community was part of the branding of the team. Usually, the new owners have the team name in mind before the contest begins, and simply reward the closest guess.
Re-branding the team is not something that is done in a boardroom somewhere. If will take weeks, if not months before the team is re-branded. This will be no easy task for the current Redskins owners. Has anyone else noticed that since Daniel Snyder has become the owner of the team, the franchise has floundered? A good brand should reflect where the company or team is currently in the marketplace, where they would like to be in the future and reflect the values that the team would like to project. The current Washington Redskins are nothing like the team that won 3 Super Bowl Championships in the 1980s and 1990s. They are more like a ship without a rudder. You should expect better from someone who became a billionaire through advertising.
Branding takes time. After the name is chosen, logos are designed, followed by uniforms. The main reason the Utah Jazz did not change their name following their exodus from New Orleans is because the NBA felt there was not enough time to do so. Perhaps the original plan was to re-brand the team after their first season in Salt Lake City, like the Milwaukee Brewers were known as the Milwaukee Pilots their first year in Wisconsin. But here we are 34 years later, still known as the Jazz.
In spite of the teams performance in recent seasons, the team doesn't have to look far for inspiration to find a brand that will inspire the team to greatness. There is oodles of choices from American history. Being in the nation's capital has its advantages. Here are some of my suggestions.
1. Washington Continentals--Named for the Continental Army that fought against the British forces in the American Revolution.
2. Washington Wolves--Named for General George "Grey Wolf" Crook, US Civil War General
3. Washington Cyclones--Named for the 38th Infantry Division, who earned the nickname during World War I.
4. Washington Red Devils--Named for the 5th Infantry Division, who earned the name from their German Counterparts in World War I.
5. Washington Spearheads--Named after the 3rd Armored Division.
6. Washington Mustangs--Named for the P-51, considered the best fighter in World War 2.
7. Washington Osprey--The largest birds in the Chesapeake Bay.
There are possibly many others that the current Redskins could change their names to. They could even do it is a way that will allow them to keep their colors, and only change the insignia on the helmet, to keep the cost of re-branding down.
Should the Redskins change their name? Yes. But let's not rush them as branding is a serious business.
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