When the assignment came in to write about what the new nickname of the NFL team in Washington will be, the last thing on my mind was Boomer Esiason. More on that later. It seems fitting that the District of Columbia football club will announce its next moniker on Groundhog Day, February 2. That way, the franchise will be smiling on a cloudy day or as a shadow of its former self. How did we get here and where are we going?
They Were Just Another Band Out Of Boston
George Preston Marshall’s baby was born in Boston in 1932 and called the Braves. It is unclear how much controversy this caused, but the franchise was rebranded the Redskins in 1933. That handle traveled with the team to D.C. in 1937 and stuck until the Football Team in 2020. So it’s time for a new chapter in club history. Here are some possibilities:
If Admirals’ Ship Comes in, it Won’t Bring Much
The special NFL odds are slanted heavily toward the Admirals – and for good reason because the club may have tipped its hand. Last month, those who visited WashingtonAdmirals.com were redirected to WashingtonFootball.com, the team’s official website.
WashingtonAdmirals.com now takes you to a page featuring the NFL’s crucial catch program. Good catch or just a ploy? According to a sneak peek at the uniforms, there are stars involved. If there are four, that’s a good sign for the Admirals. One hitch: There’s a Major League Quidditch team in nearby Fairfax, Va., called the Admirals. They may need to get paid.
Tuskegee Airmen Way Too Good for This
The Red Tails are the second choice at +275, followed by the Presidents and Renegades each at +450. The Red Tails would be an excellent choice. It would honor the Tuskegee Airmen, who were an elite fighting force primarily of African-American pilots in World War II. A story published in Time magazine on the subject in 2020 indicated that not all the surviving Airmen would welcome it, with one saying “I am not sure they are worthy of the Red Tail name. They don’t win that many games plus a lot of the players have a … poor attitude. …”
Times They Are A-Changin’
ESPN reported that club co-CEO Tanya Snyder confirmed during a September podcast that the eight final candidates were Armada, Brigade, Commanders, Defenders, Football Team, Presidents, Red Hogs, and RedWolves. But we’ve learned a few things since. The new name will not be the RedWolves — or any variation of Wolves, according to team president Jason Wright. That could cause legal problems because of trademarks held by other clubs. It also looks like the Football Team has been dropped from consideration. The big question is: Why didn’t Snyder mention the Admirals in the podcast?
Betting on the New Name Game
This is an unusual task in the world of making NFL predictions, but here goes. There doesn’t appear to be much value when betting online because it seems the new name is well-known.
If you must take a stab at something else, how about the team becoming the Red Hogs on Groundhog Day? That would pay homage to the offensive line that helped win three Super Bowls in the late 80s and early 90s during the franchise’s glory days. That would at least offer some value in the Las Vegas odds. The Red Tails would be better.
The bottom line? They will probably become the Admirals on Feb. 2 because Boomer said so on his New York City radio show. Not so fast. The Washington Quidditch Team doesn’t have a ring to it.
