The name of the franchise now known as the Washington Commanders has been a source of controversy for decades. And while the name Commanders hasn’t exactly been a big hit, it’s not going away, either. At least not anytime soon.
Marjorie Harris, the wife of majority owner Josh Harris, spoke about several differences between last year — when new ownership was just taking over — and this year. Harris noted that “Last year was a little bit about finding our way and not being able to make the changes that we were hoping to make until we had the opportunity to do it,” specifically citing quarterback Jayden Daniels, coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters, who are all entering their first season with the team.
She was later asked about the team name, which has been in place for two seasons. For 2020 and 2021, the franchise was simply known as the Washington Football Team, breaking away from its previous name — the Redskins. The lukewarm reception to Commanders has led to speculation that another change might be coming. Harris initially made it known that there were more pressing issues that needed to be dealt with.
“As you would imagine, everybody has an opinion about the name,” she said. “Some good, some bad, some in the middle. And I think that we have a lot of work to do. So that name issue is going to be on the side for now until we can get things going.”
She then took a positive tone about the name.
Marjorie Harris on last year vs. this year, plus thoughts on name "Commanders"
"I had a whole day out in the community and I kept referring to the team as the Commanders… it sounds pretty good to me… for now, it's the Commanders"@JPFinlayNBCS @nbcwashington #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/oEPKmqL65k
— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) May 29, 2024
“Quite frankly, I had a whole day out in the community. And I kept referring to the team as the Commanders. You know what? It sounds pretty good to me. So for now, it’s the Commanders.”
