'5 Percent'?! What Do Washington Fans Think of 'Commanders'? Not Much
A Washington Post survey on fans' opinion on the name "Commanders'' is not a revelation in regard to any general thumbs-down; that part of this process was going to be predictable, as change away from tradition can be an intellectual and emotional challenge.
But only "five percent'' of Washington fans “love” the franchise’s name change?
"Five percent''?
The Washington Post survey further revealed that 36 percent of Washington fans say they do like the new name “Commanders.'' That is encouraging ... but it does not exceed the number of those opposed. Indeed, almost as many people (32 percent) profess to “dislike” it.
And then there is a most passionate bunch ...
Made up of 17 percent of the voters who profess to “hate” the new name.
The full acceptance of "Commanders'' is going to take a while. That is certainly true of some fans who still (stubbornly?) cling to "Redskins'' as the "proper'' team name, even as it has generally been accepted by many to be anything but "proper.''
And in that sense, no new name was going to be fully embraced. And at least "Commanders'' makes sense, in a way that "Buffalo Bills,'' say, even 60-some years later, still does not. It also makes sense, to some, in a way that no name at all ("Washington Football Team''?) did not.
Additionally, there are surely NBA fans here in D.C. who were slow to switch, in their minds, from "Bullets'' to "Wizards.'' There are fans across the continent, in Denver, say, who still call the Broncos home "Mile High Stadium,'' ignoring the seemingly frequent sponsorship changes that have altered the name. And if you still call them the "San Diego Chargers,'' hey, your brain simply hasn't caught up it.
It'll get there on this stuff. It'll get there on "Washington Commanders,'' too, whether Washington likes it or not. And there is a way to get Washington to like it ...
"It grew on me just seeing the jerseys and everything that we are going to stand for with the name, knowing we're from D.C.," Chase Young said. "It definitely grew on me, so I'm ready to go out there and be a Commander, and we're going to be commanding - know that!"
And if that happens? Acceptance will get here that much more quickly.
