Fans of the Washington Football Team can put Feb. 2 on the calendar as the day they will learn their team’s new name, according to a Tuesday announcement from the organization.
The NFL franchise has been without a real name since July 13, 2020, when it dropped the name “Redskins” after critics alleged it was racist and insensitive to Native Americans.
“We know this has been a long process — one with a lot of pieces and details — and we appreciate you sticking with us,” Team President Jason Wright wrote in his President’s Brief. “[We] want to share two final updates.”
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The first is that the new team name will not be the “Wolves” or “RedWolves,” according to Wright.
Not a date you’ll want to miss pic.twitter.com/2mcYNPN2AY
— Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL) January 4, 2022
“Once we began looking into Wolves, however, we became aware of a notable challenge: trademarks held by other teams would limit our ability to make the name our own,” the president wrote. “And without Wolves, variations like RedWolves wouldn’t have been viable either for these and other reasons.”
Given the “weight and importance” of the new name to fans, who have been involved in the process, the organization did not want to pursue a name with a path that could be littered with legal hurdles and years of litigation, according to Wright.
The wait is almost over
Mark your calendars: 2.2.22 pic.twitter.com/6Ofhfya5sA
— Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL) January 4, 2022
“[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,” the brief read. “[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.”
The Feb. 2 reveal date is the second update and, perhaps, the biggest.
“Mark your calendars, Washington Family. This is not a day you’ll want to miss!” Wright said.
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“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,” he wrote.
