For a franchise that’s become an awful parody of itself, it was fitting that a team rebranding as the Commanders had so little command of its own reveal.
Commanders it is … here’s the video #WashingtonFootball
pic.twitter.com/186jITIDbZ
— Mitchell Tischler (@Mitch_Tischler) February 2, 2022
The new name was the worst-kept secret in Washington — as owner Dan Snyder himself acknowledged immediately. It was supposed to be officially unveiled in front of a national audience. Yet after nearly two years of planning and preparation to show off a new identity for a franchise nearing its 90th anniversary, the rollout featuring the trio of Doug Williams, Jonathan Allen and team president Jason Wright was — well, awkward.
“We are the Commanders.”
— Former Washington Football Team QB Doug Williams announces new team name, the Washington Commanders pic.twitter.com/ta5hEeyHhQ
— The Recount (@therecount) February 2, 2022
It’s odd that there wasn’t a literal unveiling of the uniform right there, with Wright, the man at the forefront of this rebranding. Instead, Williams simply spoke the new name like the corny uncle at family dinner.
Ok, before I dive into the name, let me huddle up with my fellow football fashionistas:
Initial reaction to the unis: Love the matte helmets but the color rush theme and black helmets are a bad idea https://t.co/nv07AUFDGW
— Rob Woodfork (@RobWoodfork) February 2, 2022
The helmets look terrific. Matte is cool and contemporary, and the new logo fits nicely on the side. My only complaint: The stripe down the middle is extraneous — either go with the three stripes, like the old helmets, or no stripe at all like they did the last two seasons. The black helmet? Throw it in the trash.
The threads are a problem. One of the great things about the old uniforms was the nice contrast between the burgundy and the gold. This all-one-color setup looks like the ill-fated Color Rush uniforms the NFL tried a few years ago.
Speaking of Burgundy and Gold, where’s the gold in the white uniforms? Adding black to an oddly off-color shade of burgundy only brings to mind one of the biggest snafus in franchise history.
This team really messed around and made Jim Zorn’s “maroon and black” gaffe a reality
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