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The Washington Football Team was a hot topic on Tuesday. Early Tuesday, the team released a video informing fans it will unveil the team’s new name on Feb. 2.
Some Washington fans were disappointed team president Jason Wright ruled out “Wolves” and “RedWolves” as potential names, citing legal concerns.
Someone who knows Washington well, former head coach Jay Gruden, was on Team 980’s Russell & Medhurst Tuesday for his weekly appearance and had a controversial take on Washington’s potential name.
As Gruden joined the show, Russell and Medhurst joked with the former coach about the naming process. Gruden joked back and offered the following take:
“I don’t want to ruffle any feathers, but they should have never changed the name in the first place,” Gruden said.
While it may be a controversial take, Medhurst told Gruden that comment likely endeared him to Washington fans more than anything he said during his almost six seasons as head coach.
Medhurst is correct. A large portion of Washington’s fan base will always prefer the new name. However, if the team can start winning consistently, everyone will come around on the new name.
As for the rest of Gruden’s interview, it’s an outstanding listen. Gruden is an excellent analyst who peels back the curtain from his time as an NFL coach and discusses why this Week 18 game is still important to players and coaches.