Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Being around someone with COVID-19 will keep Dan Snyder, his wife and Team President Jason Wright away from the Cowboys game
The Washington Football Team will play the Dallas Cowboys in Texas on Thursday. However, the WFT will not have its owner, Dan Snyder, his wife, Tanya, and Team President Jason Wright in attendance.
The news was made public Wednesday through a statement via the team:
Statement from the Washington Football Team on Dan and Tanya Snyder and Team President Jason Wright. pic.twitter.com/3tyC8lJwxC
— Julie Donaldson (@juliedonaldson_) November 25, 2020
Washington is searching for a new team name and logo, but president Jason Wright has made it clear they are keeping the burgundy & gold.
The topic of a name change has become newsworthy in Washington once again, with team president Jason Wright sitting down with ESPN’s John Keim for an update on where the team is in the process of finding a new mascot or potentially sticking with the ‘Washington Football Team’ moniker for the future.
While no decisions have been made, and Wright says that everything is still on the table, we can gather some hints to figure out where the team might go down the road.
Before we get into names and logos, though, it needs to be made clear that no matter what this team calls itself, the burgundy and gold color scheme won’t be changing. While other professional sports teams in the area — the Wizards, the Nationals, the Mystics, the Capitals — all have red, white, and blue color schemes, it will take a lot for Washington to change.
“It would take a lot to change the burgundy and gold. You can put that one in pen. I don’t see us moving off that at any point,” Wright said, via ESPN. “That’s not actively being considered. … I’ll revise that if it happens, but I don’t see that happening.”
From the outside, it would seem to make a lot of sense for Washington to take on the nation’s colors while residing in the nation’s capital, but there is a big effort not to change too much about the deeply-ingrained culture in the fanbase of D.C., and going away from the Burgundy and Gold would be a huge loss for many people in the area.
So while we wait to hear what this team may call itself in the future, you can rest assured that you won’t have to get used to any new color schemes in the future.
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While fans eagerly await news about a potential name change in Washington, president Jason Wright says ‘Football Team’ is ‘definitely’ in the running.
If you’re a fan of the Washington Football Team, then over the past few months, you’ve absolutely fielded a question about the team’s name, and whether or not they’re going to change it to something cooler.
Are they really going to go by ‘Washington Football Team’ forever?
When are they going to change it? What are they going to change it to?
If you’re like me, you’re tired of answering these questions, simply because we don’t know the answers. For a while, we’ve been under the impression that yes, a new name will be announced eventually, and that the ‘Football Team’ is just a placeholder while they find something better. When it takes place is some time in the nearish future, likely before the 2022 season.
However, are we sure that those answers are correct anymore? According to Washington team president Jason Wright, the WFT could be sticking around.
“It’s definitely in the running,” Wright said of the ‘Washington Football Team’ name, via ESPN. “I don’t think anything is off the table. … With this one, people are excited about the idea of a club has an identity rooted solely in the area it represents. Maybe it’s Football Team or it’s Football Club. We need to get underneath the why, so no matter what direction we go, we can pull on the heartstrings of folks.”
So… ‘Football Team’ might be here to stay, or it could change to ‘Football Club?’
Apparently.
What about the timeline; when is this change going to take place?
According to John Keim, who interviewed Wright for ESPN, it could be a while:
It could be another year, though the name might be known internally by early spring. But then they have to go through the trademark process; people have already filed for trademarks on more than 30 potential names for the franchise. That doesn’t mean Washington wouldn’t be able to get the one they want, but it takes time. He wants to announce the name when they not only have one they like, but also when the logo and design is done.
So a name could be known as soon as this spring, but we won’t know as a general public for quite a bit longer.
No matter what you want the name to change to, or if you don’t want it to change at all, it appears that we’re going to have to be patient going forward. But it’s clear now that everything is on the table, and no decisions have been made yet.
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According to team president Jason Wright, it’s unlikely that Washington decides on a new team name before the 2021 season.
[jwplayer cpboXlrv-ThvAeFxT]
If you’re a fan of the Washington Football Team, I can almost assure you that a question that you’ve answered more than once this year goes something like this:
“Are they really called the Washington Football Team? When are they going to change their name?”
We’re all used to it at this point, and it’s pretty easy to laugh off with a shrug. However, the question still stands — when is the WFT going to change their name and pick something new?
Well, according to team president Jason Wright, it still could be a little while.
“Everybody needs to take a deep breath,” Wright said in an interview with WJLA. “It’s not coming tomorrow. It’s a business decision, we need to understand that market. More importantly, it’s important to engage the community and the fans. We’re also in the process of identifying the folks that should weigh in over time. We want this name and brand to represent the entire area, to represent the fan base, but to also attract new folks to this fan base. We want to grow this fan base as part of our new identity.”
If you were to take to social media and try to get a sense of what the loudest fans are in favor of, suggestions of Redwolves, Redtails, Capitals, and Warriors would likely be prevalent, along with the stubborn few who stand by the opinion that the name should have never changed in the first place. No matter which camp you’re in, though, it may be at least one more season as the ‘Football Team’ before anything really changes.
“I think next year is fast because of how the brand has to come together through uniforms, through approval processes through the league,” Wright said. “Next year is fast. There is a pretty good chance we will still be the Washington Football Team next season. We could get there quicker, it’s actually pretty hard to get there that quickly because of all the steps that need to happen.”
It’s not the end of the world, but it does mean that you’ll need to keep answering those annoying questions for the time being.
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Wright said that it’s too quick to have fans at FedEx Field this weekend vs. Cowboys, but a bye week could help them get prepared.
[jwplayer cpboXlrv-ThvAeFxT]
It was announced last week that the state of Maryland was going to allow fan attendance at Washington Football Team and Baltimore Ravens games, with a cap at 10% of the stadium capacity.
Initially, there were reports that Washington was not planning to allow fans at the games, but they may be changing course now. In an interview with WJLA on Tuesday, Washington team president Jason Wright said that there could be fans at the November 8th game against the New York Giants, but not sooner than that.
“We have the bye week coming up after this,” Wright said. “It gives us plenty of time to be prepared to do something substantial in the coming week. We have a plan to bring back fans. If you want to pencil something on the calendar, I would look at the Giants week. That gives us the right time to prepare.”
After the performance against the Giants this past weekend, it’s fair to wonder how many fans would choose to visit FedEx Field in order to watch the team in person if they were given the green light, but at the very least, it’s good to see that Washington is working towards that direction.
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The Washington Football Team could be more than a one-year experience.
Washington football fans might get used to their team’s new name … at least for another season.
Team president Jason Wright told Washington TV station WJLA on Tuesday the WFT could remain when next season comes around.
“There’s a pretty good chance we will be the Washington Football Team next season,” Wright said.
“Everybody needs to take a deep breath. It’s not coming tomorrow. It’s a business decision, we need to understand that market. More importantly, it’s important to engage the community and the fans. We’re also in the process of identifying the folks that should weigh in over time. We want this name and brand to represent the entire area, to represent the fan base, but to also attract new folks to this fan base. We want to grow this fan base as part of our new identity.
I think next year is fast because of how the brand has to come together through uniforms, through approval processes through the league,” Wright said Tuesday.
“We could get there quicker, it’s actually pretty hard to get there that quickly because of all the steps that need to happen.”
Of course, the team became the WFT after years of controversy over its previous nickname. Team owner Dan Snyder has been scandal-scarred through a number of events and the NFL could eventually weigh in on his future in any number of ways.
Another issue for this season: Will fans be at FedEx Field? Not this Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. How about Nov. 8 against the New York Giants. Though it would be hard to believe anyone would risk themselves in the midst of the pandemic to see either of those games in-person.
“We have the bye week coming up after this. It gives us plenty of time to be prepared to do something substantial in the coming week. We have a plan to bring back fans,” Wright said. “If you want to pencil something on the calendar, I would look at the Giants week. That gives us the right time to prepare.”
Washington Hires Jason Wright
as NFL’s First Black President.
The decision also makes Wright the
fourth player to ever ascend to the position.
This team, at this time, is an ideal opportunity for me … We want to set new standards for the NFL, Jason Wright, via statement.
Wright played for seven years before
departing in the 2010 season to
attend business school.
Wright will cover operations, finances, sales
and marketing while coach Ron Rivera will
continue to handle the football side.
Rivera was hired after the firing of the former president,
Bruce Allen, and was given full power with owner
Dan Snyder wanting a coach-centric approach
Washington Hires Jason Wright
as NFL’s First Black President.
The decision also makes Wright the
fourth player to ever ascend to the position.
This team, at this time, is an ideal opportunity for me … We want to set new standards for the NFL, Jason Wright, via statement.
Wright played for seven years before
departing in the 2010 season to
attend business school.
Wright will cover operations, finances, sales
and marketing while coach Ron Rivera will
continue to handle the football side.
Rivera was hired after the firing of the former president,
Bruce Allen, and was given full power with owner
Dan Snyder wanting a coach-centric approach
Washington Hires Jason Wright
as NFL’s First Black President.
The decision also makes Wright the
fourth player to ever ascend to the position.
This team, at this time, is an ideal opportunity for me … We want to set new standards for the NFL, Jason Wright, via statement.
Wright played for seven years before
departing in the 2010 season to
attend business school.
Wright will cover operations, finances, sales
and marketing while coach Ron Rivera will
continue to handle the football side.
Rivera was hired after the firing of the former president,
Bruce Allen, and was given full power with owner
Dan Snyder wanting a coach-centric approach
Washington Hires Jason Wright
as NFL’s First Black President.
The decision also makes Wright the
fourth player to ever ascend to the position.
This team, at this time, is an ideal opportunity for me … We want to set new standards for the NFL, Jason Wright, via statement.
Wright played for seven years before
departing in the 2010 season to
attend business school.
Wright will cover operations, finances, sales
and marketing while coach Ron Rivera will
continue to handle the football side.
Rivera was hired after the firing of the former president,
Bruce Allen, and was given full power with owner
Dan Snyder wanting a coach-centric approach
Jason Wright made note of the passionate support of Redwolves name in Washington, which he hoped to harness going forward.
With the breaking news on Monday morning that the Washington Football Team had hired Jason Wright to be the newest team president, making him both the first Black president in NFL history, and the young current president in the league (38), Washington Twitter circles were abuzz all day celebrating the news.
What is most exciting about the new hire is learning that Wright, who played in the NFL for several years, will be at the forefront of the coming name-change in Washington, which should take place somewhere over the next year or two. As it is such a hot topic among fans in D.C., Wright was not shy about discussing what the process would be like for changing the name going forward, and he made sure to note that one name in particular — the Redwolves — seems to have an incredibly passionate group of fans pushing for that to be the choice.
Looks like @whoisjwright has already been acquainted with #Redwolves and likes the passion being shown for the name. 🙂 (via @JPFinlayNBCS) pic.twitter.com/DKtYu706ZY
— Jordan (@washfootbaII) August 18, 2020
“I think within 30 seconds of being announced, someone tweeted and blew up my Twitter with Redwolves propaganda,” Wright said with a laugh on the Washington Football Talk Podcast. “This is a very aggressive campaign around Redwolves, which is wonderful! The passion is fantastic, and that’s what’s kept this franchise afloat, frankly. You have fans that are so engaged on this, and we are absolutely going to harness that. That’s what’s going to carry the momentum forward on this culture change.”
There are a number of candidates for the new name, of which the Redwolves is only one that many fans seem to be debating between. Regardless of where the team decides to go, they’ve made it clear that fan and sponsor input will be incredibly important going forward as they try to find the right answer and help cement the culture change that is currently taking place.
“I love it, I love it,” Wright said. “Wherever we may land might piss some folks off, I have no idea. But my guess is that if we do it right, everybody will understand how the process went. They will have seen their input go into some aspect of the new identity, whether that’s the name, or the uniform, or the way we’re choosing to approach the community going forward. Hopefully, every fan will be able to see themselves in it, and therefore we walk out of this in just such a tight-knit new way.”
If you aren’t convinced that Wright is the right person for the job in Washington by his comments on Monday, I’m unsure of what more to tell you. Something is taking root in Washington, and Wright will undoubtedly be a major part of it going forward.
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SportsPulse: Jason Wright became the first team president in the history of the NFL when Washington chose him for the job and USA TODAY Sports’ Mike Jones sat down with him to talk all about it.
SportsPulse: Jason Wright became the first team president in the history of the NFL when Washington chose him for the job and USA TODAY Sports’ Mike Jones sat down with him to talk all about it.
