Washington Redskins/ Football Team/ Commanders Could Be Forced To Add A Fourth Name To That List In Five Years

Published|Updated

Daniel Snyder sold the Washington Commanders to Josh Harris this offseason. But, did Snyder really sell Harris the "Commanders"?

Trademark attorney Josh Gerben tweeted on Wednesday that the United States Patent and Trademark Office denied the "Commanders" trademark application.

According to Gerben, there is an existing trademark for "Commanders' Classic" and there are pending application by an individual.

Another lawyer, Darren Heitner, identified the man as Martin McCaulay and said he's willing to withdraw his pending applications if the team makes a donation to a charity to support Native American students.

That potentially clears the second hurdle, but not the first.

Which means it's possible that the Washington Commanders will need to rebrand. AGAIN.

Washington Commanders could undergo third name change in four years

If you're counting at home, another name change means the NFL team located in Washington would be on its fourth name in five years. From 1937-2019, the team went by "Washington Redskins."

Following public pressure, then-owner Daniel Snyder eventually agreed to change the name. However, he wanted to take his time with the name change.

Thus, the "Washington Football Team" was born. But, that was temporary until they settled on a permanent nickname.

They played under the WFT moniker for two seasons before officially becoming the "Washington Commanders" prior to last season. Now, after just one year as the Commanders, it might be time for another change.

This may be a blessing-in-disguise. The "Commanders" nickname never really went over very well.

It's generic and so is their logo.

A general view of the Washington Commanders logo on the field before the game between the Washington Commanders and the Cleveland Browns at FedExField on January 1, 2023 in Landover, Maryland.

A general view of the Washington Commanders logo on the field before the game between the Washington Commanders and the Cleveland Browns at FedExField on January 1, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

With Josh Harris coming in, his first move could be to name the team something else. That's a power move, too. New owner, new team name.

Harris already owns the Philadelphia 76ers. Side note: how long until the left-wingers go after that nickname? 76ers, obviously, refers to the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Slavery still existed in America in 1776. I'm truly shocked this isn't brought up more by that group.

But I digress.

What options are left if Washington has to rebrand AGAIN?

In case you're wondering, here were the other finalists before the team chose "Commanders": Armada, Presidents, Brigade, Red Hogs, Commanders, Red Wolves, Defenders and the Washington Football Team.

Look, it's tough to choose a nickname in 2023. Everything is offensive to someone or some group. Plus, with the hundreds of pro teams, college teams, minor league teams, etc. it's going to be difficult to not step on a trademark somewhere.

Can you imagine if Harris' first move were to rename the team "Washington Redskins"? Talk about the ultimate power move.

It's not going to happen, obviously, but I'd respect the hell out of Harris for doing it.

At the end of the day, it's more likely than not that the legal issues are sorted out and the team remains the "Commanders."

But it's more fun to think about that not happening.

Here's to hoping for an unprecedented fourth new Washington NFL team in the past five seasons.

Tags
Written by
Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.