It was a heady time for activists in 2020. The George Floyd “Summer Of Upheaval” was in full swing, and the subsequent push for “justice” was such that corporations were in full apologetic retreat, regardless of guilt. Companies nationwide embarrassed themselves as they were cowed by the faintest whiff of accusatory charges.
Remember the surge on social media of businesses hoping to avoid criticism by incorporating black colors in their logos and posting black squares on their accounts? The corporate cowardice emboldened the activist set, and the accusations spread to other causes. Swept up in this wave was the Washington Redskins. The team had been enduring years of media overhype regarding the supposed insensitivity of the team's name, and by 2020, the blaring rose in volume, and the franchise buckled.
The move to eliminate the Redskins moniker was made in a purely reactive fashion, seen by the fact that the team went essentially nameless for the two seasons following, going by the completely neutered tag of “The Washington Football Team.” (Many referred to them derisively as “The Redacted” or “The Washington Generics.") Eventually, the decision was made to settle on calling them The Commanders, but stalwart fans were not impressed, with many still calling them the Redskins, and retaining their old gear.
There has been diminished passion for this new team name, and the new owners who took over in 2024 have been seeking to build interest by alluding to the past, without actually falling back to the old name. They are reverting to the color scheme from the Redskins era, and an alternate logo is also going to be seen with a black uniform. This will involve a spear shot through the “W” on the helmet, a nod to a throwback logo the team used in the 1960s.
COMMANDERS' NEW UNIFORMS 🏈: The Washington Commanders unveiled an alternate uniform called the "Hail Raiser," with a throwback feel. See the all-black look.https://t.co/WlsPzMO1Cr
— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) April 15, 2026
And yes, this is generating media distemper. The basic message heard in the press is, “Don’t you DARE attempt to go back!”
The Washington Commanders unveiled a new alternate helmet that features a spear through the "W" logo, described as "a joining of past and present" — a move that could reignite a debate over the team's use of Native American imagery. https://t.co/PB8n56pY57
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 15, 2026
Native Americans were largely critical about the Washington Commanders' "new alternate logo'' that features a spear embedded in a W. https://t.co/NNuCRLvAcF
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 17, 2026
“Largely critical” is hefting the majority of that weight. As we saw during the Redskins controversy, most of the complaints and opposition were coming not from native peoples but from those being offended on behalf of the allegedly aggrieved tribal members. Back in that era, when actual journalism could still be found in corners of the media industry, the Washington Post polled Native Americans and found that 90% were unbothered by the team, with most of those citing it as a point of pride. But the activist set and the press (to be redundant) lobbied to remove the “offensive’ name.
Now, as the franchise is making indicators that they are peering back over their shoulders, notice the media trying to strike them on the knuckles and halt their attempt at cultural recidivism. The White Guilt & Reparations Condemnation Board is a perpetual motion engine. There will ALWAYS be something to offend them, even when they are not the offended party.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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