Not What I Ordered

The Washington District of Columbia Football Club…

For the first time in my lifetime, there’s a serious call for changing the nickname of the Washington DC professional football team. The team’s nickname is not one of opinion… it has never been a question of whether or not it’s racist or offensive. 

Real simple, would you ever call anyone a “bleep-skin”? If you didn’t know the team name, would you even know the term existed? No… because it’s a terrible name and needs to be changed immediately. No one uses this term in real life, we all know why, let’s not play dumb. 

Nowhere else in the world do you see sporting teams named after whole peoples. There is no such thing as the “Berlin Russians” or the Paris “Italians,” no because it sounds stupid and without substance. 

So that’s that…

Now what should be the new team name? 

I’ve seen a number of suggestions and they’re all over the place. From the respectable nickname of the “Red Tails” (to honor the Tuskegee Airmen) to the boring and lame “Presidents” and “Generals” to simply being called the “Americans.” 

NOOOOOOOO!!!!

Just call it the “Washington District of Columbia Professional Football Club,” with no gimmicks, no mascot, no cheerleaders, no band. Just the coaches, trainers, scouts, and players. 

Why? 

For starters, we as Washington area sports fans already went through a terrible team name change. The Washington Bullets was a great nickname for our professional basketball team. No one, and I mean no one, hunted down anyone in the name of the “Washington Bullets” and shot them for said reasons. The reason for changing the name due to Washington’s murder rate is one thing, but to change it to the Wizards is just whack. Luckily our old red, white, and blue colors are back. But for years we were the laughing stock of the league due to lack of talent, ugly jerseys, and a terrible nickname. 

Secondly… the new team name NEEDS to be done quickly, to revert the media’s attention and focus back to the game of football. Outside of a couple RGIII’s here and a Sean Taylor (RIP) there, my childhood team has been ridiculously awful. 

A no-nonsense type of approach and new name is exactly what that organization needs to change its image. 

Lastly, the new name should be simple and straight forward, for it may bring some seriousness to Washington as a whole. The past few years we’ve seen the most illogical and asinine stances from people. Flat-Earthers to Trump voters refusing to wear masks amongst a health pandemic, it’s been a lot to take in. Maybe, just maybe, a team in the nation’s capital once named as one of the worst racial slurs in history could turn around and be a symbol of reason and progress. If the team were to change its name, show success, be a lead voice for what’s right, it COULD have an impact and trickle effect for the rest of the NFL and beyond. 

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