DCdangerous

Here is another idea for a new mascot for Commanders. And it really started with the recent release of the Cherry Blossom uniforms of both the Nationals and the Wizards. I personally don't like the idea that the only real DC icon we have (that isn't the federal government or museums) is a pink flowered tree. (We shall see if Commanders makes a Mumbo Sauce uniform). But people have been rejoicing over this. They even want the Commanders to make their own Cherry Blossom merch. That is how much the fans here really get behind something that is local. That is unique to DC. But that is when I had a breakthrough. There is another canine we can have on our Washington team! And it doesn't just come from the military, it comes from the White House. President Biden just got a German Shepard named Commander. One of a few German Shepards the President owns. Obviously we all know that, but this is definitely a local connection to the area, something DC can get behind. In 1967 the Louisiana Restaurant Association gave the Saints a St Bernard named Gumbo as a gift. And that became their dog mascot to this day. Our connection with the Prez's dog would be on equal standing as Gumbo. And no it would not be considered too political to choose a mascot from the President. Let a dog be a dog, just one owned by the Commander in Chief. (Naming the German Shepard mascot Brandon, now THAT is too political) Also the breed of the dog is important as well. The US Military uses dogs in many departments to do tasks such as attacking intruders, rescuing people, checking for landmines, etc. And the #1 dog breed they use? German Shepard. Another factor the German Shepard has is that I have looked up all the dog mascots in pro and collegiate sports. There are breeds like Bulldogs, Greyhounds, Huskies, Retrievers, even Terriers. And yet no team has ever used a German Shepard. That gives us an edge for uniqueness. It could even be a GS mix with a wolf to both increase its uniqueness and bring the spirit of the red wolf that many dogs already have. And for what it is worth, that means you can name the German Shepard mascot Alpha. You would have no fears of lawsuits from teams like AR St or Minn, no one else claiming the rights to Alpha for a German Shepard, and you can still use the Alpha as a play on Alpha dog. A more rounded way of having the hashtag, #AlphaCommand. So in summation, the fans really care about something that is local. So most likely the mascot has to be based on something local. This may not have been the wolf I was hoping for, but a canine is a canine. I am willing to transfer all my passion from the wolf to the German Shepard named Alpha in order to give the fans the local connection they want as well as uniqueness. A German Shepard mascot, based on the President's dog, with a breed used in the military, and never used in any other sports team. And with so many people hating on the reent merch sent out lately, this team needs a different perspective on their name to bring more creative ideas. So I adjusted the wolf W up there to give is a German Shepard shape. It's a short hair version in this one. But its neck not as thin as a Doberman Pincher, and not as wide as a wolf. Maybe if more people can see the German Shepard in this logo, I will give more hair on the back of the neck. I also went so far as to make the costumed mascot in all three Commanders uniforms. I never did this before but I definitely get my point across better with visuals. I made it two fur variations. One in black and tan, and one in black and red. I even reused my wolf paw design and adjusted to make it a German Shepard paw. This can fall into place if you know where to look!

I think if Washington brings in a new hastag #AlphaCommand, it will show more fluidity to the name Commanders. It can be military theme, but also space theme and also wolf theme. Three marketing fields that are there for the taking. And those who don't want one field can focus more on the other field. I even made three logos for #AlphaCommand. All three show the W intact, and include the three DC flag stars.

The Bills already use that for their fight song.

So after two years of fans promoting different names and concepts online and in person, our Washington Football Team officially became the Commanders. Not overly accepted, but it was safe, a small reference to our local surroundings (similar to NY Giants). and trademarks were there for the taking. Our uniforms have been presented, and most likely remain that way for the next five years. So our journey is over, right? Not quite. I think we all can agree that the new name feels...incomplete. Because there are still a few things missing. A fight song, a shorthand nickname, and yes, a mascot. While everyone can bring in potential fight song lyrics and shorthand nicknames in this thread, the primary focus is to come together and discuss what could be our next mascot. Because let's be honest, our old name didn't exactly give us an opportunity to create a legit. We had superfans like Chief Zee, but never a costumed exaggerated being meant to bring a balance of lighthearted fun and intimidation. Now some may argue that we don't NEED a mascot. But that argument only worked when we were WFT. Our team is no longer just a football team in Washington with nearly 90 years of history; we have a new name. Packers/Giants/Chargers/Jets are the ones who don't have a mascot, but they have history and their city to make up for no mascot. We can't act like we have been Commanders this whole time because that can't be faked. And to be honest, the Commanders name doesn't really give personality. Commanders is generic and doesn't have a precise reference. The name claims to be all about leadership and service. But there are different forms of services that are here in DC. Police, Coast guard, Navy, White House, and a variety of armed forces leaders. Our team name doesn't give much to encompass them all. So a mascot is a great way to share a lighthearted and fun image of our team to make up for the generic name. I know you all feel burned out with the name change journey. But I bet WSH's marketing team is tracking all the dialogue on social media and other platforms to see what fans are creating. So they are still listening to their fans and continuing the journey to finish the whole Commanders package. First I need to get this out of the way. I am aware and fine with fans making mascots like Cobra Commander and Commandalorian. And it is cool that they they are ready to become new superfans for our team with a nice tongue in cheek reference. But WSH would never officially use an existing IP as a mascot. And having a merch deal with Disney doesn't mean we are free to make a Star Wars based official mascot. Until a new spread of mascot ideas come to fruition, right now the first Commanders mascot people are suggesting would be a Hog. It makes sense, it was a name for our OL in the 80s and 90s, and we have a charity organization revolved around the hogfarmers. And it definitely has a connection to team history that Commanders doesn't. I personally am not a fan of a hog for a mascot. While the Hogs were widely known, they didn't represent the whole team. When you think of hog mascots, they are mostly wild tusked red hogs, like Arkansas Razorbacks. Our reference of a hog is the pink domesticated type. Not exactly an animal that can be seen as a leader, more like a follower. That's why front line infantry are usually called the grunts. And when we had the opportunity to name our team the Red Hogs, it didn't go past the "semifinal 8" names. I am sure you all think otherwise, but this is my opinion, not law. If you know who I am, you know I have been pushing for (Red)Wolves since the beginning. And while I am bummed that the trademarks for (Red)Wolves were too much for WSH to maneuver, I knew that the animal itself can still be seen as a mascot for the Commanders. All the traits that a wolf projects also are traits projected by the Commanders name. Leadership, loyalty, intelligence and duty to the group. But probably one of the biggest connection a red wolf has to what Commanders represents is that many squads and groups in different departments of the armed forces use a variant of a wolf as their nickname. And these are only the active ones: TimberWolf (104th Infantry Division) Wolfpack (8th Fighter Wing/3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion) Greywolf (3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division) Shadow Wolves (ICE) Arctic Wolves (1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT)) People who excel in leadership and service like those in the armed forces know to use an animal like a wolf for a nickname because it strikes fun AND intimidation. While the hog may be fun, it is not always intimidating. While the name didn't get selected, that doesn't mean the passionate fanbase that wanted the name didn't disappear, and that the effort done by that group of fans still counts as part of our team history. The name was one of three finalists (Commanders, DCFC, and Red Wolves) and the marketing team for WSH can still see the potential of the red wolf that they didn't fully achieve. While Red Wolves was blocked by Arkansas State and Minnesota Timberwolves who owned TMs that they wouldn't share, their trademarks do not include mascots. In fact, mascots are trademarked by their name and not their "species", Like Titans' T-Rac, or Boston's Green Monster. So WSH would not have to worry about being sued by AR St or MINN. And for those who think we can't have a red wolf mascot because Chiefs have a wolf mascot (KC Wolf), keep in mind the NFL has no problem having multiple animal mascots. There are 2 horse mascots (DEN and IND) and two dog mascots (NO and CLE). As long as our wolf is red, we are within our rights to have another wolf mascot in the NFL. But instead of bashing each other back and forth with one animal winning, there is a way to bring to please fans of both animals, and even fans of others. Meet Bryan Flynn. An artist who didn't just make a hog mascot concept, he made a trio set of mascots for Washington. Each one representing a name, an animal the fanbase wanted (a hog, a red wolf, and even a redtail!), a department in the armed forces (land/sea/air), and an area of the DMV DC - Hog - Army - DC Meri - Red Wolf - Navy - MD Val - Red-tailed Hawk - Air Force - Virginia This got very popular last month. And it shows the Commanders listened to the people from all sides. Now while one may assume that each team only has one mascot, a couple of teams have multiple current mascots, not just real-life animals but costumed ones. Browns - Brownie Elf, Chomps Saints - Sir Saint, Gumbo This could be the way to bring in not only the fans who want to preserve history, but the current fans who wanted something fun to balance out the safeness of the name Commanders. With three mascots, it won't matter if one of the three becomes the primary mascot and the other two as secondary mascots. All facets of the fanbase will feel like their voices were heard. So I have shared the pros and cons of each animal, followed by a compromise. Hopefully this concept gains steam again this year. What are you thoughts for what the mascot should be?

Oh Snyder cares about winning. He is just too stubborn to listen to how to win the right way.

I just think the odds are in favor of NO not losing again. CAR and ATL both are not good enough to beat NO. HOU beat Herbert's LAC. I think they are capable of beating SF.

Even with the NO loss to MIA, I don't see NO losing to CAR and ATL. This is the real wishful thinking because I think NO will get their players back from COVID. I think the only way WSH can make it to the playoffs now is if more than two NFC teams end with an 8-9 record. That way our Conference record will beat all of them. In order for that to happen is with the following: WSH wins out SF lose out -They will definitely lose to LAR in Wk 18, but I think with David Mills doing well and Garrapolo with an injured thumb, it is possible HOU will beat SF) PHI lose out (After we beat PHI in Wk 17, I am sure DAL will beat PHI in Wk 18) MIN lose one more game (they will definitely lose to GB)

I'm surprised WSH only has the 22nd strongest schedule. With AFC West, and AFC East/NFC divisions winner, I figured WSH have odds against them.

Remember when we were the ones splurging on free agency? That is a sign of desperation. There is no way New England are picking them because of their spirit. Ron found spirit in Logan Thomas, Taylor Heineke, and brought back Kendall Fuller. Heck, look who they just signed? Fitzmagic! Does anybody know what WR, CB, LB, and S have that same kind of spirit?

I compiled scenarios for WAS to make it to the playoffs by showing what our competitors, Carolina, Atlanta, and Detroit (Seattle ends up 10-6 in all of these scenarios) need to win/lose in wks 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17. Of course for any of these to work, WAS needs to win out. #5 DET #6 WAS (10-6) CAR LLWWL LLWWL ATL LWLLW OR WLWLW DET LWWWW LWWWW #5 ATL #6 WAS (10-6) CAR LLWWL WLWLL ATL LWWLW OR WLWLW DET LLWWW LLWWW #5 CAR #6 WAS (10-6) CAR WLWWW WLWWL ATL WLWLL OR WLLLW DET LLWWW LLWWW (UNLIKELY) #5 WAS (10-6) #6 SEA CAR LLWWL LLWWL ATL LWLLW OR WLWLW DET LLWWW LLWWW So for my prediction: The only likely loss for DET in the next few weeks is wk 13 vs BAL. I do not really see them losing to TB or anyone else afterwards. So if DET defeats BAL, WAS will rely heavily on CAR and ATL to eliminate each other. We would need: CAR to lose in wk 13, and 14 ATL to lose in wk 13, 15, and 16 (or in wk 14 and 16) ATL beat CAR in wk 17.