While the Washington Football Team continues to deliberate on its new name, the soon-to-be Cleveland Guardians went forward with their rebrand earlier this summer, announcing their new identity in a widely-circulated video narrated by Academy Award winner Tom Hanks. Though the name itself and corresponding wordmark didn't necessarily meet fans’ expectations, the team’s rollout, utilizing Hanks to invoke nostalgia and civic pride, was well-received, eliciting praise from many including top Washington executive Jason Wright, who said he and other members of the organization were keeping a close eye on Cleveland’s reveal in anticipation of their own in 2022.
“The Guardians have a really good business team and we talked to them at different points in this process,” acknowledged Wright, who succeeded Bruce Allen as team president in 2020. “I think they’re super sharp. We learned a lot [from them].”
Wright, a former running back for the Browns, Falcons and Cardinals and the only black team president in the NFL, commended the Guardians for choosing a name that would resonate with their community. “The biggest thing that they did that was important is they did something that they believed felt authentic to Cleveland,” said Wright, who confirmed to Grant and Danny of 106.7 The Fan that WFT will announce a permanent name in lieu of its current placeholder early next year. “We’ve talked about meaningful ties to the area and to the history of this team. Something that feels substantive and traditional, built with grit, resilience, all that stuff. [The Guardians] had their own criteria and they held to that. And I think more than anything they can bank that in the long run, as people get over the initial reaction and things like that, that’s going to be a unifying factor for them. So my hat’s off.”
Wright wouldn’t share details on his conversations with the Guardians, but clearly the 39-year-old admires the work they’ve put in, seamlessly transitioning into a new era of Cleveland baseball after years of problematic imagery and an offensive name with no place in today’s politically correct climate. After taking dozens of names into consideration, Washington has reportedly whittled that list down to three with Armada, Brigade, Commanders, Defenders, Presidents, Redhogs, Redwolves and Washington Football Team among the rumored finalists.
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