There are many, MANY people, Danny Rouhier included, who can’t wait for the Commanders to come under new ownership so they can rebrand as fast as possible.
One of Danny (and Grant Paulsen)’s guests on Tuesday, however, feels differently…and just so happens to be a Redskins legend and Super Bowl champion.
“I don’t think you want to re-create, you want to create – and I wouldn’t be a fan of rebranding,” Joe Theismann told the guys when he called in. “We’ve had three different names in five years, and change for change sake has never worked for me. What would be the reason? If you think of the 49ers, that speaks to the history of San Francisco and the gold rush, and when you think of DC, it’s the seat of command of all military.”
Joe’s biggest reason for keeping is the opposite of why Danny Rouhier is so adamant about a rebrand: if the Commanders can get back to winning and keeping headlines on the field under new ownership, it won’t matter that the name was a creation of the previous group.
“I think if you win and create stability, people will be okay with the name Commanders. Just to change again because of new ownership – how long before people get frustrated with that?" Theismann asked. "Now all of a sudden you're changing for change sake. We need to give the Commanders a chance to perform and for people to get excited for them, and if you win, it won’t matter.”
So then, that settled, Grant told Theismann when he joined about their elevator pitches, and what fans would say if they had 30 seconds in an elevator with Josh Harris, and then asked Joe for his.
“Josh Harris and Magic Johnson have been in the fraternity of other professional sports, and like any good businessman, you have to evaluate what you have,” Theismann said. “The fans are very excited about this group coming in to run the organization, hopefully in a way they feel will put some of the off-field distractions behind us and more forward, and I would simply say the first thing to do is evaluate everyone and everything around the team. I’m sure they’ve done some due diligence, but now that it’s yours, you really get to kick the tires and play with the bell on the handlebars. Patience and understanding what you’ve bought is the most important thing.”
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All that said, Theismann wasn’t so much surprised that Snyder sold, but lamented what could have been while hoping for what could be.
“At six billion and change, it’s hard to say no!” Theismann laughed. “I don’t know if I’m surprised, because there were so many things taking place. I know this football team was a passion and a love for him, but it just hasn’t worked out. Hopefully, as we go forward, there will be stability, and this franchise can build for the future.”
Football has become almost secondary to the Snyder circus in the headlines, and Theismann is excited about that swapping in the future – which begins as soon as the sale is official.
“I’m glad this process is finally completed,” Theismann said. “There have been so many conversations about what took place off the field and those have been in the headlines, and now we get the chance to focus back on what’s happening on the field. I was blessed to be part of the team when we were winning a lot, and there wasn’t free agency, so we were ingrained into the community. You hoped you played yourself into a bigger contract, but there were no guarantees, so getting yourself into the community was very important, and will be important for this organization going forward.”
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And of course, when it comes to that future, you know where Theismann’s focus is.
“The biggest question mark is the quarterback position,” Theismann said. “I think the team is in pretty good shape otherwise, but we just don’t know enough about Sam Howell.”
Listen to Theismann’s entire call above, which also includes thoughts on a new stadium location, thoughts on Sam Howell and the 2023 team, and more!
Follow Grant & Danny on Twitter: @granthpaulsen & @funnydanny
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