The Washington Commanders are just two weeks removed from unveiling their new nickname and logos, and they are already dealing with a major issue.
As part of their big rebrand, the Commanders created a crest that features the years of the five championships they won. There was a fairly significant problem, however. The years coincided with the actual year that the championship games were held — not the season. For example, the then-Washington Redskins won Super Bowl XVII, which was the championship game of the 1982 NFL season. The Super Bowl was held on Jan. 30, 1983, and the Washington Commanders’ crest had 1983 on it.
According to Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Commanders tried to remedy the issue by switching the years to the Roman numerals of the game. That’s not allowed, as those Roman numeral logos are considered intellectual property of the NFL. The NFL denied Washington’s request to use them.
So why can’t the Commanders simply switch to the proper dates? They’d have to file for a new trademark application before doing that.
As explained by @JoshGerben, the Washington Commanders might have to file a new trademark application for the crest if they do change the dates. Can't make a "material alteration" to a mark after application.https://t.co/DFUN5WwOul pic.twitter.com/E4cLMRfpLY
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) February 17, 2022
Most people aren’t surprised. Trouble seems to follow Washington’s NFL franchise, no matter what its nickname is. Whether it’s their owner at the center of an investigation or a railing collapsing at their stadium, the drama never seems to end.
