NFL Rumors: WFT's new name and logo supposedly leaked on social media
Plenty of people, including this writer, predicted the WFT's new name and logo would be leaked before the reveal on the Today Show in early February. It seems this has come to pass and that the new name and logo have been leaked. However, there are plenty of reasons to take this with a grain of salt. Here's what was leaked about the new WFT name, logo and a look at the odds of viability.
The new WFT name: The Washington Commanders
According to a tweet posted by Addicted to Helmets on Twitter, the Washington Football Team's new name will be the Washington Commanders. In the tweet, the leaker posted a picture of the new logo on a long-sleeved shirt featuring a modified "W" with the same coloring as the current WFT.
The picture is blurry, but the logo is clear. Where the leaker got the name "Commanders" from was in the description on the left side of the picture. While it is blurry, the word "Commanders" is clearly legible, thanks to commenters posting a zoomed-in image.
Possible new Washington logo leak from Reddit. https://t.co/CKziv2Ofkg
@LarrySoprano @addicted2helmet Washington Commanders https://t.co/t7H4Cy12Yk
While it may seem the new WFT name and logo are legitimate, there are plenty of reasons to believe this is a fake. The first is that the leaker simply says the new WFT logo leak is from Reddit with no link to the post in question. Without a link, there is no way to follow it to the source of the leak. Granted, this could have been done to save the supposed employee who leaked the image from firing.
On the other hand, the leaker could be hiding the source because there is no source. Another reason he could be hiding the source would be to avoid an investigation by the Twitter community that could find the source to be posting a fake. Put simply, plenty of red flags were set off by not including a link.
A brief check on Reddit for the original source could not find the original source, putting extra doubt on the veracity of the claim. However, even if the leak turns out to be an elaborate guess at the future name, there is no reason it couldn't also be correct. The Washington Commanders would fit with the general theme of the team.
Considering the old name WFT name "Redskins" referred to the colonial era of the 1700s, "Commanders" would refer to the same period. As the team is located in the nation's capital, "Commanders" would likely be referring to George Washington and the rest of the continental army, who fought off the British and gave the nation its independence.