The Washington Commanders have officially been born, retiring the name of the Washington Football Team that defined the franchise for the last two years. The new name resulted in a new brand and a new identity, but Washington clearly wanted to build upon the team's long-storied history and championships.
However, some people might be confused about how Washington honored its Super Bowl teams on its new crest. The crest includes the years 1983, 1988, and 1992 as the years the franchise won its titles -- yet the franchise won those titles during the 1982, 1987, and 1991 seasons.
The Commanders attempted to explain when describing the team's crest that 1983, 1998, and 1992 were the years Washington won its Super Bowls -- which is technically correct -- but that doesn't line up with the NFL signifying the season that the franchise won its championships.
"A unique brand element within the NFL, Washington's crest features core elements of the team's identity and the franchise's defining moments," the team stated in a press release. "The top left and bottom right quadrants note the year the club was founded in 1932, 90 years ago. The top right quadrant showcases the main logo mark, the 'W,' symbolizing the team's future, and the bottom left quadrant features three stars, representative of the stars on the D.C. flag and the team's position within the Nation's Capital.
"Washington Football highlighted across the top of the crest pays homage to the many historic firsts and iconic legends associated with this Washington team throughout its nearly 90-year tenure in the DMV, and the years 1937, 1942, 1983, 1988 and 1992 written across the bottom commemorate the franchise's World Championships and Super Bowls. The crest is completed by a gold ring, which represents unity and encapsulates all elements of the brand identity."
The undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins don't recognize 1973 as the year they won the championship, even though Super Bowl VII was played in January. The 2017 Philadelphia Eagles have a banner over Lincoln Financial Field that says "2017 World Champions," even though Super Bowl LII was played in 2018.
Washington seems to have dropped the ball on its crest with its Super Bowls considering many people refer to its championship teams based on the season. Fortunately, there's still time to clear up the confusion.
