Posted on 02/03/2022 6:06:54 PM PST by Dr. Franklin
The NBC broadcaster might have been joking, but social media wasn't.
Comrade Al Michaels won't get credit for inventing the Washington Commanders new nickname, but he might have helped popularize it.
During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Michaels joked that the team may become known as something else entirely. And after the two-year process to come up with the new name, it could come across as something of a red scare to owner Dan Snyder.
“People will get used to it,” Michaels said. “They'll start calling them the Commies and social media will have a blast with it.“
On Wednesday, the team announced its new name to lukewarm reviews. Instead, many fans seemed to have more fun with the nickname rather than embracing the new name.
While collective ownership of the team may sound like a dream to Washington fans, they might just be content if the team takes a great leap forward into the playoffs after a dismal 7–10 season.
However, the NBC broadcaster, who will be on the call next Sunday for Super Bowl LVI, said wasn't the funniest name reveal of the last year.
“I think the funniest thing ever was when the Seattle hockey team named itself the Kraken,” Michaels said. “And the name of the building is something like Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. But you know what the fans call it? The Krak House. So that's the risk you run when you change the name of a company.”
Still, Michaels may be onto something. In what could be described as former U.S. senator Joseph McCarthy's worst nightmare, there are indeed “Commies” in the nation's capital.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Commies was the first thing we all thought of.
Also mentioned has been Commodes.
I think Condoms can be a good sub.
Guess that wasn’t long because he’s best-known for the Miracle on Ice call, start of 1980!
I also like him for ABC racing broadcasts. He really liked the horses, along with McKay (another Olympic legend).
Of course parents loved him for NFL. I was a bit disappointed to see him keep working despite these traitors and libelous bastards in the NFL pushing all their tripe.
Good point.
But it probably wouldn’t be good enough for the perpetually offended. Too much tie-in to the old name.
Baltimore Colts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-26rYYGPKrE
So come on you Baltimore Colts
Driving onto victory!
Finally revised to the Ravens now, but it’ll always be the Colts song to me.
Cincinnati did have some trouble with their name Reds in the 50s and 60s.
The IRS Commandeerers
Al Michaels can be funny as heck.
But, even without the “Commies” nickname, the choice of the name “Commanders” almost defies belief, given how most of the NFL fans will receive it. (Pun not intended, or, maybe it is!)
If, say, a high school in DeKalb, IL (etc.), decided to take the name “Commanders”, other than it being a somewhat unimaginative / uninspiring name to anyone not knowing the story of the city’s namesake*, who’d care?
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_de_Kalb
But to name the Washington, DC, NFL team the “Commanders” associates in the broad sense of the name, all sorts of authoritarian, militaristic, “top-down”, etc., thoughts and images. A sort of Freudian slip by the left, I suppose.
Interestingly, the melody includes a measure or two from "Maryland, My Maryland," the state song--and the only state song that calls for the overthrow of the US government.
Yes it does, naturally. Except it does not call for the overthrow of the US gov. Just for them to get out.
I really don’t have a problem with the name. Commanders is a fine, natural team name. Great? Maybe not, but there is nothing wrong with it. If some people think “Defenders” is a poor name, then “Commanders” certainly is not.
Just that politico opponents can pick it apart easily in this case.
They could’ve just called them the Generals, but I bet not because too tied to General Washington which would be racist.
So they took the next best thing, more generic.
Houston Oilers had lyrics to their song, Eagles do also but only about a decade old.
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