Football is not exactly a democratic sport. The coaches tend to call the plays, the players merely execute them. And for fans, things are even worse; here in D.C., of course, we’ve long been familiar with the tendency of NFL owners to operate as if they have all the power.
But now you’ve got a chance to have a say. Washington City Paper is unilaterally renaming the local NFL team to avoid using its racist nickname any longer. Last week, we solicited your suggestions, and this week, you can vote on the new name. Whichever one wins, that’ll be how City Paper refers to the team from now on, in print and online.
First, one note: Many of you suggested the team should be known as the Washington Warriors. We like that idea, but the trademark is already owned by team owner Dan Snyder, and we figured one legal battle with him was enough, so we didn’t include that as one of your options.
Pick your favorite new name below:
Washington Pigskins (nickname: The Hogs)
Washington Washingtons
Washington Monuments
Washington Half-Smokes
Washington Bammas
Illustrations by Carey Jordan and Jandos Rothstein