Commanders to Unveil Updated Fight Song In Preseason, New Mascot In Week 17
Commanders To Unveil Updated Fight Song
The Washington Commanders will unveil an updated fight song at their very first preseason game this year against the Carolina Panthers, according to a press release from the team on Monday. The game is currently scheduled for August 13th at 1:00 PM and is supposed to be televised on both NBC4 and NBC Sports Washington.
The announcement came Monday and was part of a flurry of information the team shared with the media about the upcoming season.
Other game-day plans this year: -Preseason Wk. 1 vs. CAR: Unveil revamped fight song -Wk. 2 vs. JAX: Tribute to Washington legends from 1950s, 60s and 70s -Wk. 7 vs. GB: Alumni homecoming -Wk. 12 vs. ATL: Debut of permanent installation at FedEx for Sean Taylor — Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) June 6, 2022
The team also recently announced plans for the marching band to come back, as a 60-person ensemble that will be composed of woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments, and debut at the Commanders Training Camp this summer. The group hasn’t been together since before the team changed its name and the world shut down due to the COVID pandemic.
The fight song and band go hand in hand together in Washington Football history. You cannot have one without the other if you’re trying to tie the legacy together. If the new front office truly wants to bridge the WIDE gap in-between past generations and this new team, this is where they must start. The new name may never be fully accepted, but if you want the franchise to be supported, you must show respect to the legacy that’s already in place. It looks as if the Commanders are hoping to do just that or at least are attempting to in their first season under the new name after 90 years under the old one.
In addition to the updated fight song in week one, the team also announced a series of other gameday plans for this season:
During Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team has planned a tribute to the Washington Redskins Legends of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Week 7 Will be Alumni Homecoming against the Green Bay Packers as the team celebrates year 90
Week 12 Against the Atlanta Falcons will be the debut of a permanent installation (statue?) at FedEx Field for Sean Taylor.
Week 17 the team will be unveiling a new mascot against the Cleveland Browns on ‘Fan Appreciation Day’
It’s great to see the franchise stop and pay homage to the past that brought them their glory years while making an effort to move forward with an updated fight song. The roots that the franchise was built from deserve to be shined on, especially in the current timeframe we find ourselves in as they transition away from what we’ve always known them as. Truth is, winning will probably be the only medicine that can cure this franchise’s illness.
A couple of things of note: Week 12’s “debut of a permanent installation,” screams Sean Taylor statue to me. I’m sure we will hear more about this as we get closer to the date, but this is huge if that’s what it means. Also, Week 17’s festivities will probably include some sort of nod to ‘The Hogs’ as the team said, “they recognize their famed Hogs offensive line from the 1980s and early ’90s,” in the statement to the media when talking about unveiling the new mascot.
In reference to the choosing of a new mascot, the team also went on to say, “Details on the season-long fan engagement program to help select the mascot will be announced later this summer.”
Per the team release: "Details on the season-long fan engagement program to help select the mascot will be announced later this summer." — Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) June 6, 2022
Picking a mascot could be a tricky process, but one has to think a nod to history would mean “The Hogs” would have to be in the discussion. Or at least some variation/combination of a pig (The Hogs) and the military. Something like, ‘Commander Hog.’
[Featured Image via Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports]