Josh Harris and his wife Marjorie Harris acquired the Commanders for a whopping $6 billion and Magic Johnson also came in as a minority owner. The Washington team has always wavered about the name of the team, and finally nicknamed the team the “Commanders” in February 2022.
Magic Johnson put forth the idea of changing the team name, but that didn’t end up happening. For one, the wife of the Washington Commanders’ owner doesn’t think it needs changing. But one change she is happy about is the addition of Jayden Daniels and HC Dan Quinn to the arsenal.
When asked about the team, The First Lady seemed excited about the changes in the team. She thinks the new quarterback and the head coach will usher in a new era for the Commanders.
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Vibes are high with the Washington Commanders.
I asked Marjorie Harris about the direction of this franchise.
Marjorie said, "this year it's about our organization…we have an amazing quarterback, we have an amazing coach and GM. We are really putting the pieces together" pic.twitter.com/bA88CqGnS2
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) May 29, 2024
“I think last season, everything was new,” said Marjorie Harries and added, “We have an amazing quarterback, we have an amazing coach and GM. We are really putting the pieces together.” But though the Commanders’ roster has changed, Harris thinks the name has a ring to it.
“Everybody has an opinion about the name, some good, some bad, some in the middle, and I think we have a lot of work to do. So, that name issue is going to be on the side for now until we can get things going,” said Harris. She further added, “Quite frankly, I had a whole day out in the community, and I kept referring to the team as the Commanders. And you know what? Sounds pretty good to me. So, for now, it’s the Commanders.”
Finalizing the name isn’t a priority. Football-wise, the Commanders have a lot of work to put in for the upcoming season. But when Magic Johnson joined the team as a stakeholder, he was open to the idea of finding a different name for his team.
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Magic Johnson wanted to change the team’s name
The former NBA Legend gave an exclusive interview to NBC’s Today Show. They talked about potentially changing the name of the team. They renamed the team from Washington Redskins to the Washington Football Team. Finally named it as, “The Washington Commanders.”
When asked about it, Johnson said, “Everything’s on the table, right? Especially after this year. We’ll see where we are with the name, but I can’t say that right now. We’re going to spend this year understanding what we have in place. … The name of the team will come up, eventually.” Johnson further added “Name of the team will come up, eventually. Right now, we got enough work to do. That will keep us busy.” The owner, Josh Harris, echoed the same sentiment. He focused on improving his football team, changing the fan experience, and improving the optics of the stadium.
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“We got a lot to do. We got to get the team ready to win football games,” Harris said when asked about a potential name change. “We got to get out in the community and start to pay it forward. … And we got to change the stadium and change the fan experience. … Our three priorities are those, and that’s what we’re focused on right now.”
Surely enough, by acquiring Dan Quinn, Jayden Daniels, and other players, including Christian McCaffrey’s brother Luke, who was drafted as a wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft, they are changing the football culture of the team. The Commanders finished dead last in the NFC East with a 4-13 record. The last time the Commanders were at the top of NFC East was in the 2020 season and even then, the team had a 7-9 losing season. Can they switch the franchise around with Jayden Daniels and Dan Quinn? Only time will tell.