In a full rebrand, the Washington Football Team officially became the Washington Commanders this offseason. Any time there is such a big change like fans of the Washington franchise have witnessed over the past few years, naturally, a lot of spectators will be left feeling upset.
It appears the organization is working toward extending a hand out to bring back one part of their legacy — that being the Hogs.
Just like when they decided to incorporate their fanbase on voting for the next team name, the Commanders are looking for additional insight, giving their fanbase a voice in picking their team mascot.
Fans can actually go vote right now at the Commanders.com website and have until August 21 to vote on the next mascot of the Commanders.
From there, the mascot names with the most votes will be designed and shared during their Week 3 home game at FedEx Field, which will give fans a chance to vote during the game. Once the designs are shared, online voting will once again resume and go through September 27.
Washington Commanders team mascot choices:
- Dog
- Hog
- Historical Figure
- Superhero
The final announcement on the official mascot of the Commanders will be revealed in their Week 17 home game against the Cleveland Browns on New Year’s Day. Our guess is there’s already a leading candidate.
Related: Washington Commanders get permission to open a sportsbook at FedEx Field
Remembering the significance of the Hogs
It’s hard to envision the Hogs not winning during the fan voting process. During the 1980s and 1990s, the team’s offensive line earned the Hogs nickname for their ability to dominate in the trenches. Their excellence helped lead the franchise to three Super Bowl victories under Joe Gibbs.
One of the members of the original Hogs, Russ Grimm, ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 after 11 seasons with Washington.
Fans began wearing plastic ‘pig snouts’ over their noses during Washington football games to let their team know they were all in on the unique nickname, including a few local legends known as the ‘Hogettes’, who cheered the team on for 30 years.
Maybe we’ll see the return of the Hogs next season when the team is expected to roll out their new mascot. Get your plastic pig snouts ready. What is a ‘Historical Figure’ anyway?
Related: NFL History: All Super Bowl MVPs