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Washington Redskins nickname suggestions with impending name change

By Wesley Coburn

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 15: A Washington Redskins helmet is seen on the field before the game between the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 15: A Washington Redskins helmet is seen on the field before the game between the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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PETERBOROUGH, ENGLAND – JULY 19: A Bassett hound looks towards the camera, at the Festival of Hunting on July 19, 2017 in Peterborough, England. Now in it’s 129th year, the show features the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show, inter-hunt relays and a variety of stalls and merchandise for all things relating to hunting and country sports. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
PETERBOROUGH, ENGLAND – JULY 19: A Bassett hound looks towards the camera, at the Festival of Hunting on July 19, 2017 in Peterborough, England. Now in it’s 129th year, the show features the Peterborough Royal Foxhound Show, inter-hunt relays and a variety of stalls and merchandise for all things relating to hunting and country sports. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) /

We continue our list of Washington Redskins nickname suggestions with…

Hounds

Why it works: 

“Hounds” would be a nifty and somewhat local/historical throwback to George Washington, as he was an avid breeder of Foxhounds during his years at Mount Vernon. And Foxhounds have often been described as Beagles with gym memberships, which sounds like a perfect label for athletic competition.

As far as we know, the Double-A baseball Midland RockHounds of the Texas League and the Aurora High School Houn’ Dawgs in southern Missouri are the only close uses of the mascot in the American sports landscape, so it would be unique. (There are a handful of Greyhounds among small colleges and high schools scattered around the country.)

It would be perfect for a partnership with local rescue organizations to foster and find forever homes for former racing Greyhounds, which would provide a steady stream of good PR for media coverage.

The nickname could provide a theme for inspiration by the social media team when crafting highlight videos – pairing footage of sighthounds with the receivers and running backs, for example, or Dachshunds with linebackers.

Why it doesn’t work: 

To represent the full spectrum of the Hound Group you would almost need a small pack of mascots – a Beagle, a Bloodhound, a Dachshund and a Greyhound would be a good start – and maintaining those separate identities and personalities on social media and through costumed performers could prove too much of a headache.

Also, many people are opposed to hunting for various reasons, either of personality or ethics, and calling a team the “Hounds” could draw backlash from these areas, as well as potential support from groups or organizations seen as too controversial for it to be feasible to work with.

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