Comrade Al Michaels won't get credit for inventing the Washington Commanders' new nickname, but he may have helped popularize it.
During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Michaels joked that the team may become known as something else entirely. And after the two-year process to come up with the new name, it could come across as something of a red scare to owner Dan Snyder.
“People will get used to it,” Michaels said. “They'll start calling them the Commies and social media will have a blast with it.“
On Wednesday, the team announced its new name to lukewarm reviews. Instead, many fans seemed to have more fun with the nickname rather than embracing the new name.
While collective ownership of the team may sound like a dream to Washington fans, they might just be content if the team takes a great leap forward into the playoffs after a dismal 7–10 season.
However, the NBC broadcaster, who will be on the call next Sunday for Super Bowl LVI, said wasn't the funniest name reveal of the last year.
“I think the funniest thing ever was when the Seattle hockey team named itself the Kraken,” Michaels said. “And the name of the building is something like Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. But you know what the fans call it? The Krak House. So that's the risk you run when you change the name of a company.”
Still, Michaels may be onto something. In what could be described as former U.S. senator Joseph McCarthy's worst nightmare, there are indeed “Commies” in the nation's capital.
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