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‘Major Tuddy’ could end up being a big problem for the Washington Commanders after the franchise revealed its new mascot, a pig, on Sunday.
Despite facing the threat of a lawsuit from former players from the 1980s teams, Washington revealed a porcine creature as its mascot and christened it ‘Major Tuddy,’ giving it a rank and nickname that is a slang term. for touchdown.
Earlier this year, the team revealed its two choices for a potential mascot, a ‘dog’ and a ‘pig’, to fans during a game at FedEx Field.
The new pig mascot was revealed the same day the Commanders were eliminated from the playoffs, following a loss to the Cleveland Browns.
The latest mascot for the National Football League was revealed on Sunday, named Major Tuddy.
The pig-like creature pays homage to a group of players on the offensive line in the 1980s.
In September, the commanders revealed the two finalists: a dog and a pig.
As a term, ‘Hogs’ has been associated with the team since the 1980s, when they were called the Redskins.
It was created as a term for the offensive line, coined by the team’s OL coach at the time.
Because of that affiliation, the original members of the Hogs are suing current Washington owner Dan Snyder for failing to give them credit in an attempt to “claim rightful ownership” of the term.
Despite this threat, ‘Major Tuddy’ was revealed anyway and social media users were quick to criticize the mascot for its name, appearance and design.
An SB Nation blog affiliated with the rival Dallas Cowboys asked, “How come this franchise messes up literally everything?”
“Reason 1000 why Washington should have been called the Warthogs and not the Commanders,” NFL YouTuber Samuel Gold wrote. ‘I don’t really dislike the mascot. All mascots are inherently stupid and embarrassing… But Commanders was/is a bad name.
Another Twitter user responded with an image comparing Tuddy to a pig-like creature from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
Twitter quickly mocked the team for its new mascot despite its ties to team history.
“Can we just jump into the new ownership, a new headquarters and the inevitable rebranding that will finally put all this mess behind us thankfully?” wondered one Washington fan.
Another user quipped, “he named it after a touchdown, which we haven’t been able to score enough of all season.”
More teasing images were found in the comments, including one of Seinfeld’s Kramer turning his nose up at a doctor.
Fans believe a new ownership group could change the team’s name or mascot entirely.
The retired players who could sue Snyder are members of an LCC, known as O-Line Entertainment, and are made up of former teammates from Washington’s great teams of the 1980s. The group includes retired offensive linemen Joe Jacoby, Mark May and Fred Dean, former tight end Doc Walker and legendary running back John Riggins.
“If they go forward on Sunday and make the pig their mascot and try to trademark it, we will be forced to start a trademark infringement lawsuit,” O-Line Entertainment attorney Seth Berenzweig told Front Office Sports.
“We have made it very clear to them that we believe they would be infringing the trademark and that they need to reach a license agreement with the players. They have refused to do that.
The term ‘Hogs’ was bestowed on Washington’s beefy offensive line in the 1980s and early 1990s, when the team was still known as the ‘Redskins.’ Washington would win three Super Bowls with the Hogs, who spawned their own group of fans, known as the ‘Hogettes,’ supporters who typically wore women’s clothing and pig noses.
Major Tuddy’s debut came on the day of the Commander’s celebration of the Hogs’ 40th anniversary.
The term ‘Hogs’ was bestowed on Washington’s beefy offensive line in the 1980s and early 1990s, when the team was still known as the ‘Redskins.’ Members have included Russ Grimm (front), Joe Jacoby, George Starke, Fred Dean, Mark May, and Jeff Bostic
Legendary Washington Redskins running back John Riggins is also involved in Hogs’ LLC
The team had planned to honor the Hogs during Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. Former head coach Joe Gibbs and the Hogettes (pictured at a game in 1984) are also expected to attend the festivities.
O-Line Entertainment previously filed for the ‘Hogs’ and ‘Original Hogs’ trademarks last summer. The US Patent and Trademark Office is expected to issue an initial ruling in the coming weeks, according to FOS.
Trademark attorney Zak Kurtz told FOS that the Commanders have a good chance of winning a court battle over the use of ‘Hogs’ if the situation arises.
“Unless they commercially use the words ‘OG Hogs’ or ‘Original Hogs,’ it would be hard to win if the commanders challenged them,” Kurtz said. ‘Even then, Washington could probably prevail. The team might say, ‘First we had the property.’
“We are planning a celebration of the greatest offensive line to ever play the game,” the commanders said in a statement. “The Hogs are a key part of our franchise history and we want to keep their legacy alive with the next generation of fans. We have been working with the Hogs on this event for six months and look forward to welcoming them and Coach Gibbs back.”
After defending the use of ‘Redskins’ for years, team owner Dan Snyder relented in 2020
The Washington Redskins mascot stands on the sidelines during the 1995 NFL Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium on February 5, 1995 in Honolulu. The team dropped the name ‘Redskins’ in 2020 after years of protest from Native American groups, who found it offensive.
The mascot debate comes less than a year after the Commanders revealed the new and current team name following years of controversy over the use of ‘Redskins’.
The rebranding process began in 2020, when the team succumbed to years of pressure by removing ‘Redskins,’ which is considered offensive to Native Americans. In 2021, the team played as the Washington football team.
During its ‘Redskins’ years, the team had a dark-skinned, crested mascot adorned in a loincloth with the club’s logo.
The club originated in Boston, where then-owner George P. Marshall wanted to call them the ‘Braves’, but opted for his second option due to the existence of the city’s National League baseball team, which has since moved to Milwaukee. and Atlanta. .