Biden granddaughter floats first dog Commander as new Washington NFL mascot

President Biden’s granddaughter floated the idea of the family’s first dog, Commander, as the new mascot for Washington’s NFL team on Wednesday.
In a tweet, Naomi Biden shared a photo of the family’s new pup, asking, “Does the team need a new mascot?”
Naomi Biden’s tweet came as the Washington NFL team, formerly known as Washington Football Team, unveiled its new name and uniforms on Tuesday.
The highly anticipated rebrand of the football team comes nearly two years after the club retired its old moniker “Redskins,” which draw criticism and backlash for its usage of Native American imagery and racism.
“This new identity embodies the most powerful aspects of Washington’s story by paying tribute to the team’s rich history and championship culture, personified by mission-driven players who take command, forge success and break barriers on and off the field,” the team said in a statement.
Washington Commanders’ head football coach Ron Rivera told NBC’s “Today” in an interview that the name change reflects a new era for the football franchise.
“To me it really is about renaming the team,” Rivera said. “But I also think it’s about turning the page to a new chapter. We’ve had a lot of unfortunate things that have happened. But as we go forward what I’m trying to do is, hey, buy into judging us now and where we’re headed as opposed to where we’ve been.”
The president also weighed in on the new name from his official Twitter account, writing, “I suppose there’s room for two Commanders in this town” along side a picture of his German shepherd.
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform will hear from former team employees Thursday about the NFL’s investigation of the team’s workplace misconduct in a hybrid roundtable.
—Updated at 12:55 p.m.
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