'Washington Magic?' Commanders Trying to Steal Orlando Name?

The Orlando Magic may have an NFL admirer in the Washington Commanders.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 24, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic has been around for nearly 35 years as one of sports' most unique team names. However, the franchise may have some company in the coming year.

Magic Johnson, one of the main partners in Josh Harris' ownership group to buy the Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion, went on the Today Show last week to discuss the sale and mentioned the idea of changing the name of the team.

“I think everything’s on the table, especially after this year,” Johnson said. “We’ll see what we are with the name, but I can’t say that right now.”

BetOnline has released odds for the new Commanders name, and the Magic or Magicians is listed with the fourth-best odds at +900.

The three teams with higher odds are the Spartans (+600), the Football Team/Club (+700) and Red Hogs (+800).

The Washington Magic would be an ironic name change, but it does go hand in hand with the Washington Wizards, D.C.'s NBA team. That being said, the Orlando Magic is one of the Wizards' biggest rivals.

Also, Josh Harris is the governor for the Philadelphia 76ers and likely wouldn't adopt a team name for a brand that he has worked against. On top of that, Harris is a lifelong Washington football fan and likely won't choose to stray too far from the team's history if the team changes the moniker.

The chances of the Commanders changing their name to the Magic is slim, but imitation is a form of flattery, and Orlando will gladly accept the compliment.

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Published Jul 24, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.