The Washington Commanders have been slammed after the franchise unveiled an underwhelming life-size memorial in an attempt to honour Sean Taylor.
Taylor was selected by Washington - then known as the Redskins - with the fifth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft and he played in four seasons for the franchise. He became a cult hero thanks to his hard-hitting style, and even made the Pro Bowl in 2006.
However, Taylor was tragically killed midway through the 2007 season when he was shot by intruders at his home in the Miami area, and he died the following day. Posthumously, Taylor earned a second Pro Bowl nod and was awarded Second-Team All-Pro honours, while he was inducted into Washington’s Ring of Fame in 2008.
On Sunday, the Commanders unveiled their highly-anticipated Taylor memorial at FedEx Field - but it left fans and figures underwhelmed. The memorial was revealed to be wire mannequin wearing Taylor’s vintage Washington uniform, which he wore during his short career.
While it appeared to a touching and effective tribute at first glance, fans were furious at the poor commemoration of the late free safety. People were particularly frustrated by the lack of attention to detail as the gear was all mismatched, with a Nike jersey, Reebok pants and Adidas soccer boots.
The fact that the Commanders couldn’t even get matching branded gear is incredibly disappointing, and speaks volumes about a franchise which has struggled for good publicity in recent history. However, others pointed out other aspects of the memorial which were also botched.
The mannequin itself was made of hollow wire, which many fans took issue with as something of a slap in the face. There is also no face mask tape on the helmet, which was Taylor’s signature look during his career.
The video of the unveiling of Taylor’s memorial captured his family watching on, and even they look particularly underwhelmed at the effort, which felt like it was pulled together at the last minute. Many were expecting to see a stature to properly commemorate Taylor, and this memorial has not been received well by the Washington fanbase.
