WASHINGTON — If you're anything like me, you've never seen a single Washington Commanders game. But you don't have to be a sports fan to get behind the Commanders' newest rookie who is dog-gone adorable.
Meet: Goldie.
The 4-month-old English Yellow Lab puppy hails from rural North Carolina, and joined the Commanders roster on Tuesday as the official Team Dog.
Her favorite colors are burgundy and gold. In her spare time, she likes to take laps around FedExField, and she's guaranteed to find at least one stick per walk.
"After a thorough vetting process, our coaching staff was impressed with Goldie’s tenacity and speed on the grass. She leaves it all on the field, whether she’s fetching a tennis ball or treat. Goldie will bring paw-sitive energy and deep fetch expertise to our lineup and I am excited to welcome her to the team," said Head Coach Ron Rivera.
When the Commanders learned about Goldie’s free-agent status and impressive fetching skills, there was major interest in recruiting a new MVP (Most Valuable Pup) to the team, the team said.
Goldie recently came to the DMV for a season of skills training. The team said that after this season, Goldie will return to K9s For Warriors and be paired as a service dog with a veteran.
The team said K9s For Warriors provides highly trained service dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and military sexual trauma. Most of the organization’s doggos come from rescue shelters.
Which former Commander is Goldie's idol? Mando.
Mando joined the team for the 2022 NFL season as the first team doggo. The team said, "Mando’s tenure with the Commanders included visits to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Capitol Hill, and attendance at home games before going on to serve as a service dog for a veteran through K9s For Warriors."
As the Commanders' fans, old and new, grapple with the prospect of new owners and a Dan-Snyder-free team, perhaps those of us who haven't even seen a game before will show up – show up for Goldie.
