Washington Redskins Announce Name Change

Courtesy of Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins are no more. 

On Monday morning, the team announced that they are retiring the team name and logo and will be changing their mascot. This will be the first name change in the team's 87 year history in the nation's capital. The decision comes just days following the team announced they would undergo a review process to evaluate the name going forward. The team will now see a complete rebranding of their image.

The Washington team mascot has long been a focal point of controversy. The term "Redskin" is known as a racial slur disparaging of Native Americans, and is even defined as such in Webster's Dictionary. The term as the name of an NFL franchise glorifies sustained genocide, reminds tribes of historical mistreatment, diminishes American Indians as less than, and dehumanizes the Native American race. The Navajo Nation has said that, "For generations, this team and logo has misrepresented the true history and events that define the term 'redskins.'"

Official team press release

Meet Dan Snyder

Despite the racial connotations of the name, team owner Dan Snyder has consistently stood his ground about keeping the name. Snyder has long glorified the name as a reflection of the team's history of tradition and winning, and has definitively shut down the concept of considering a name change. He even claimed that the name was not viewed as offensive but as honorable to most Native Americans, based on favorable poll results in the press.

Just over seven years ago, Snyder infamously told USA Today that the franchise would "never" change its team name. "NEVER. You can use caps." Sources who have worked for Snyder even claimed that Snyder would rather sell the team than rename it. Because of Snyder's remarkably stubborn and decisive stance on the name, many thought that we would never see this day finally come. 

Turning the Tables

While public advocates and social activists have consistently clamored for Washington to change their name, the franchise never truly felt the heat to finally pull the trigger. But pressure began to intensify on the team with the events circulating around the death of George Floyd just last month. Issues of systemic racism and social injustice have been magnified across the United States, with the NFL woven right into the fabric of it. As the NFL has recently tried to take steps to combat racism, the push for changing Washington's team name started regaining momentum.

During this period, over 80 shareholders worth a combined $620 billion signed a letter to Washington's key sponsors, asking them to stop doing business with the franchise, unless the team met one condition: changing the name. The sponsors listened, and the wheels were in motion.

FedEx, the sponsor for Washington's stadium in Landover, Maryland, released a statement formally asking Washington to change its name. Not only is Frederick Smith the chairman of FedEx, but he is also a minority owner of the football team. FedEx threatened to terminate their contract with the team to sponsor the stadium unless the team name was changed. Pepsi also threatened to end its partnership with the franchise. 

Other companies including Amazon, Walmart, and Target said they would stop selling all Washington merchandise in their stores and websites. Nike even removed all Redskins merchandise from its website. Upon searching "Washington Redskins" on Nike.com, no results were listed. In Nike's search tab filters, only 31 NFL teams were listed, excluding Washington from its store completely.

Less than 24 hours later, the team announced it would review the team name and announce a possible retirement of the mascot. By this point, Snyder was backed into a corner, and he had no choice but to listen to his corporate sponsors.

What's Next

Head coach Ron Rivera told The Washington Post that he is working with owner Dan Snyder in creating a new name to honor both the military and Native Americans. Rivera's father served in the Army, and he grew up on military bases across the world during his childhood. In a press release from Washington, the team announced that Snyder and Rivera will collaborate to "develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years."

Currently, it is unclear what name the team will choose to replace the old moniker. Sports Business Daily reported that the announcement of a new name is being delayed because of trademark disputes. However, it is clear that the franchise will nullify all Native American imagery to their new image. According to ESPN, the team would like to retain their color combination of burgundy and gold. 

One of the early favorites to become the new team name is "Red Tails." The name would pay tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, who were the first black military aviators to serve for the United States during World War II. They fought in planes that had their tails painted red, and three of the first five Tuskegee Airmen were from Washington.

Washington may not be the only professional sports franchise to change their name. There are teams with Native American mascots scattered across the four major leagues, including the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, the Cleveland Indians in MLB, and the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL. Washington's decision may spark a domino effect in pro sports, with the Cleveland Indians already undergoing a review of their team name, and other franchises beginning to feel the heat themselves. 

Today is a day that Native Americans have anxiously been awaiting for 87 years. As the battle against systemic racism continues, this decision marks a big step in the right direction.

Follow Sam DeCoste on Twitter @thesamdecoste