鈥楾he right call鈥�: Washington NFL team to drop 'Redskins' name
| Washington
The Washington NFL franchise announced Monday it is dropping the 鈥淩edskins鈥� name and Indian head logo, bowing to recent pressure from sponsors and decades of criticism that they are offensive to Native Americans.
A new name must still be selected for one of the oldest and most storied teams in the National Football League, and it was unclear how soon that will happen. But for now, arguably the most polarizing name in North American professional sports is gone at a time of聽reckoning over racial injustice, iconography, and racism聽in the United States.
The move came less than two weeks after owner Dan Snyder, a boyhood fan of the team who once declared he would never get rid of the name, launched a聽鈥渢horough review鈥澛燼mid pressure from sponsors. FedEx, Nike, Pepsi, and Bank of America all聽lined up against the name, which was given to the franchise in 1933 when the team was still based in Boston.
鈥淭he NFL and Dan Snyder, we have to commend them on making the right call to change the name,鈥� said Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter, leader of the 鈥淐hange the Mascot鈥� campaign. 鈥淒an Snyder won today because now he has a legacy that will be different from the racial slur that was the team name. I know that鈥檚 not an easy thing to do, but it was the right thing to do.鈥�
The team said it is 鈥渞etiring鈥� the name and logo and that Mr. Snyder and coach Ron Rivera are working closely to develop a new moniker and design. The announcement came on the old letterhead with the Redskins name because the team technically retains it until a new one is chosen and approved.
Native American advocates and experts have long criticized the name they call a 鈥渄ictionary-defined racial slur.鈥� Over a dozen Native leaders and organizations聽wrote to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell聽last week demanding an immediate end to Washington鈥檚 use of the name. Mr. Goodell, who has fielded questions on the topic for years, said he supported the review.
Protests against the name predate Mr. Snyder buying the team in 1999, and, until now, he had shown no willingness to consider a change. Strong words from sponsors 鈥� including a company run by a minority stakeholder of the team 鈥� changed the equation.
FedEx earlier this month became the first sponsor to announce it had asked the organization to change the name, particularly important because CEO Frederick Smith owns part of the team. FedEx paid $205 million for the long-term naming rights to the team鈥檚 stadium in Landover, Maryland.
The lease at FedEx Field expires in 2027, and dropping the name keeps open various possibilities in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington for the team鈥檚 new stadium and headquarters. District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser has said the name was an 鈥渙bstacle鈥� to Mr. Snyder building on the old RFK Stadium site, which is believed to be his preference.
The team recently started cutting ties with racist founder George Preston Marshall,聽removing his name聽from the Ring of Fame and聽renaming聽the lower bowl at FedEx Field for the team鈥檚 first Black player, late Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell. Mr. Marshall, who renamed the Boston Braves the Redskins in 1933 and moved the team to D.C. four years later, was a segregationist and the last NFL owner to integrate his team. The current logo shows the profile of a red-faced Native American with feathers in his hair.
Major League Baseball鈥檚 Atlanta Braves and the National Hockey League鈥檚 Chicago Blackhawks have said they have no inclination to change their names. Some advocates would like to see all Native American names, mascots, and imagery out of sports.
鈥淥ur fight continues,鈥� Crystal Echo Hawk of the Native American advocacy group IllumiNative said in a statement. "We will not rest until the offensive use of Native imagery, logos and names are eradicated from professional, collegiate and [other school] sports. The time is now to stand in solidarity and declare that racism will not be tolerated.鈥�
Mr. Halbritter said it was important to note those other names are not a slur, but he hopes a 鈥渂roader discussion鈥� can be had. He pointed out that Florida State spoke with the Seminole tribe about its name, the same thing a聽minor league baseball team in Spokane, Washington, did with local Native Americans.
It was not immediately clear if the organization is consulting Native Americans on a new name or if any imagery will even be used.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 striking that the NFL and other owners of other sports teams don鈥檛 have a conversation with Native America on these names,鈥� Mr. Halbritter said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about respect, and I don鈥檛 understand why they just don鈥檛 have a conversation with the affected people.鈥�
Long removed from the glory days of winning Super Bowl titles in the 1982, 1987, and 1991 seasons under coach Joe Gibbs, Washington's NFL team has just five playoff appearances in 21 years and no postseason victories since 2005. The team has lacked a nationally marketable player since Robert Griffin III鈥檚 short-lived stardom, and the 2020 schedule features zero prime-time games for a franchise that used to be a draw.
Re-branding with a new name and logo 鈥� and perhaps the same burgundy and gold colors 鈥� coupled with turning football operations over to Mr. Rivera could be a boon for Mr. Snyder on and off the field. Even if a segment of the fan base opposes the change in the name of tradition, winning would more than make up for those losses.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
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