Washington Redskins Will Abandon Controversial Name And Logo

July 13, 2020 by Gaspard Le Dem
Washington Redskins Will Abandon Controversial Name And Logo
Signs for the Washington Redskins are displayed outside FedEx Field in Landover, Md., Monday, July 13, 2020. The Washington NFL franchise announced Monday that it will drop the “Redskins” name and Indian head logo immediately, bowing to decades of criticism that they are offensive to Native Americans. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON – After mounting pressure from activists, sponsors, and politicians, Washington’s NFL franchise announced on Monday that it would drop its controversial name, “The Redskins”, and start working on redesigning its logo.

“Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review,” said a statement published on the team’s website. 

The team did not hint at a replacement for the name, which has been in use since 1933, though it said it would look to “enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise.”

For half a century, advocates have called on the team to switch its name, which is widely considered a racial slur against Native Americans.

Dan Snyder, the team’s owner since 1999, had until recently vehemently opposed the move, denying the name had racist connotations. “We’ll never change the name. It’s that simple. NEVER––you can use caps,” he told USA Today in 2013.

But the push to dump the name intensified in recent weeks following nationwide protests against racial inequality that erupted in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.

Eventually, major team sponsors like Nike and FedEx, which owns the franchise’s home stadium, asked Snyder to change the name, and the team announced a “thorough review” on July 3.

Native American leaders also joined in, dispelling Snyder’s argument that indigenous people did not take offense to the name. In a letter to the NFL, more than a dozen indigenous tribes urged the league to change the name and remove all indigenous imagery from the team’s branding. 

“[W]e expect the NFL to engage in a robust, meaningful reconciliation process with Native American movement leaders, tribes, and organizations to repair the decades of emotional violence and other serious harms this racist team name has caused to Native Peoples,” the letter said.

The debate also crept into national politics earlier this month when President Trump criticized the team for considering the move. “They name teams out of STRENGTH, not weakness, but now the Washington Redskins & Cleveland Indians, two fabled sports franchises, look like they are going to be changing their names in order to be politically correct.”

Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s non-voting congressional delegate, has repeatedly vowed to block the team, which currently plays at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., from moving back to the District of Columbia until it changes its name. “The name has cost Snyder far more than it could possibly be worth,” Norton said in a statement last month.

Snyder is reportedly hoping to move the team back to the site of the old RFK stadium, which has fallen into disrepair since the team abandoned it after its 1996 season. 

His efforts to move back to the District have been opposed by local leaders, though he has gained some traction with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. In 2018, Bowser launched the construction of a new football stadium at RFK, hinting that she would like to see the team move back in. 

Moving forward, it’s still unclear how the team will rebrand itself, though several ideas have been floated over the years. Previously, Snyder had toyed with the idea of renaming the team The Washington Warriors, but missed the opportunity to trademark the name last year, according to The Washington Times.

In 2013, D.C. Councilmember David Grosso proposed renaming the team the “Washington Redtails” in honor of the famed Tuskegee Airmen, a group of World War II pilots who became the first African Americans to fly in the U.S. Army. That trademark, however, is already taken.

A+
a-
  • Dan Snyder
  • Eleanor Holmes Norton
  • logo
  • name change
  • Native Americans
  • NFL
  • Washington Redskins
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Sports

    March 25, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    DC Attorney General Warns Sports Teams About Relocating to Virginia

    WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia’s attorney general is invoking a contract provision with local professional sports teams in the... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia’s attorney general is invoking a contract provision with local professional sports teams in the city’s latest bid to keep them from relocating to Northern Virginia. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb told Monumental Sports and Entertainment in a letter last week... Read More

    College Swimmers, Volleyball Players Sue NCAA Over Transgender Policies

    ATLANTA (AP) — Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among more than a dozen college athletes who filed a lawsuit... Read More

    ATLANTA (AP) — Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among more than a dozen college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Thursday, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing transgender woman Lia Thomas to compete at the national championships in... Read More

    Top Virginia Senate Negotiator Vows to Keep Alexandria Arena Out of the Budget

    RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A top Democratic Virginia lawmaker vowed Wednesday to keep language enabling a proposed relocation by the... Read More

    RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A top Democratic Virginia lawmaker vowed Wednesday to keep language enabling a proposed relocation by the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals to Alexandria out of the state budget lawmakers will take up later this week. Sen. L. Louise Lucas, who... Read More

    Things to Know About the Shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl Celebration

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gunfire erupted at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration Wednesday, leaving one woman dead and more... Read More

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Gunfire erupted at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration Wednesday, leaving one woman dead and more than 20 people injured, including children. Shots rang out at the end of the celebration outside the city’s historic Union Station. Fans had lined the parade route... Read More

    Mahomes, the Chiefs, Taylor Swift and a Thrilling Game — It All Came Together at the Super Bowl

    LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in a Super Bowl unlike any... Read More

    LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in a Super Bowl unlike any other. Here's a look at a few topics that will linger in the aftermath: BEST SUPER BOWL EVER? This Super Bowl will likely go down as... Read More

    January 26, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    Justice Department Joins Lawsuit Against NCAA Transfer Rule

    WASHINGTON — The Justice Department joined a lawsuit this week opposing the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s restrictions on student athletes... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Justice Department joined a lawsuit this week opposing the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s restrictions on student athletes transferring between schools. Called the “transfer eligibility rule,” it allows student-athletes to begin playing their sports immediately when they transfer to a new Division I school.... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top