NFL Franchise in Washington to Have New Team Name
It was a move that many doubted would ever happen.
Washington owner Daniel Snyder going back to the early 2010s, said, would never happen, but it now has. The NFL recently asked its partners to begin removing the name “Redskins” from their platforms and merchandise, hoping that a new name could be coming.
On Monday, it was announced that one is.
The Washington Redskins are no more. The much-maligned name had marked the franchise since 1933, when former owner George Preston Marshall created it. Having the term “Redskins” as the name for Washington’s team had sparked criticism in the past as being racist toward Native Americans.
However, in the continuing aftermath of the death of George Floyd, inspiring nationwide protests over racial inequality, the criticism became even more pronounced.
Like any business, though, in the NFL, money talks more than anything. The breaking point likely came on July 2. It was revealed that a group of investment firms that represented Nike, FedEx (which is the sponsor for Washington’s home field), and PepsiCo joined together to ask the companies to no longer associate with the team until the name was changed.
Considering that the group was worth over $620 billion, the companies listened, as FedEx requested the name be changed, and Nike pulled all Washington football-related merchandise from its online store.
These moves essentially left Snyder with no choice, whether he liked it or not. The organization then announced that it would begin a review process of its name, basically signaling that the “Redskin” era was over.
For many Native American activists, it probably wouldn’t be hyperbole to them to say that this was a long time coming. Washington might not have been the only North American sports team with a Native American name or symbol attached to it. Still, considering the popularity of the NFL, they often served as prime examples of utilizing Native American related tropes that are at the very least offensive and, at the worst, blatantly racist and hateful.
Now they’ve set what standard for change they could, and for teams like the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves, it will be telling to see how they follow up.
Tell us what you think in the comment section below.
Want the latest breaking Las Vegas Raiders news delivered straight to your email for FREE? Sign up for the DAILY Raiders Nation newsletter when you CLICK THE FOLLOW button on the main page. Don't miss any of the latest up to the second updates for your Las Vegas Raiders when you follow on Twitter @HondoCarpenter
