Washington NFL team announces nickname change
Washington’s NFL team has announced that it will change its nickname.
“On July 3rd, we announced the commencement of a thorough review of the team’s name,” the organization said in a statement. “That review has begun in earnest. As part of this process, we want to keep our sponsors, fans and community apprised of our thinking as we go forward.
“Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review.
“Dan Snyder and Coach (Ron) Rivera are working closely 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.”
The team did not say when it would announce its new nickname.
Snyder is the team’s owner. It is coached by former Carolina Panthers coach Rivera, who said recently that the franchise would like to use the military in its new nickname.
Although some have been asking the team to change the nickname for many years, momentum to act picked up during the past few weeks as attention focused on racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, and the protests that followed.
The team launched a ‘thorough review’ of the name July 3 that the NFL supported. That came in the aftermath of prominent sponsors FedEx, Nike, PepsiCo and Bank of America asking the team to change the name.
FedEx is the title sponsor of the team’s stadium in Landover, Maryland, and CEO Frederick Smith is a minority owner. Nike and other companies pulled team gear from their online stores.
Over a dozen Native American leaders and organizations wrote to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last week demanding an immediate end to Washington’s use of the name. In the letter that was obtained by The Associated Press, they said they “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 Associated Press contributed to this report
This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Washington NFL team announces nickname change."