Redskins to have ‘thorough review’ of name amid race debate
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Redskins began a “thorough review”
of their name Friday, a significant step toward moving on from what
experts and advocates call a “dictionary-defined racial slur.”
Even
though owner Dan Snyder had shown no willingness to change the name
since buying the team in 1999, the recent national conversation on race
has renewed opposition to the name
and prompted sponsors to speak up. With support from the NFL, it may
finally lead to a new moniker for the long-struggling storied franchise
with long-ago Super Bowl success.
“In the last few weeks, we have had ongoing discussions with Dan, and we are supportive of this important step,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said.
In a statement, the team said recent events around the U.S. and feedback from the community prompted the formal review.
“This
process allows the team to take into account not only the proud
tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni,
the organization, sponsors, the National Football League and the local
community it is proud to represent on and off the field,” Snyder said.
Native
American advocacy groups have tried for decades to force a change, and a
peer-reviewed UC Berkeley study released earlier this year revealed 67%
of those surveyed who strongly identify as Native agreed or strongly
agreed the name was offensive. The death of George Floyd in Minnesota
and other examples of police brutality against Black people in the U.S.
sparked protests worldwide and changes to various brands considered
racially insensitive.
Asked last month about the name, a spokesman
said the team had no comment. But this week marked a possible sea
change on the issue with investors writing to FedEx, PepsiCo and other
sponsors hoping they would influence change.
FedEx was the first to act
publicly. The title sponsor of the team’s stadium in Landover,
Maryland, FedEx said Thursday, “We have communicated to the team in
Washington our request that they change the team name.” FedEx paid $205
million in 1999 for the naming rights to the stadium.
On Thursday
night, Nike appeared to remove all Redskins gear from its online store.
Nike did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment.
PepsiCo,
a sponsor since 2017, said it has been in conversations with the team
and NFL and is pleased to see the review is happening. The company
added, “We believe it is time for a change.”
Coach Ron Rivera, who
said in a recent radio interview now is not the time to discuss the
name, called it “an issue of personal importance.” Rivera, who is of
Mexican and Puerto Rican descent and is the only Hispanic head coach
currently in the NFL, added he’d work closely with Snyder during the
process.
“There is no reason not to immediately announce that the
team is changing the mascot, since any real review will lead to the
inevitable conclusion that the deeply offensive and racist name of
Washington’s NFL team must go now,” said Oneida Indian Nation
Representative Ray Halbritter, leader of the “Change the Mascot”
campaign. “Dan Snyder can stand on the right side of history and create a
new, positive legacy for his team, or instead continue embracing a
bigoted slur that denigrates Native Americans and people of color.”
Washington
mayor Muriel Bowser said recently the name was an “obstacle” to the
team building a stadium in the District. The current lease at FedEx
Field expires in 2027, and the old RFK Stadium site in Washington is one
of several options for the team’s new headquarters, along with
locations in Maryland and Virginia.
The team in late June removed racist founder George Preston Marshall from its Ring of Fame. A monument of Marshall was also removed from the RFK Stadium site.
Marshall’s
granddaughter supported those moves and recently told The Associated
Press she’s fine with the team changing its name.
“I think if anybody’s offended that they should change the name,” Wright said. “I’ve always felt that way.”