The Redskins are finally changing their name
The death of George Floyd has led to protests and larger discussions in society regarding racial equality and social justice. Fans and players have not only begun questioning business practices within professional sports leagues, but also the names of the franchises they play for. On Monday, after years of debate the Washington Redskins announced that they have finally decided to change their name and logo.
“Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review,” the team said in a statement.
The team began a review of their name after a letter was signed by 87 investors and shareholders with a total worth of $620bn was sent to sponsors FedEx, PepsiCo and Nike, asking them to stop doing business with the team unless its name and logo were changed.
Team owner Dan Snyder purchased the Washington NFL franchise in 1999 and had always been very resistant when it came to changing his team’s name as the team has used it for the past 87 years. Nonetheless, the day is a proud one for Ray Halbritter, Oneida Nation representative and head of the Change the Mascot campaign, who also released a statement on Monday
“The NFL and Dan Snyder have finally made the right call and Change the Mascot commends them for it,” said Halbritter. “This is a good decision for the country — not just Native peoples — since it closes a painful chapter of denigration and disrespect toward Native Americans and other people of color. Future generations of Native youth will no longer be subjected to this offensive and harmful slur every Sunday during football season.
“We have made clear from the start that this movement was never about political correctness, but seeking to prevent unnecessary harm to our youth, since we know from social scientists the many harmful effects this mascot has had on Native Americans’ self-image. Today marks the start of a new chapter for the NFL and the Washington franchise, beginning a new legacy that can be more inclusive for fans of all backgrounds.”
The Redskins aren’t the only professional team feeling the heat these days when it comes to their name and logo with the MLB’s Cleveland Indians, NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos also being levied to change their names and logos.
The Blackhawks have already come out to state they will not be changing their name or logo as it pays tribute to Black Hawk, a native American chief. The Cleveland Indians changed their ‘Chief Wahoo’ logo following the 2018 MLB season, the offensive name remains for now.
While Washington has not announced what their new team or logo will be, ESPN is reporting that the team’s plan is to keep their burgundy and gold colours. There is also talk that the team is planning to incorporate the military.
Washington finished dead last in the NFC East last season, with an abysmal 3-13 record. It remains to be seen what the plan is for the upcoming 2020 NFL season with cases of COVID-19 continuing to spike across the United States of America.
