The Washington Redskins officially announced on Monday that they decided to change their controversial name and logo in an anticipated move following mounting pressure from sponsors and the National Football League (NFL).
“On July 3rd, we announced the commencement of a thorough review of the team’s name. That review has begun in earnest,” the team said in a statement. “As part of this process, we want to keep our sponsors, fans and community apprised of our thinking as we go forward,” the team said in a statement.
“Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review. Dan Snyder and Coach 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 new name of the team has not been unveiled yet.
— Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL) July 13, 2020
The Redskins had announced they would launch a thorough review of the name on July 3, after major sponsors including FedEx, Nike, PepsiCo and Bank of America pushed the team to change its name.
Last week, Amazon said in a notice to its sellers that it was starting to pull Redskins merchandise from its online platform, giving them 48 hours to review and remove items featuring the team’s name or logo.
The controversy around the team’s name has been going on for years as it is widely considered an offensive term referring to Native Americans.
Redskins owner Dan Snyder has been known for being against the idea of changing the name. “We’ll never change the name,” Snyder said in 2013. “It’s that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.”
In 2014, 50 senators signed a letter asking the NFL to pressure the Redskins for a name change. The same year, the US Patent and Trademark Office revoked the trademark of the NFL’s Washington Redskins for the second time.
Also former President Barack Obama said in 2013, “If I were the owner of the team and I knew that there was a name of my team—even if it had a storied history—that was offending a sizeable group of people, I’d think about changing it.”
Another call for the name change recently came from DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who said during a radio show that the Redskins should have changed their name and returned to the District with a new name.
“I think it’s past time for the team to deal with what offends so many people and this is a great franchise with a great history that’s beloved in Washington. And it deserves a name that reflects the affection that we’ve built for the team,” the mayor said.
Amazon Withdraws Redskins Merchandise From Site Over Name Controversy