The Washington Redskins are officially considering a name change, a decision that is long overdue but which came only after the team came under heavy pressure from some of its biggest financial partners.
NFL’s official apparel partner, when it quietly removed every single piece of Washington merchandise from its online store. The move was later followed by a statement from Nike saying it was “pleased” to see the steps taken toward a name change, but the message had already been sent." data-reactid="17">Perhaps the biggest push came from Nike, the NFL’s official clothing partner, when it quietly removed every piece of Washington from its online store. The move was then followed by a statement from Nike that it was “happy” to see steps taken to change the name, but the message had already been sent.
Now even more companies are following suit.
It becomes more difficult to buy goods in Washington
Similar to Nike, Walmart and Target – two of the country’s largest retail chains – appear to have abandoned all Washington merchandise from their websites. A search for the name doesn’t reveal anything on Walmart.com, and it’s the same story on Target.com.
Pete Hailey of NBC Sports Washington noticed the absence on Monday:
NFL team’s merchandise. It’s worth noting Washington’s official team store is still up and running, but the retail shutout almost certainly represents a financial loss for the team." data-reactid="24">So it’s three huge retailers who now decide to no longer carry goods from an NFL team. It should be noted that the official Washington team store is still operational, but the laundering of the retail business almost certainly represents a financial loss for the team.
It’s just a way for Washington owner Dan Snyder to feel pressured to change a name that has been criticized for decades as a racial insult.
A name change may be underway in Washington. (Photo by Joe Robbins / Getty Images)
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said he is supportive of discussions to change the name. Politicians in Washington D.C. have said the team will need to change its name if it wants to move to a stadium inside the district in the future." data-reactid="37">Two other financial partners, FedEx and Pepsi, have publicly announced they would like to see a name change, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said he supports discussions on the name change. Washington DC politicians have said the team will have to change its name if it wants to move to a stadium inside the neighborhood in the future.
Meanwhile, all members of the Washington ownership group who are not direct relatives of Snyder would try to sell their stake in the team and cite Snyder’s leadership as one of the main reasons.
The name still has some loud supporters, including the President of the United States. President Donald Trump lamented the change as “politically correct”. Conversely, former President Barack Obama had indicated that he was in favor of a name change while he was in the White House, so the team does not exactly have a history of listen to the President on this subject.
Clearly, trading partners seem to have a little more influence.
