Two people familiar with the team’s plans said on Sunday that the preferred alternative name was linked to a trademark battle, which is why the team could not announce the new name on Monday.
“[The] the exam has started seriously. As part of this process, we want our sponsors, fans and community to be informed of our thinking in the future, ”said the team in a statement. “Today we are announcing that we will be removing the Redskins name and logo at the end of this review.”
The statement also says that Snyder and Rivera “are working closely to develop a new name and a new design approach that will enhance the reputation of our proud and tradition-rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years. “
In the July 4 interview, Rivera said that he and Snyder had found two names that Rivera liked very much. He did not disclose the names but said he wanted to speak to Native American and military organizations to ensure that the new name correctly respected the two.
The decision to change the name of the 87-year-old team comes amid growing pressure on openness from corporate sponsors and the national race discussion.
Snyder had previously stated that he would never change the controversial Redskins’ name, which is considered an insult to the Native Americans. But in the social uprising that followed the death of George Floyd, with corporations and governments across the country removing logos and symbols deemed offensive, pressure to abandon the old name – including some of the most prominent sponsors franchises – was too strong.
At least one of Snyder’s outside advisers urged him to resolve the name issue in the days after Floyd’s death, said a person with first-hand knowledge of the plea. Shortly after, Snyder apparently began to face the reality of a name change.
On July 2, FedEx – one of the main sponsors of the franchise and the owner of the stadium’s naming rights – issued a statement asking the team to change its name, and sent a letter to lawyers for the team last week said it would end the naming rights agreement. and not to pay the remaining $ 45 million in the contract if Snyder does not change the team name. Other sponsors, including PepsiCo, Nike and Bank of America, have also made similar requests.
New team head coach Ron Rivera said in a July 4 interview that he has been working with Snyder on the renaming process since late May or early June. Rivera added that NFL officials had started advising Snyder on the name issue in mid-June. Rivera, who said he believed the name should be changed, said he had discussed several possibilities with Snyder and that he really liked two.
Rivera also said he wanted the new name to honor both Native Americans and the military, saying that many natives joined the military. Under Snyder, the team has forged close ties with military organizations, believing that the two have a natural connection given the franchise’s proximity to the Pentagon and other military offices.
Name changes are complicated processes, and Washington faces a serious challenge in instituting the new name before the September 13 season opener against Philadelphia. In addition to creating new helmets and uniforms, the word “Redskins” must be removed from posters at the team training center in Ashburn, Virginia, and around FedEx Field. A media guide, about to go to printers, must have the old name removed from 500-page type. Even the club’s official address, 21300 Redskins Park Drive, needs to be changed.
