It’s amazing how fast money talks when it’s about to walk out of someone’s bank account. Washington coach Ron Rivera said he is working with team owner Dan Snyder on new names for the NFL team in the nation’s capital.
As Nike has removed Washington merchandise from its site and investors have asked other corporations to pull sponsorships, the coach is discussing a name change with the owner, who previously has said he would “never” switch the name many believe has racist connotations. Snyder considers it a “badge of honor.”
“We came up with a couple of names — two of them I really like,” Rivera told the Washington Post Saturday. “If we get it done in time for the season, it would be awesome,” The team’s new coach did not reveal the names he prefers.
Rivera told the newspaper it is important that a new nickname respects Native American culture and traditions, while also saluting the military.
“We want to do this in a positive way,” said Rivera, who is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent and is the only Hispanic head coach currently in the NFL. He is the son of an Army officer.
The comments come a day after the team announced it would undergo a thorough review of its current nickname. A day earlier, FedEx, which owns the naming rights to the team’s stadium in Landover, Md.
