The NFL football team which aligns its name with the nation’s capital has changed its name for the first time since 1933, when the former Boston Braves adopted the name a few years before moving to Washington D.C. in 1937. Not that the name is permanent. As first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the former Washington Redskins have changed their name to the Washington Football Team as the organization still tries to figure out what will replace “Redskins” in a permanent basis.
Team owner Daniel Snyder announced a “thorough review” of the former nickname, which has been called by Native American groups for decades based on the obvious and harmful bias, on July 3. Snyder had faced severe pressure from sponsors, including FedEx, who holds the naming rights to the team’s stadium in Landover, Maryland.
Also per Schefter, it looks like the process for changing the name on a permanent basis could take a while.
“While the Washington Football Team uses these uniforms and helmets for the 2020 season, it will be seeking the feedback of players, alumni, fans, sponsors and the community for the new team name it will use at some point in the future, per sources,” Schefter noted.
The Redskins are awash in controversy right now. A recent blockbuster Washington Post report revealed that 15 former female employees experienced harassment during their time with the team, and even as Snyder endeavors to change a culture he should have changed long ago (he’s owned the team since 1999), there are questions as to whether the team followed proper protocol in its most recent hiring practices.
