The current racial tensions throughout the country and the world have no doubt made their way into the sports world. The NFL just delivered an apology being issued to Colin Kaepernick, whose message is gaining a lot of support throughout players. The next obstacle to tackle, however, is the Redskins and their name.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser made a claim recently that the team needed to change their name, and that it was time to bring them back to the District. Their stadium sponsor FedEx has now asked the team for a name change.
“We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name,” FedEx stated. It’s so bad that they won’t even name them! Kind of Ohio State and TTUN-esque, to be honest.
The Redskins have sent a couple of proposals about a stadium within the city, but the DC city council denied without a name change. They had previously played in RFK stadium from 1961 until 1996 before heading out to Landover, Maryland.
“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,” Bowser stated on a radio show.
After posting a black screen on June 2nd, part of the widespread attempt to bring awareness for the black lives matter movement, some felt it was ironic for the Redskins to feel strongly about racial inequality.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called out the team, saying that they needed to change their name if they were really serious about the cause.
Owner Dan Snyder hasn’t shied away from his opinion of the name in the past, stating that he would “never” change the name back in 2013. A few polls were released over the years, with a majority of those who identified as native Americans not feeling offended by the name. Newer studies have found that previous polls were misleading, and a study from the California Berkeley concluded that 67% of 1,000 of Natives who carry out tribal ritual practices are profoundly offended by the images and caricatures of Natives in sports. Polls from the past were from volunteers who had some form of Native American in them, which could vary from entirely native to just a small percentage. Berkeley’s study surveyed a variety of people with strong native heritage, from a great number of backgrounds.
The fact that a large number of people are bothered and offended by the name should be enough to convince a name change.
And even besides the name, a history of racism comes with the team. They were also last in the league to integrate players. They only did so when threatened that their new facility wouldn’t be opened without a black member on the team.
Time has been ticking for Dan Snyder and the team. Shareholders and investors have sent letters to Nike and Pepsico threatening to cut ties with the team unless a name change is made. This could result in a loss of up to $620 billion dollars. Nike also removed all Redskins gear from their site. Stephen A. Smith commented on the reality of the situation, highlighting that Snyder would only change the name because he could lose money, and not because of social change, and he’s right. Smith expressed that a big reason why Snyder has refused to change it is that the Redskins name is a brand, and one of the oldest in football, dating back to 1933.
And now, Snyder finally caved in.
“This process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni, the organization, sponsors, the National Football League and the local community it is proud to represent on and off the field,” Snyder stated July 3rd.
But with all this, what would they even change it to?
The Redtails.
This name is perfect, plain, and simple. The Redtails name comes from the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American fighter pilots who were the first black men to enter the Army Air Forces. Their planes were detailed with vibrant crimson marks on the tails to signify that they were part of the 332nd fighter group in WW2.
This is a great way to honor veterans, and celebrate diversity for these groundbreaking (or air breaking) men. Although not originally from DC, several teams have names that don’t relate to the city they play in, like the Jazz or the Raptors.
Hail to the Redskins is the fight song for the team, first being performed in 1938. Beyond a fight song, HTTR is like word of the bible in the nation’s capital, and you can find it plastered around FedEx Field. They could keep this mantra, and just tweak it to be “Hail To The Redtails,” and as a bonus, it rhymes!
They could follow in the footsteps of Miami University in Ohio, who swapped from the Redskins to the Redhawks in the 1997-98 school year. Though, the NFL would have the Seahawks and the Redhawks, which could lead to some confusion.
They could also swap to the Washington Warriors, but having the Washington Wizards and the Washington Warriors is just a little too much alliteration for me.
A name change seems inevitable, and luckily Dan Snyder has a glaring positive option that could make his team and his reputation look a whole lot better.