Fedex, the namesake of the Washington Redskins stadium since 1999, has asked the team to change their name. The idea of a change in mascot has been widely discussed over the past decade, but amidst the unrest, riots, and blossoming awareness of racial issues in the United States, it seems an unofficial ultimatum has been reached. The inevitable financial loss of keeping the name will likely outweigh the team’s desire to do so.
Change is frequent in the NFL. Teams relocate, change designs and logos, build new stadiums, but rarely do they change their name or mascot. The fear is that a total change in uniforms, logo, and mascot will alienate a fanbase that has existed for the better part of a century.
The truth is that this could have happened to any fanbase. The name was not widely considered to be racist when many fans became attached to the team. Soon, we will see the feedback of the fanbase, and if they are willing to accept the reasoning behind the change.
Issues like this will never receive full support, but it is always important to err on the side of caution. A 2016 poll by The Washington Post found that nine in ten Native American people were unbothered by the Washington Redskins name. This may seem insignificant, but considering that 31 other NFL franchises (possibly excluding the Kansas City Chiefs) have names that aren’t offensive at all, the reasoning for a change makes even more sense.
As a sports fan, this is an opportunity to be a part of a significant historical change; Both in the radical racial open-mindedness that has been encouraged through the past months, and the choosing of a truly original mascot. Assuming that the ultimatum is met by Washington ownership, the possible new colors, logo, and design will be a topic of conversation for years to come.
In addition, the Redskins have been trying to build a stadium within Washington D.C, but have been denied access based on their name and mascot. If the franchise is renamed, we could see the team return to our nation’s capital after their contract with Fedex expires.
It is certainly possible to keep a team’s legacy after changing the name, and seeing as the Redskins have been consistently at the bottom of the NFC East for years, maybe a change in identity is exactly what the team and fan base needs.
