Washington ‘retiring’ offensive name, logo
The Washington NFL franchise announced Monday it is dropping the “Redskins” name and Indian head logo, bowing to recent pressure from sponsors and decades of criticism that they are offensive to Native Americans.
A new name must still be selected for one of the oldest and most storied teams in the National Football League, and it’s unclear how soon that will happen. But for now, arguably the most polarizing name in North American professional sports is gone at a time of reckoning over racial injustice, iconography and racism in the U.S.
The team said it is “retiring” the name and logo and that owner Dan Snyder, above, and coach Ron Rivera are working to develop a new moniker and design. The announcement came on the old letterhead with the Redskins name because the team technically retains it until a new one is approved.
“As a kid who grew up in the (D.C. area), it’ll always be #HTTR (fight song ‘Hail to the Redskins’) but looking forward to the future,” QB Dwayne Haskins tweeted.
The “R” in “Hail to the Redskins” could soon be replaced by Redtails, Redwolves or Redhawks. Redtails or Red Tails — an homage to the Tuskegee Airmen from World War II — is the favorite on sportsbook BetOnline, and the group said it “would be honored and pleased to work with the organization during and after the process, should this name be adopted.”
This will be the NFL’s first name change since the late 1990s when the Tennessee Oilers became the Titans two seasons after moving from Houston.
Native American advocates and experts have long criticized the name they call a “dictionary-defined racial slur.”
MLB’s Atlanta Braves and the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks have said they have no inclination to make a change.