WASH AWAY THE NAME
Redskins scrub controversial team moniker, logo
Never say never, Daniel Snyder. The Redskins announced Monday the retirement of their team name and logo, ending usage of a derogatory slur for Native Americans. The replacement was not revealed and could be tied up in a trademark battle against opportunists with foresight to see change on the horizon and hopes of capitalizing financially.
During two decades of ownership, Snyder fought all the way to the Supreme Court and spent untold sums of money to protect the name he infamously vowed in 2013 “never” to change. Then — after corporate sponsors FedEx, Nike and PepsiCo. took actions that could have resulted in hundreds of millions in lost advertising revenue — it took a 10-day “thorough review” for Snyder, a lifelong fan of the team, to pivot.
“As part of this process, we want to keep our sponsors, fans and community apprised of our thinking as we go forward,” the team said in a statement. “Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review.”
The words were printed on stationary with the retired team name and logo, which will be phased out but remains in use until the review officially is complete. Redskins.com remains active and NFL.com still refers to the retired name.
The Redskins were founded in Boston and moved to Washington in
1937, but the logo of a chief was adopted in 1971 in consultation with Native American organizations.
“Dan Snyder and Coach [Ron] Rivera are working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition-rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years,” the statement read.
Headdresses and war paint are worn by some fans in the stands, where the “Hail to the Redskins” fight song echoes.
“Today we celebrate the retirement of the Washington NFL football team name that has long perpetuated racism and harm against Native peoples,” Crystal Echo Hawk, CEO of the educational organization IllumniNative, said. “This is 30 years in the making, and we honor the leaders of this movement . ... We will not rest until the offensive use of Native imagery, logos, and names are eradicated from professional, collegiate, and K-12 sports.
“The time is now to stand in solidarity and declare that racism will not be tolerated.”
So, now the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles will meet a newly branded NFC East rival. The NFL history books must determine how to refer to the champions of Super Bowls XVII, XXII and XXVI. And so on.
“I expect there will be a tremendous demand for products featuring the new team name, and classic Redskin collectibles will also temporarily spike in value,” said New Yorkbased Phillips Nizer attorney Edward Schauder, the former general counsel and executive vice president of licensing at Steiner Sports. “This was the case when the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals, albeit in that circumstance without the controversy.”
Warriors, RedTails, RedWolves and Hogs are commonly regarded as replacement possibilities and would help steer clear of any potential political landmines attached to options like Presidents and Monuments. Keeping the color scheme is seen as a priority to minimize disruption for longtime fans.
But Phillip Martin McCaulay — a 61-year-old actuary from Virginia — and others like him could be standing in the way. McCaulay owns 44 trademarks for alternative Washington team names, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. A search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office shows he applied for RedWolves and RedTails trademarks within the past week.
McCaulay buys and sells merchandise for several of those nonexistent teams on a website, so he can claim intent and usage if he winds up in court against the franchise. The payoff in trademark-squatting is to force the team to buy the name at a premium price.
Snyder once owned “Washington Warriors” but let his trademark lapse.