PRESSURE MOUNTS
FedEx, the title sponsor of the Washington Redskins' stadium, wants the team to change its name
The title sponsor of the Washington Redskins' stadium wants the NFL team to change its name.
“We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name,” FedEx said in a statement Thursday.
The company paid the team $205 million in 1999 for the naming rights to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.
In addition to the stadium name and sponsorship agreement, FedEx CEO Frederik Smith is a minority owner. Majority owner Daniel Snyder has shown no indications he'll change the name since buying the team in 1999.
Amid the national debate over race, pressure has been mounting on the organization to abandon the name called a “dictionary-defined racial slur” by experts and advocates.
Black anthem to be played before Week 1 NFL games
“Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing” will be performed live or played before “The StarSpangled Banner” prior to each NFL game during Week 1 and the league is considering putting names of victims of police brutality on helmet decals or jersey patches, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press.
The person said the
league is working collaboratively with players to recognize victims of systemic racism throughout the season in a variety of ways.
Additional plans include the use of educational programs and storytelling about the victims and their families similar to the league's PSA on Botham Jean released in January and the Super Bowl commercial on Corey Jones featuring his cousin, former NFL star Anquan Boldin.
“Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing” is traditionally known as the Black anthem. It'll be played first when the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans to kick off the NFL regular season on Sept. 10.
GOLF Three golfers share lead at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Doc Redman is playing his best golf, priming him to perhaps earn his first PGA
Tour victory.
Redman shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday to share the first-round lead with Scott Stallings and Kevin Kisner in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Bryson DeChambeau, the only player with top-10 finishes in each of the last three tournaments, topped the group a stroke back.
Peter Malnati, Emiliano Grillo, Chase Seiffert, J.J. Spaun, Matt Wallace and Chris Stroud matched DeChambeau at 66.
Rickie Fowler, who has missed the cut in the two tournaments he has played since the restart, was among the many players another shot back.
COLLEGES Texas A&M, Fisher handed recruiting penalties by NCAA
Texas A& M's football program was placed on probation and coach Jimbo Fisher given a six- month show cause order by the NCAA on Thursday after the Aggies were found to have violated recruiting and other rules beginning in January 2018.
Fisher, who had just been hired by Texas A& M, and an assistant coach had impermissible contact with a recruit, the NCAA said without identifying the coaches by name. The assistant, Jay Graham, is now a member of Jeremy Pruitt's staff at Tennessee.
The negotiated resolution with the NCAA came after it found Fisher “failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance.” As part of his punishments, Fisher was banned from phone calls, emails and texts with prospects for nine days in January.
Graham was also given a six-month show cause order by the NCAA.
KANSAS STATE: Kansas State is launching a diversity and education fund amid several other initiatives to address racial injustice after football players threatened a boycott in response to an insensitive tweet by a student about the death of George Floyd.
The fund will allow boosters to funnel money directly to initiatives within the athletic department that “actively seek inclusive and diverse community through educational programming and support of all student- athletes, coaches and staff.”