Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder defiantly stated in 2013 that he would “never” change the name of his team, but after stadium sponsor FedEx publicly requested “the team in Washington” to consider a name change, the Redskins announced Friday that they would be reviewing the team’s controversial name.
In a statement released by the team, Snyder said that the review 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.”
The debate over the team’s name has been raging for years, but with Snyder’s path to relocating to a new D.C. stadium blocked unless the name is changed, along with the pressure from major sponsors, it certainly seems like the time for a change is now. Many fans of the team will certainly disagree, but Lakers owner Jeanie Buss provided a solid counterpoint to anyone worried that changing the name would erase the history of the organization.
The argument I’ve heard is “if we change the team name we lose our history.” My reply: it’s HUMAN BEINGS who created the memories and won the games, NOT a LOGO. A change in name will not alter what Art Monk, Dexter Manley, Darrell Green, Doug Williams, etc. means to the fans. https://t.co/b0b0yXIAqp
— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) July 2, 2020
Buss has a family connection to the Redskins. Her father, Dr. Jerry Buss, purchased the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979 from Jack Kent Cooke, who also owned the Redskins until his death in 1997. Snyder later purchased the team from Cooke’s estate in 1999.
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