Tag: FedEx

You can vote for Antonio Gibson as FedEx Ground Player of the Week

Vote for Antonio Gibson as FedEx NFL Ground Player of the Week.

Washington running back Antonio Gibson had the biggest game of his career in the WFT’s 22-7 win over the New York Giants in Week 18. Gibson rushed for a career-high 146 yards on 21 attempts and also scored a touchdown.

Now, Gibson is one of three nominees for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week. Going against Gibson is Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny, who rushed for 190 yards and a score, and Latavius Murray of the Ravens, who ran for 150 yards and a touchdown.

You can vote for Gibson here.

Gibson finished his second NFL season with 1,037 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. He played in 16 games in 2021, missing Week 17 with COVID-19. In 2020, Gibson rushed for 795 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie.

 

VOTE: Alvin Kamara up for FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara has been nominated for the 2020 FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year award after his record-setting season

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New Orleans Saints fans have an opportunity to vote for Alvin Kamara to win the 2020 FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Year award. He’s a candidate alongside Minnesota Vikings rusher Dalvin Cook and Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry.

Kamara, who led the league in scrimmage touchdowns (21) and ranked third with 1,688 scrimmage yards (932 rushing, 756 receiving), won recognition as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his six-touchdown performance against the Vikings on Christmas Day.

Voting will be conducted at NFL.com/FedEx until Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. CT, as well as the NFL Mobile App and official polls from the NFL on Twitter. The winner will be announced at this year’s NFL Honors event on Saturday, Feb. 6.

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Dolphins’ Ryan Fitzpatrick nominated for FedEx Air Player of the Week

Dolphins’ Ryan Fitzpatrick nominated for FedEx Air Player of the Week

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has had some great performances during his time with the Miami Dolphins. But of all those games, perhaps none stand out more than Fitzpatrick’s performance in Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers. Fitzpatrick was inspired throughout the entire game, throwing bombs down the field with anticipation and shredding San Francisco’s worn down secondary as Miami trounced San Francisco to a big blowout win.

For Fitzpatrick’s efforts, he’s been nominated as one of the three candidates for the FedEx Air Player of the Week. Fitzpatrick squares off against Houston’ Deshaun Watson and Las Vegas’ Derek Carr for the weekly honor this week — and Dolphins fans will have the chance to push him through to claim the award with a fan vote.

The poll will close at 3PM on Wednesday afternoon and as things currently stand, Fitzpatrick does indeed hold the lead for his 350 yard performance against San Francisco after 46,000+ votes. This isn’t the first time Fitzpatrick has been up for the honor as a member of the Dolphins and he last won the award in Week 17 of 2019 when he helped prompt the Dolphins’ stunning upset over the New England Patriots in Foxborough.

Can he log another honor with the Dolphins? We’ll know by tomorrow afternoon.

Cowboys’ most storied rival to officially retire Redskins name, logo

After 87 years, the Washington Redskins will retire their name and logo after a review, but the club has yet to reveal their new name.

The Cowboys and Redskins have been bitter enemies from the very beginning. The storied rivalry has produced some of the most memorable moments in league history. Some of the sport’s most recognizable names have taken part in the Dallas-Washington grudge match over the past 59 years, with caricaturish Cowboys-versus-Indians imagery spilling over into the collective consciousness of NFL fans for just as long.

But time marches on, sensitivities evolve, and the Cowboys’ oldest rival is getting a brand new name. The Washington franchise announced on Monday that the organization is officially retiring the Redskins name and logo.

The team began in 1932 as the Boston Braves. The name was changed the following year to “Redskins” and remained with the club when they relocated to the nation’s capital in 1937.

The team had resisted previous pressure- dating back may years- to change the racially offensive name. Owner Daniel Snyder insisted that most Native Americans were not offended by the team moniker, and even famously issued the following promise in 2013:

“We’ll never change the name. It’s that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.”

But in the wake of 2020’s powerful and broad sweeping racial justice movement, several sponsors and advertisers publicly called on Snyder to make a long-overdue change. Nike pulling team gear from its online catalogs and FedEx, the naming sponsor of the team’s home stadium, demanding a new name were among the final straws.

The 87-year-old name did not survive the ten-day review announced on July 3.

As stated in the press release, the new name for the team is forthcoming. Whether that’s because the team hasn’t chosen a name or simply hasn’t secured the rights to the name they’ve chosen is unknown at the time of this writing. ProFootballTalk featured a look at one trademark squatter who has secured the rights to a handful of prospective names that Washington may be investigating.

The Cowboys lead the all-time series with the Redskins, 73-45-2. But the rivalry between the clubs dates back to before Dallas even officially had a team.

As a Dallas NFL franchise was being considered, Washington’s then-owner, George Marshall, wanted to block the league from coming to Texas. His was  geographically the closest team to most of the Southern United States, and he was reluctant to allow a new team to sway fans in that part of the country.

But Clint Murchison, owner of the would-be Dallas club, had covertly purchased the rights to “Hail to the Redskins,” the fight song traditionally played at Washington home games (and written in part by Marshall’s wife). Murchison offered to give the rights back to Marshall in exchange for his vote approving his expansion club.

And so the most famous rivalry in pro football was born, even before the Dallas team had a name.

Now it will continue with the Washington team playing under a new one.

See what our own K.D. Drummond had to say about how Snyder and the Washington organization has already managed to foul up their handling of a new name in the latest Morning Minute edition of Catch This Fade.

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FedEx threatens to remove signage from stadium unless Washington changes name

Washington is likely to change their team name and logo going forward, but FedEx has threatened to remove all signage if they don’t.

The pressure was put on Washington earlier this month when FedEx, one of the team’s major sponsors, publicly asked them to change their name. There wasn’t an ultimatum that was given, but if you read between the lines, it was easy to figure out, especially after Fred Smith, the CEO of FedEx and minority owner in Washington announced that he was looking to sell his shares.

Now, according to a report from The Washington Post, FedEx has sent a private letter to the team and said that they would remove its signage from the stadium after the NFL’s 2020 season unless the name was changed.

FedEx, the shipping giant that signed a $205-million stadium naming rights deal with the Washington Redskins in 1999, notified the team in a July 2 letter that unless the team changes its name it will remove its signage from the stadium after the NFL’s 2020 season, six years before the deal’s expiration.

The two-page letter, from the general counsel of FedEx to the general counsel at Washington Football Inc., the corporate name of the Redskins, was emailed the same day FedEx publicly acknowledged in a one-sentence statement that it had communicated its “request” that the team change its name.

The private letter is more detailed and pointed. It noted that the team’s name, which it never cited, poses the risk of harming FedEx’s brand reputation and is inconsistent with its commitment to a more inclusive society.

The contents of the FedEx letter were summarized for The Washington Post by a person who had read it but was not authorized to share it or speak publicly about it.

It is apparent that Washington is moving in the direction of changing the name, though their earlier quest to have a new name and logo by the start of the 2020 season might be a big ask. At the moment, there are a few names that have risen to the top, with Redwolves, Warriors, and Redtails leading the way.

Should Washington announce their plan to utilize one of these names, it’s likely that a deal between the team and sponsor can remain.

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Reports: Washington D.C. team’s minority owners looking to sell

Reports indicated minority owners who have as much as a 40% stake in Washington’s NFL are looking to sell.

Minority owners of the Washington D.C. NFL team want out of their business relationship with Dan Snyder, Pro Football Talk, and the Washington Post reported Sunday.

Per the Post, three minority partners want out “in large part because they are ‘not happy being a partner’” with Snyder.

The Post says that the trio, who purchased their equity in 2003, owns roughly 40% of the team. Past reports have suggested that (Dwight) Schar and (Robert) Rothman own 15% each, and that (Fred) Smith has 5%.

Per the Post, the owners have hired an investment banking firm to conduct the search for buyers. It’s our understanding that, as to Smith and Schar, efforts to find a buyer have been ongoing but unsuccessful.

Earlier, PFT reported Smith, whose FedEx company has naming rights to the Stadium the team plays in and wants the nickname changed, is unhappy with Snyder.

Per PFT:

Thursday’s statement from FedEx, the company founded by Washington minority partner Fred Smith, opposing the name of the team stunned many around the league. However, the public assault on a name that Washington owner Daniel Snyder had said would never change wasn’t the result of an epiphany for Smith. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Smith had been trying to get Snyder to change the name for “years.”

Smith’s dissatisfaction with the name and other issues already had brought Smith to a point where he, along with fellow minority owner Dwight Schar, had actively been trying to sell their pieces of the team. However, both have to date been unable to find a buyer.

The fact the minority owners can’t find a suitable buyer could turn the tables on Snyder. What if someone or someones are willing to take the major stake in Washington’s team from the controversial and stubborn Snyder. Would he consider selling?

Or would he remain stubborn and obstinate as he has through the years when the issue of changing the team’s nickname has been raised?

The Post added:

 

Responding to sponsorship pressure, Redskins announce ‘thorough review’ of team name

After serious corporate pressure has been brought to bear, the Redskins may finally be changing their name

The Washington Redskins are under pressure as never before to change a team nickname that’s offensive to more people than seem to support it, and given recent potential financial constraint, it appears that team owner Daniel Snyder may do what he has vowed never to do — explore changing the team’s name.

“In light of recent events around our country and feedback from our community, the Washington Redskins are announcing the team will undergo a thorough review of the team’s name,” the team said in a statement. “This review formalizes the initial discussions the team has been having with the league in recent weeks.

Team owner Daniel Snyder said, “This 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 it is proud to represent on and off the field.”

Head coach Ron Rivera said, “This issue is of personal importance to me, and I look forward to working closely with Dan Snyder to make sure we continue the mission of supporting Native Americans and our Military.”

“We believe this review can and will be conducted with the best interest of all in mind,” was the closing sentence in the statement.

Snyder has been stubborn about changing the name for years in the face of various protests, but as they say, money talks and everything else walks. Recently, 87 different shareholders and investment firms, whose financial involvement totals more than $620 billion in assets, have asked Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo to end their business relationships with the Washington Redskins due to the racist nature of the team’s nickname.

That pressure had FedEx, which has the naming rights to the team’s stadium, calling on Snyder to change the name. And Nike removed all Redskins merchandise from its online store, though it still represents every other NFL team.

With such sponsorship pressure, one can imagine that the discussions with the NFL might be as simple as Commissioner Roger Goodell getting a bit panicked about other possible losses. This may, at long last, be the catalyst to change that has been coming for so long. Shame that it had to take corporate pressure for Snyder to address the issue as seriously as he should have all along, but that is often the way of things.

Report: Dan Snyder has no ‘official plans’ to address call to change Redskins name

As pressure for Dan Snyder to change the Redskins name has increased, the owner reportedly has no intention of making a statement.

The calls for Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins to change their name have gotten extremely loud over the last couple of days, but a new report from ESPN’s Josina Anderson states that Snyder does not plan on addressing any of these any time soon.

According to Anderson, Snyder “has no official plans to address the renewed call to change t/ Washington team name.”

The biggest call for a name change came on Thursday afternoon when FedEx, one of the Redskins biggest sponsors, released a statement saying that they had requested the team change its name going forward. The request from FedEx came a day after several investment firms and shareholders encouraged FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo to terminate their relationship with the team unless a change to the name was made.

While losing the FedEx relationship would be huge — Washington plays at FedEx Field, and the CEO of FedEx is a minority owner of the Redskins — the pressure to change the name would only grow as more companies threaten to end their relationship with the team going forward. The feeling around Washington circles is that FedEx was simply the first domino to fall, and several more might follow.

Snyder might not have any plans to address the name change at the moment, but you can almost guarantee that if another big-name sponsor threatens to pull out unless changes are made, he’d start to consider it a bit more. Stay tuned going forward.

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FedEx is first domino to fall as sponsor asks Washington to change Redskins name

FedEx, who is a major sponsor with the Redskins, has asked the team to change their controversial name going forward.

Another shoe has dropped in the push for the Washington Redskins to rename their team, as FedEx, one of their major sponsors, has now called upon Dan Snyder and the rest of the ownership group to change the name.

The news was released on Thursday evening after FedEx sent out a memo saying that going forward, they were encouraging a change to be made.

This was not a major surprise, as news came out on Wednesday night that said some major shareholders with Nike, FedEx, and PepsiCo were encouraging for sponsors to cut ties with the team unless a name change was made. FedEx was the first company to actually threaten to do so, but it would not be a shock to see others follow suit.

In the saga that is a potential Redskins name change, this is a major deal. NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay put it best on Twitter:

We will see if any other major companies follow FedEx’s lead, and time will tell what Dan Snyder and the team decide to do next.

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Nike, FedEx, and PepsiCo encouraged to end relationship with Redskins over name

Investment firms, shareholders ask Nike, FedEx, and PepsiCo to terminate relationships with the Redskins unless they agree to change name.

There is increasing pressure for the Washington Redskins to change their name to anything but the Redksins.

According to a report from Adweek, investment firms and shareholders worth a collective $620 billion have asked Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo to terminate their business relationships with the Washington Redskins unless the team agrees to change its name.

On Friday, three separate letters signed by 87 investment firms and shareholders worth a collective $620 billion asked Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo to terminate their business relationships with the NFL’s Washington Redskins unless the team agrees to change its controversial name.

The report also said that there was a belief among many that, though this fight for the Redskins to change their name for decades, this time might be different with the push for racial equality so strong in America right now.

Dan Snyder may have chosen not to listen to many calls in the past about needing to change the name, but if FedEx, Nike, and PepsiCo all threaten to terminate their partnerships with the team, you can almost guarantee that Snyder will start to think twice about his “NEVER” statement.

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