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In 2013, Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder told USA TODAY that he would “NEVER” change the team’s name, and emphasized that his comment should be written in all caps. Seven years later, that position is no longer tenable, and the pressure is mounting on Snyder to finally give in, even if he’s only doing so for financial reasons.
Snyder wants to move the team back into Washington D.C. and away from FedEx Field in Maryland, which opened in 1997 and has since become one of the worst stadiums in the league. Building a palatial new home on the site of RFK Stadium is the logical move. Snyder just has one major issue: D.C. is currently off limits to him.
RFK Stadium sits on federally owned land, and officials have made it clear that they will not allow Snyder to build a new football stadium in D.C. unless he changes the team name. U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, told the Washington Post that there is “no way to justify” the racist nickname. “You either step into this century or you don’t.” If Snyder wants to avoid making the same mistake former owner Jack Kent Cooke made with putting a stadium in the suburbs outside D.C., the name must be changed.
Snyder could also soon find his sponsorship revenue under threat if he proceeds to ignore calls to change the name. According to a report from AdWeek, a group of 87 investment firms worth more than $600 billion collectively sent join letters to giants Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo to cut ties with Snyder’s team until it changes its name. On Thursday, FedEx wrote in a statement to ESPN that it has “communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name.”
Snyder has been able to ignore years of protests and social media pressure, but if a billionaire’s bottom line is put under threat, we may finally see some progress.
Friday’s Big Winner: Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson, the new NBA 2K21 cover star, caused NBA Twitter to collectively lose it with a single workout photo on Thursday. Zion will return to the court this month to help the Pelicans make a playoff push, and he’s looking great.
Quick Hits: Maya Moore’s sacrifice, Cam Newton speaks out on his contract, Formula 1 is back
– Maya Moore stepped away from basketball to help a wrongfully convicted man gain his freedom. As our Hemal Jhaveri writes, her sacrifice is a reminder of what real activism looks like.
– New Patriots quarterback Cam Newton is clearly being underpaid, but he says his deal is not about the money.
– The 2020 Formula 1 season starts this weekend, and we’ve got a primer of what to expect this year