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Christopher Heath
Dr. Clifford Stumme
ENGL 101-045
September 25, 2020
Did the Redskins’ Name Change Really Work?
The Washington Redskins decided after 67 years of forming an identity in the Redskins
that they would change their team name to “The Washington Football Team”. The team did not
just randomly change their name, but it has rather been building up to this moment due to
protests. The reason behind this name change is that there were some Native Americans that
believed that the name “Redskins” for a football team in the United States capitol was racist and
degrading. This name change though has caused much turmoil in the hearts of many fans, like
my readers, because they have put so much into this team name that it has almost become part of
their identity. Some lifelong fans like myself have more of a passion for Washington Football and
were a little put off initially by the whole ordeal but have come to accept this new identity. The
Redskins changed their name to appease the natives and stop discontent with the team name, but
has it really worked, and should it have been changed at all? Yes, the name should have been
changed even though the people unhappy with the name were a small minority because the name
can be perceived as racist, it caused unrest and protests, and the name change satisfied the
majority of fans.
There is an argument that the Redskins’ name honors the Natives of the country by giving
them representation in the NFL through a real living native chief’s side profile as the logo on the
helmet. But, in the same breath, the name itself can have a negative connotation to some which
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then the name is seen as racist. In Minnesota before a Redskins versus Vikings game there was a
massive protest by a group of natives that yelled “‘Who are we?’ … ‘Not your mascots!’” (Cox,
John Woodrow, washingtonpost.com). The very group that the Redskins represent seem to think
that the name is racist. So why shouldn’t we? The term originated when a “particular tribe, the
now extinct Beothuks of Newfoundland, painted themselves with red ochre” (Redskin Definition
and Meaning: Collins English Dictionary). Certain tribes painted themselves red but then over
time the colonists started calling the natives “Redskins” as a derogatory term when talking about
them. I can see why the natives would be unhappy if an offensive term were used as a mascot for
the team at the nation’s capital. Changing the team’s name was a good idea since it made it so
that there can be no possible way that anyone can perceive the name as racist.
The number of demonstrators against the team name “Redskins” that went to protest
should have been enough to spark a rection in Dan Snyder to rename the team, Going back to the
demonstration in Minnesota, there were “more than 700 people protested outside … with a
parade of Native American leaders, lawmakers, civil rights activists and sports commentators
condemning it” (Cox, John Woodrow, washingtonpost.com). The Washington team management
completely ignored these protests, but this does indeed show that there was more than enough
discontent at just the beginning of this movement to get the name changed. The opportunity to
stop people from condemning fans and protesting at every football game is one of the reasons
they changed their name. By changing their name, they did stop protests which means that the
name change did achieve their goal to stop discontent from natives.
Dan Snyder (the team owner) though waited too long, and the reason is because there was
initially no decrease in his paycheck. Fans and sponsors have been very accepting to this new
team name whereas before they were very unhappy because the team had an image that they
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were being stubborn and disrespectful. This finally caused a financial toll specifically through
FedEx, “FedEx also sent a letter to the team saying it would remove its signage from the stadium
after the 2020 season if the name isn’t changed. That would cost Snyder about $45 million in
revenue.” (McCartney, Robert, washingtonpost.com). This name change saved a lot of money for
Dan Snyder as well as pleased fans. Money should not have been the driving force to finally
show respect to the native’s request. However, ratings will most likely go up because the lesser
amount of controversy surrounding the name. I am sure that once they finally decide on a
permanent name their ratings will be much higher because there will be a certainty to the path
that the team wants to go. The fans do feel much more receptive to this temporary name than
Redskins as it shows a tweet in Sportsnaut’s article that states,
“They have their current name on the top of the release. Wouldn’t it have been
nice to start with a new header saying “ Washington professional football club” instead of
the name they currently have. Think about optic’s.” (Reed, Jesse, Sportsnaut.com).
It appears fans are pushing the decision to remove the name Redskins from all platforms and are
keeping the team accountable to their decision. A smooth transition from one team name to
another should include the fan’s input and the Redskins seem to want to achieve that as stated in
the NFL website, “The decision to use "Washington Football Team" for this season allows the
franchise the ability … to properly include player, alumni, fan, community, and sponsor input.”
(Bergman, Jeremy, NFL.com). The reaction of the fans was also mentioned, “To date, we have
been pleased to see so many people putting forward their vision … and we look forward to
including their feedback as this process progresses.” (Bergman, Jeremy, NFL.com). The fans
have had a mostly positive response because they are more tired of the turmoil that came with
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the name (I speak from experience). This all means that the image that the Redskins/ Washington
Football Team have been trying to achieve is working.
The long process of truly perfecting the Washington Football Team’s image is coming
along and it seems that the fans and natives are coming along for the ride. Some do still debate
whether the name change was based on true intentions or purely changed because they were
having negative financial consequences through sponsorships and fans not watching the games.
The effectiveness though of this name change has been great because although some people have
jumped ship a large majority of fans have just shifted their identity along with the team because
they will still route for the team where they are from. The rhetoric that the Washington Football
team now display is an image of inclusion and acceptance for all and I believe this was their
ultimate goal and it is why this name change worked.
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Bibliography
Bergman, Jeremy. “Washington Will Go by 'Washington Football Team' until Further Notice”,
NFL, 24 July 2020, News Article, www.nfl.com/news/washington-football-team-nfl-name-
change.
Cox, John Woodrow. “In Minnesota, Thousands of Native Americans Protest Redskins' Name.”
The Washington Post, WP Company, 2 Nov. 2014, www.washingtonpost.com/local/in-
minnesota-native-americans-march-rally-to-protest-redskins-name/2014/11/02/fc38b8d0-
6299-11e4-836c-83bc4f26eb67_story.html.
McCartney, Robert. “Perspective | Corporate Money, Black Lives Matter Protests and Elites'
Opinion Drove Redskins Name Change.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 13 July
2020, www.washingtonpost.com/local/corporate-money-black-lives-matter-protests-and-
elites-opinion-drive-redskins-name-change/2020/07/12/6103a6de-c2c6-11ea-b178-
bb7b05b94af1_story.html.
“Redskin Definition and Meaning: Collins English Dictionary.” Collins English Dictionary,
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/redskin.
Reed, Jesse. “NFL Fans React to Washington Using Redskins Name and Logo in Statement
Saying They Were Retiring Both.” Sportsnaut.com, Sportsnaut LLC, 13 July 2020,
sportsnaut.com/nfl-fans-react-to-washington-using-redskins-name-and-logo-in-statement-
saying-they-were-retiring-both/.
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