Washington Redskins Considering Name Change After Nike, FedEx Protest

George Floyd’s heart wrenching death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer several weeks ago has touched off a major racial revolution in this nation, with Americans of all stripes examining the sins of our country’s past.

During this coming to terms period we have seen major sports figures and organizations leading the charge.  NASCAR banned the Confederate battle flag from being flown or displayed on any of their properties, and the several leagues have expressed a willingness to take a hands-off approach to anthem protests.

Now, under pressure from several of their corporate partners, the Washington Redskins of the NFL are looking at a name change. 

A FedEx spokesperson released this statement:

We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name.FedEx is the title sponsor of the team stadium in Landover, MD.

The company paid the team $205 million in 1999 for the naming rights to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

And that’s not all:

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.

Investors this week wrote to FedEx, PepsiCo and other sponsors asking them to request a change. FedEx is believed to be the first to take action.

On Thursday night, Nike appeared to remove all Redskins gear from its online store. The other 31 NFL teams were listed and a search for “Redskins” came up with no results. Nike did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment.

The team has announced that they will be undergoing a “thorough review of the name due to the recent outcry from Nike, FedEx, et al.