A big shoe might have just dropped on Daniel Snyder’s all-caps stance that he will “NEVER” change the name of his football team, the Washington Redskins. …
A big shoe might have just dropped on Daniel Snyder’s all-caps stance that he will “NEVER” change the name of his football team, the Washington Redskins.
For years, Snyder — who grew up cheering for the team and purchased it in 1999 — has remained unswayed. By anything.
Not outcries from Native Americans who deem the term “Redskins” offensive and on par with the N-word.
Not courtroom battle attempts of foes to strip him of his trademark.
Not critical assessments from pundits.
Not urging by then-President Barack Obama in 2015.
None of it caused Snyder to bat an eye.
But now, Snyder may have no choice but to relent.
It should have never come to this, but the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd have finally shaken many to the point where they’re beginning to re-evaluate the severity of racism and racial insensitivities that plague our country.
The climate appears to be progressing to a place of greater awareness for individuals and corporations alike.
And that means a blow for Snyder. FedEx, the company whose name is plastered across his stadium, on Thursday issued the following statement:
“We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name.”
Snyder can turn a deaf ear to media arguments. He can even dismiss the requests of Native Americans opposed to the name. He and members of his camp smugly point to the tribes that say they don’t care.
But when FedEx — the company that pays close to $8 million per year to have its name on the stadium, and whose CEO/president/chairman Frederick Smith owns a minority stake in the team — joins the fight, stuff gets real.
Now Snyder’s stubbornness could prove costly.
It’ll be interesting to see if other corporate sponsors like Pepsi and Nike follow suit. Thursday night, it appeared that Nike had pulled all Redskins gear from its site.
But regardless, it’s time for Snyder to do some soul-searching, humble himself and place himself on the right side of history.
With or without financial ramifications, he should welcome this opportunity to change the unflattering narrative that has long accompanied him.
