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A16 sports
Thursday 3 February 2022

Washington's NFL team unveils new name as Commanders

By STEPHEN WHYNO son Wright and coach Ron
AP Sports Writer Rivera for the new name to
Washington has some new have a connection to the
Commanders in town. U.S. military.
The NFL team announced Commanders was chosen
its new name on Wednes- over other finalists such as
day, 18 months after Red Hogs, Admirals and
fresh pressure from spon- Presidents. Red Wolves,
sors helped convince the an initial fan favorite, was
once-storied franchise to ruled out earlier in the pro-
drop its old moniker fol- cess because of copyright
lowing decades of criti- and trademark hurdles.
cism that it was offensive The rebranding process
to Native Americans. The had been going on since
organization committed to the summer of 2020, when
avoiding Native American team officials opted for
imagery in its rebrand after the temporary Washington
being called the Washing- Football Team name that
ton Football Team the past lingered into the 2021 sea-
two seasons. son.
Washington is the latest The change comes amid
American major profes- the organization's latest
sional team to abandon controversy: dozens of for-
its name linked to Native mer employees describing
Americans, and it was con- Dan and Tanya Snyder, co-owners and co-CEOs of the Washington Commanders, unveil their NFL a toxic workplace culture,
sidered one of the most football team's new identity, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Landover, Md. which caused Snyder to
egregious. commission an investiga-
Richard Sneed, principal me and still don't bother and increases rates of de- pay tribute to our past tra- tion that was taken over by
chief of Eastern Band of me to this day." pression, self-harm, and ditions, history, legacy and the NFL. After the investiga-
Cherokee Indians based in While Major League Base- violence against Native the greats that came be- tion by attorney Beth Wilkin-
Cherokee, North Carolina, ball's Cleveland Guard- youth. fore us," Snyder said. "We son's firm, the league fined
has stressed Native Ameri- ians have changed their "Washington is not the only continue to honor and rep- Washington $10 million and
cans have more to worry name, the NFL's Kansas professional team that has resent the Burgundy and Snyder temporarily ceded
about than names of sports City Chiefs, NHL's Chicago done harm to Native peo- Gold while forging a path- day-to-day operations of
teams, but said during the Blackhawks and baseball's ples. The continued delib- way to a new era in Wash- the team to his wife, Tanya,
World Series that Washing- Atlanta Braves have said erate inaction from the NFL, ington." while he focused on a new
ton was "the only name I they are not planning to NHL, and MLB that contin- President Joe Biden wel- stadium agreement.
felt was derogatory. Yeah, make a similar change. ue to shield the Kansas City comed the name change The league did not release
that's offensive. The rest of That doesn't sit well with Il- Chiefs, Atlanta Braves, and by posting a picture on a written report of Wilkin-
them never really bothered lumiNative, a Native Ameri- Chicago Blackhawks per- Twitter of Commander, his son's findings, a move that
can woman-led social jus-
petuates and enables an recently acquired German sparked criticism. The U.S.
ARUBA tice organization, though ecosystem of racism and shepherd puppy, in front of House of Representatives
founder and executive di-
bigotry that directly im-
the White House.
Committee on Oversight
CLEAN rector Crystal Echo Hawk pacts Native peoples. The "I suppose there's room for and Reform is holding
praised the move by the Washington Commanders two Commanders in this a roundtable discussion
Commanders. are proof that ending the town," Biden wrote. Thursday with a handful of
"Native mascots are inac- use of Native American im- From 1932 until two sea- former team employees to
curate and stereotypical agery in sports is possible. sons ago, Washington had discuss their experiences.
depictions of Native cul- The Cleveland Guardians used the name Redskins Getting a stadium deal
ture," she said in a state- are further proof." — which offended Native done is next on the agen-
ment. "They do not honor Washington owner Dan Americans and others. da for Snyder and his front
or celebrate Native peo- Snyder said the change As the Commanders, Wash- office. The team's lease at
ples but are rather a tool of that pays "homage to our ington keeps the same bur- FedEx Field expires after the
white supremacy created local roots and what it gundy and gold colors that 2027 season and momen-
to dehumanize and objec- means to represent the na- were around for the three tum is building for an agree-
IS MORE tify us. Research has shown tion's capital." Super Bowl championships ment in Virginia, though
time after time that Native "As we kick off our 90th sea-
DUSHI mascots lead to lowered son, it is important for our glory days. It follows the de- District of Columbia are still
in the 1980s and early '90s sites in Maryland and the
self-esteem and self-worth, organization and fans to sire of team president Ja-
under consideration.q