Dan Snyder is finally considering replacing “Redskins,” but that doesn’t mean he’ll do it right.
After receiving financial pressure from the likes of FedEx, Pepsi and Nike to alter the Washington football franchise‘s team name away from the rather offensive “Redskins” terminology Dan Snyder and his predecessors have employed for decades, it appears as if cooler heads will finally prevail, as the embattled owner called a task force to consider other options.
With the rich history in the D.C. area, there should be no shortage of potential team names that don’t offend an entire race of people. In fact, were Snyder and his group being smart about this, they would stay away from anything remotely similar.
Dan Snyder is reportedly considering two name options to replace “Washington Redskins,” but he might pick the wrong one.
Snyder is reportedly weighing the “Washington Warriors” and “Washington Redtails.” The Warriors have always been considered a safe alternative, and one Snyder’s reportedly had in his back pocket for years just in case the external pressure became too great. That day has come, but Snyder ought to reconsider his backup choice.
I think we all knew they would do this in the least satisfying way humanly possible https://t.co/xh0VQfj3B4
— Drew Magary (@drewmagary) July 5, 2020
The Washington Redtails, which would honor a group of African-American fighter pilots who played a major role in World War II, is the better choice here. Not only would Snyder appease the African-American community, and take the advice of QB Dwayne Haskins, he’d barely have to change the uniform concept. The logo would look much different, however, rather than depicting a Native American stereotype.
Snyder has a tendency to do things his way, though, and “Warriors,” at least in his mind, apparently reaches out to the indigenous community. Unfortunately, Snyder’s (and his predecessors’) history in racial profiling doesn’t do them any favors here. To suggest they could mend any wounds with the Native American community by slightly altering one disgusting stereotype to another caricature is offensive in its own right, and he’d be better served to veer away from that mindset.
By highlighting the Redtails’ history and retelling their story 80 years after the fact, Snyder would be doing a service to the African-American community. Given he defiantly held on to a racist team name and logo for decades, perhaps we should expect the worst.