The Washington Warriors has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? So does the Washington Redtails.
In the face of mounting pressure to change its name, the Washington Redskins appear to be on the verge of starting a new chapter in its 87-year-old history in the National Football League.
Team owner Daniel Snyder, who has long brushed aside calls to change the controversial name of the team he has owned since 1999, is now reportedly leaning towards making a change once and for all.
Major American retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target and Nike have removed Redskins merchandise from their websites and store shelves, and FedEx CEO Frederick Smith, a minority owner of the team and the head of the company that owns the club’s stadium naming rights in Landover, Maryland, is calling for a new name.
Enter the Warriors, a name Snyder has apparently fallen in love with and a moniker that could replace Redskins in time for the upcoming season.
The Washington Post reports Snyder had intended to name the Arena Football League team that he once had the expansion rights for in 1999 the Washington Warriors and had even applied for a trademark.
The Redtails, named after the Tuskegee Airmen — the United States’ first African American aerial combat unit in the Second World War — is also among the contenders the team is considering to replace Redskins as it conducts a review of its name.
Even if the team becomes known as the Washington Warriors, or Redtails, word is the club will be moving away from retaining any of its Native American imagery, but it’s a pretty good bet the franchise will retain its burgundy and gold colour scheme.
More than a handful of the league’s 32 teams have changed their names over the last century, and it appears that it’s only a matter of time before Washington makes that move.
Rick Zamperin is the assistant program, news and senior sports director at Global News Radio 900 CHML.