Washington NFL team drops Redskins name and logo – ABC News

The Washington National Football League (NFL) franchise will drop the “Redskins” name and Indian head logo immediately, bowing to decades of criticism that they are offensive to Native Americans.

• Native Americans have been calling for the name change for decades
• Team owner Dan Snyder had previously said he would never change the name
• A new name and logo is yet to be announced

A new name is still to be selected for one of the oldest teams in the NFL, and it is unclear how soon that will happen.
The move came less than two weeks after owner Dan Snyder, a boyhood fan of the team who once declared he would never get rid of the name, launched a “thorough review” amid pressure from sponsors.
FedEx, Nike, Pepsi and Bank of America all lined up against the name, which was given to the franchise in 1933 when the team was still based in Boston.
The team said it is “retiring” the name and logo and that Mr Snyder and coach Ron Rivera are working closely to develop a new name and design.
Native American advocates and experts have long criticised the name they call a “dictionary-defined racial slur”.
Over a dozen Native leaders and organisations wrote to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last week demanding an immediate end to Washington’s use of the name.
Mr Goodell, who has fielded questions on the topic for years, said he supported the review.
Dan Snyder has defended the Redskins name for two decades.(Reuters: Joshua Roberts)
Protests against the name predate Snyder buying the team in 1999.
Until now, he had shown no willingness to consider a change.
Strong words from sponsors including a company run by a minority stakeholder of the team changed the equation.
FedEx earlier this month became the first sponsor to announce it had asked the organisation to change the name.
AP

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