The NFL team in Washington has gone through an offseason of turmoil, making much-needed changes to the team culture in addition to retiring its old team name.
For the upcoming season, the Washington football team will simply be called the Washington Football Team, as JP Finley of NBC Sports reports. The decision will allow the franchise more time to work toward a finding long-term team name, as it will gather input from fans, alumni and other sources. Additionally, the club wants to find a way to properly honor Native Americans and the military.
Owner Dan Snyder recently announced that the old team would be retired, though he was reportedly hesitant to make the change. Snyder previously stated that he would “never” change the name and he’s been dismissive of backlash in the past, though he finally decided to take action and remove the old logo.
Slight Changes to Uniforms in 2020
Washington will not change its team colors, keeping the burgundy and gold. Its uniforms will no longer have the old Redskins logo on the helmet. Instead, the helmets will feature the players’ numbers.
Washington will not have any change to its color scheme. It will still use burgundy and gold. The Redskins logo on the helmet will be replaced by the player’s number in gold. The Washington Football Team will debut its home uniforms in week 1 against the Eagles.
Amazon and FedEx were among the corporations that put pressure on the franchise to change its team name. Nike—the company that has provided the league with official jerseys since 2012—believed Washington should make the change, as it took down all Redskins merchandise early.
That corporate pressure began more than two weeks ago. It was 10 days ago that the franchise announced it would retire the “Redskins” moniker. The problems in Washington grew well beyond the controversial nickname last week, though, when 15 women, all former employees, came forward to accuse the franchise of sexual harassment in a bombshell Washington Post story.
New Leadership in Washington
The Washington Football Team has added Terry Bateman to be its executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Bateman will be “leading the charge on the name change and branding process along with Owner Dan Snyder,” according to a statement from the team.
Bateman has over 40 years of experience in sports and entertainment. He has previously worked as the chief marketing officer for Washington and has served under owner Dan Snyder during several stints.
“Terry Bateman is a man I trust and have worked with for many years,” Snyder said in the statement. “I can’t think of a better individual to help spearhead this organization’s marketing efforts into this new era.”
While Bateman will be leading the efforts to solidify a new name for the franchise, others will be involved. In addition to Snyder, new coach Ron Rivera, who recently said he was brought to Washington to help with the culture, will also be part of the process.
Washington still doesn’t have a team president, something that has added to the “chaotic” atmosphere within the organization. They let go of former team president Bruce Allen this offseason and while Allen didn’t produce a winning product on the football field, he “kept things running” from a business standpoint within the organization.
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Washington Decides on New NFL Team Name: Report