Redskins asked by FedEx to change their team name

The pressure for the Redskins to change their name is climbing further and further.

The discussion, albeit quiet and trepidatious, has been ongoing for some time, and now, with recent social upheaval sweeping across the United States, more and more voices are calling for the Washington Redskins to change their team mascot. Until now, none of those calls resonated with the team’s ownership. But now, larger, more local entities are calling for the Redskins to resume no longer.

According to Allison Papson of Fox 5 D.C., FedEx has released a statement on the Redskins’ name, calling for Washington to alter their mascot. Here is the statement from FedEx in its entirety:

“We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name.”

FedEx, as you may know, is the company that serves as the namesake for FedEx Field, the home of the Washington Redskins since the turn of the century. FedEx has maintained major sponsorships with Washington’s football franchise over the years, and FedEx CEO Fred Smith is also a minority owner of the Redskins’ franchise, compounding the gravity of the request.

The Redskins’ new head coach Ron Rivera has been proactive in facilitating discussion surrounding the nation’s current social climate, but he recently declined to dwell on the name debate. The name issue is more-so a problem for team owner Dan Snyder to address. In the past, Dan Snyder has held firm in his support of the team name, but this request from FedEx may yield movement from Snyder’s camp.

Not only are there business and monetary relations in play here, but Fred Smith also presumably has a communication line with Snyder. This call for change hits close to home, and it could be the act that catalyzes a re-branding of one of the NFL’s most storied, and yet controversial, franchises.

Stick with us here at Riggo’s Rag, as we’ll keep you in the loop with updates on the status of the team name discussion.