Looks like the Washington Redskins are facing more pressure to change their name, this time with sponsors applying the squeeze.

In a statement sent to ESPN, FedEx says it “communicated to the team in Washington” a request to change their name.

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FedEx paid $205 million to the Redskins for naming rights to the stadium in 1998 in a deal that runs through 2025. Frederick Smith, the chairman, CEO and president of FedEx Corp., also owns a minority stake in the Redskins.

Team owner Dan Snyder has been under renewed pressure to change the nickname, with protestors reportedly targeting the team’s sponsors, according to Adweek.

FedEx, Nike and PepsiCo each received letters signed by 87 investment firms and shareholders worth a combined $620 billion asking the companies to sever ties with the team unless it changes its controversial name, Adweek reported Wednesday.

If you go to Nike’s webstore and look for Redskins gear, its been removed entirely.

People have been trying to force a name change for a while now, but the calls have been reignited and amplified as a result of the social unrest and demonstrating that resulted from George Floyd’s death. The Philadelphia Inquirer, for instance, decided that writers were no longer to use the word “Redskins,” which followed similar editorial choices made by other outlets years ago. Ultimately, those gestures don’t mean much when it comes to changing Dan Snyder’s mind about the name, but when FedEx, Nike, and other sponsors get involved, then shit gets serious because we’re talking about money.

Of course, I’d say we should not pass up an opportunity to dunk on the Redskins, who stink. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2005, for crying out loud! They’ve have five winning seasons in the past 15 years.

If the name is going to have to be changed, here are some suggestions:

  • Washington Stinkers
  • Washington 4th Placers
  • D.C. Defenders
  • Washington 4-12’s
  • Washington Swamp
  • The Washington Corrupt Lobbyists
  • Washington Foreskins
  • Washington Jabronies
  • Washington Fighting Daniel Snyders
  • Washington Mummers
  • Landover Losers
  • Washington Karens

On a more serious note, I think it would be appropriate to convene Native American leaders and find a name that honors their people. Not sure how feasible that is, but it would be a nice solution to the problem that actually involves the folks who would be offended directly by the term “Redskins.” They should be front and center in any discussion on this, instead of other folks coming in, hijacking the topic, and allowing it to be absorbed into a larger movement. That comes across as fraudulent, in my mind.