Looks like the wave of social reform sweeping across the United States is also having an effect in Canada.

Just like the Washington Redskins, the Edmonton Eskimos CFL team is going to be changing their name as well, according to reports. A TSN article says an “internal decision” has been made and that an announcement could come as early as next week:

Edmonton’s decision follows a team announcement that a review of the nickname was ongoing and comes on the heels of the Washington National Football League franchise ceasing the use of its nickname, one derogatory towards Indigenous people.

“We acknowledge and appreciate the feedback and input regarding our name,” the team said in a July 8th statement. “We take this issue seriously as has been demonstrated by the three years we’ve spent engaging in Canada’s north and conducting research related to our name. We recognize that a lot has occurred since this information was gathered, and as a result, we are accelerating our ongoing process of review. We will be seeking further input from the Inuit, our partners and other stakeholders to inform our decisions moving forward. We’ll continue to listen carefully and with an open mind. We intend to complete our review as quickly as possible and will provide an update on these discussions by the end of this month.”

In recent days, league sponsors have expressed a desire to see a name change.

On July 7, insurance company Belairdirect, which also sponsors Commonwealth Stadiums 50/50 draw, said it would drop its sponsorship should a name change not occur.

The sponsors always have the power, don’t they?

If anybody cares, Carson Walch was offensive coordinator for the Eskimos in 2018 when he left to join the Eagles. The Birds also signed a CB named Aaron Grymes from Edmonton back in 2016. Those are the two Edmonton/Philly connections I could find with a brief Googling.

As for a new name, I have no clue. The CFL names in general are pretty rad, like the Stampeders, Blue Bombers, and Argonauts, so they’ll probably come up with something badass for a replacement.