Redskins announce thorough review amid pressure to change NFL team name
The Washington Redskins announced a ‘thorough review’ of their name amid pressure from Nike and Fedex, the naming sponsor of the team's stadium; David Spunt reports.
First, it was big-name retailers like Walmart and Target, as well as Nike and Dick’s Sporting Goods, that removed Washington Redskins merchandise from their websites. Now, Amazon has joined the list.
In a note to sellers Wednesday, Amazon said it would remove products featuring the Washington team, including jerseys, T-shirts and jewelry. The notice explained that sellers were given 48 hours to take down any products that were flagged by the company.
“With the announcement from the Washington team and the NFL, we are removing products with the team’s name and logo from our stores,” according to the notice, which was shared by Ed Rosenberg, who runs an online seller group called ASGTG. “Failure to properly close or delete all restricted product listings from your inventory may result in deactivation.”
The recent national focus on race relations since the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has brought new scrutiny to the team’s name. The Redskins have since said they will conduct a “thorough review” of the team name as the organization faces immense pressure to change its moniker over racial connotations.
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Last week, Nike said it was removing Redskins merchandise from its website.
And on Thursday, FedEx -- which holds the naming rights to the team’s Maryland stadium -- formally requested a name change. FedEx CEO Fred Smith has an ownership stake in the team.
Primary owner Dan Snyder has long opposed renaming the team, which has been using the name Redskins since the 1930s. The team originated in Boston before relocating to D.C. after the 1936 season.
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The team also hopes to build a new stadium and return inside D.C. city limits -- but local leaders there say they are already seeking a name change as a condition of any potential stadium deal.
Fox News’ Dom Calicchio contributed to this report.