Washington drops 'Redskins' name after years of controversy
Former NFL player Jack Brewer reacts.
The Washington NFL franchise is one step closer to forming a new identity after retiring its former name and logo earlier this month, announcing on Thursday that it will now go by the “Washington Football Team.”
The name will serve as a placeholder until the franchise can decide on an official team name but the classic gold and burgundy color scheme will remain the same, according to an ESPN report.
The logo on the helmets will be replaced by player numbers as the team relies on the community and its players to pick a more permanent solution.
Terry Bateman was hired Monday as executive vice president and chief marketing officer to oversee the name change and re-branding process.
For now, fans will be able to purchase Washington Football Team merchandise as the franchise attempts to remove all traces of its former logo from physical and digital spaces by the season-opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 13, ESPN reported.
The franchise that began in Boston in 1932 had the name Redskins since 1933.
Trouble for Washington began when the team faced mounting pressure to retire its former name and logo over the negative connotations associated with the symbol. Shortly after majority owner Dan Snyder announced the name change, a bombshell Washington Post report was dropped that detailed several sexual harassment allegations leveled by 15 former female employees against the organization.
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The league is expected to seriously consider fining and handing out other disciplinary measures against Washington if an investigation into the allegations determines they are true, but reports last week suggested that Snyder would not be forced to sell as a part of those repercussions.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.