The three minority owners of the Redskins are "attempting to sell their stakes in the NFL franchise," according to sources cited in a front-page piece by Clarke, Maske & Carpenter of the WASHINGTON POST. One source said that the owners -- Black Diamond Capital CEO Robert Rothman, NVR Chair Dwight Schar and Frederick Smith, Chair & CEO of the team's stadium naming-rights partner FedEx -- "hired an investment banking firm to conduct the search for potential buyers, in large part because they are 'not happy being a partner'” of majority owner Dan Snyder. Among them, they represent roughly 40% of ownership in the Redskins. They are also the "only members of the team’s ownership group other than Snyder, his mother and his sister" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/6). PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio reported both Smith and Schar to date have been "unable to find a buyer." These dynamics make it "even more reasonable to wonder whether, behind the scenes," Smith, Schar, and/or Rothman are "hoping that, ultimately, Snyder decides to sell his controlling interest in the franchise." If he does, it "may be easier for Smith and Schar to find buyers." Or "maybe they’ll decide that they prefer to stick around if someone else (like, say, Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos) takes over the team" (NBCSPORTS.com, 7/5).
Ron Rivera wants the new name to respect Native American culture and also be a tribute to the militarygetty images
CHANGE COMING: Redskins coach Ron Rivera said that he has been "working with" Snyder in recent weeks to "come up with a new name for the organization, and he hopes the change could happen within two months." Rivera said that he and Snyder have been "talking about a name change for more than a month." He added, "We came up with a couple of names -- two of them I really like." Rivera said that he believes the "most important criteria for a new name is that it is respectful of Native American culture and traditions and also is a tribute to the military." Rivera: "We want to do this in a positive way" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/5). Rivera's comments come after the Redskins on Friday said that they were "launching a thorough review of the name." In DC, Maese, Maske & Clarke cited sources as saying that the review is "expected to result in a new team name and mascot." One source said, "Dan has been listening to different people over the last number of weeks." Another source said that owners of other teams had "become increasingly concerned about Snyder’s operation of the team and his long-standing refusal to reconsider the name" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/4). CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish said, "The name is going to be changed. Whether it’s next week or next year, I can’t speak to that, but it will be changed." Parrish said Snyder always had a choice, "Either change the name, or fight about it forever and have it overshadow everything else that you do" (“Time to Schein,” CBSSN, 7/3).
FORCED HAND: Longtime sponsor FedEx on Thursday issued a "one sentence statement calling for a change." PepsiCo Exec VP/Global Communications Jon Banner said, "We believe it is time for a change." Bank of America Washington President Larry Di Rita said, "We welcome this announcement.” Meanwhile, Nike on Thursday "removed Redskins merchandise from its online store." A company spokesperson said, "We are pleased to see the team taking a first step towards change" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/4). In DC, Liz Clarke wrote FedEx' statement "signals a dramatic pivot by one of the Redskins’ more loyal, long-standing corporate backers -- a Fortune 100 company that for more than two decades has tied its brand to that of the team." The company’s request came "less than a week after a group of more than 85 investment firms and shareholders representing $620 billion in assets called on FedEx, Nike and PepsiCo to sever ties with the team unless Snyder changes its name." FedEx holds the rights to the team's stadium through '26 under a 27-year, $205M deal signed in November '99. Smith is "believed to have a 10 percent share" in the team (WASHINGTON POST, 7/3). YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Wetzel wrote if there is "one truism about Washington it’s that money talks." Wetzel: "This one is all but over. It’s how it works. Change comes very, very slowly and then all at once" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/3). The GLOBE & MAIL's Cathal Kelly writes, "In the end, it wasn’t sentiment or public opinion that pushed the Washington Redskins to rename the franchise. It was money" (GLOBE & MAIL, 7/6). A WASHINGTON POST editorial goes with the header, "Hail To The TBD!" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/5).
NIKE LAYS DOWN HAMMER: THE ATHLETIC's Standig & Walker cited a source as saying that Nike "will not feature Washington gear until the team name is changed." Nike "anticipates a change soon because it would take time for them to remake the jerseys and provide them to distributors" (THEATHLETIC.com, 7/4). CBSSPORTS.com's Walker & Dubin noted if "you search for 'Redskins' on Nike.com, you will find that all official team gear has been removed" (CBSSPORTS.com, 7/2). In DC, Prince Grimes noted the Nike.com NFL page has "every team listed on the left sidebar except Washington." Its shopping filters also "omit Washington, and its search function pulls up other teams but no results for Washington" (NBCSPORTSWASHINGTON.com, 7/2).
OPTIONS ABOUND: PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Florio noted the Redskins "may not want a brand-new look." It "may want the uniform to look as much as possible like it always has, with the only difference being the new name and logo" (NBCSPORTS.com, 7/4). THE ATHLETIC's Standig & Walker conducted a survey in which the name "RedTails" was the most popular among 10 choices for the team's new mascot. RedTails received 985 votes, or 25.8% (THEATHLETIC.com, 7/3). In Boston, Ben Volk wrote new nickname choices are "endless: RedTails, RedHawks, Monuments, Presidents, Senators, Federals, Beltways" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/5). Axios' Mike Allen said there is "a lot of buzz about RedTails, RedHawks, RedWolves, RedHogs." However, Allen said his "money’s on Warriors. The Washington Warriors" ("Axios Today," 7/6).
DIFFERENT VIEW: In N.Y., Kevin Draper wrote the NFL is "long accustomed to doing whatever it pleased on account of its massive popularity," but recently the league has "scrambled to keep up with rapidly evolving public opinion" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/5). In DC, Jerry Brewer writes there is "no 'thorough review' necessary." The process announced on Friday is to "determine how to rebrand: the timing, the level of transparency, the elimination of unintended consequences and, of course, the intricacies of the proper way to select and market a new name" (WASHINGTON POST, 7/4). THE ATHLETIC's Standig & Walker wrote Snyder's pivot "was a shock to most." A source said, “Fred Smith is somebody that Dan just reveres." Whether Smith "warned Snyder" of FedEx' statement is "unclear" (THEATHLETIC.com, 7/3).
TOOK TOO LONG: In N.Y., Jane McManus wrote, "When this happens, don’t give Snyder an ounce of credit, and you can put that IN CAPS." Synder's "legacy as an NFL owner ... is the shame that comes with clinging to a racist name and icon" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/5). The L.A. Times' Bill Plaschke added, "Hail to finally doing the right thing, but shame on them for taking so long. Snyder’s had a lot of years to do this. He could have done it. He didn't do it. Federal Express had a lot of years to do this. They didn’t do it." The Athletic’s Frank Isola noted, “After all this time, to say ‘thorough review,’ it almost sounds like they should be flagged for delay of shame. This has been a long time coming" (“Around the Horn,” ESPN, 7/3).
