When looking at NFL history, the Washington Redskins franchise lasted from 1937-2020, as the name/logo was changed due to some citing that it was a "derogatory racial epithet" to Native Americans.
Dear Washington Commanders fans, this is a safe space. Would you be happy if the old logo was brought back? pic.twitter.com/89njVJdLCd
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) July 9, 2024
Former Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III took to X, to make a post asking fans if they missed the old logo/team nickname. And it's safe to say, there was an overwhelming reaction from those who reminisced over the former team's name & likeness.
NFL executive George Preston Marshall founded the Washington Redskins in 1937, and the team kept its name all the way until in 2020, when racial controversies regarding the name had boiled over forcing the team to originally change it to the "Washington Football Team," which later then became the Washington "Commanders" after the 2021 season.
When viewing the history of the team's nickname, it all started in 1932 when the owner Marshall bought the Boston Braves football team, but since the city's baseball team also had the same nickname at the time, the name "Redskins" was adopted to avoid confusion.
Also, a lack of ticket sales, led to the decision of changing the logo, as Marshall spoke on it himself, talking about the announcement of the new name back in 1933.
"The fact that we have in our head coach Lone Star Dietz, an Indian, together with several Indian players, has not, as may be suspected, inspired me to select the name Redskins."
There wasn't much fan support during the early stages, so Marshall actually moved the team to Washington D.C., and this is where the 83-year era of the Washington Redskins began.
The first notable protest over the name came in 1972, when a delegation of 11 people from Native American organizations came forward claiming it was a discriminatory racial name for them. After meeting with the ownership, Marshall said he listened in the meeting, but no change was considered.
Although around this same time, there were actually Native Americans who had a different viewpoint, as they encouraged the logo change from the "R" to a picture of an Indian on the helmets, which was used all the way up until a few years back.
Walter "Blackie" Wetzel, chairman of the Blackfeet Nation at the time, who was at the forefront of introducing and endorsing the new chief logo, had this to say on the logo/team name:
"It made us all so proud to have an Indian on a big-time team. It's only a small group of radicals who oppose those names. Indians are proud of Indians."
This Logo? 🙄 pic.twitter.com/bOEMLrzUWm
— Steelheadache (@Steelheadache) July 9, 2024
In 2004, there was a poll done by Annenburg Public Policy Center, which showed that only nine percent of the over 700 self-identified Native Americans said they were offended by the team name "Redskins."
In 2013, owner of the Redskins, Dan Snyder, said he will never change the name, however, after the 2019 season, the team was forced to remove the logo/name as Fedex, the naming-rights holder of the team's stadium, threatened to back out of their deal with the organization.
All in all, there has been mixed reactions from fans, but majority of fans miss the logo. When considering the Native American community, another recent poll was conducted in 2016, that showed that nine out of 10 Indians reported that they are not bothered by the Redskins nickname or logo.
In 2019, Washington Post tried again. This time asking how Natives felt about the team’s name. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 “𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝.” pic.twitter.com/K0JtgQHuJO
— Native American Guardians Association (@GuardiansNative) May 20, 2024
In regards to RGIII's posts, some even referenced that the Cleveland Guardians MLB team needs to go back to being called the "Indians," which was their nickname from 1915-2021, as the iconic "Chief Wahoo" logo will never be forgotten.
This Just In: The Cleveland Indians are removing the divisive Chief Wahoo logo from their jerseys and caps starting in the 2019 season. pic.twitter.com/oh0ZgezVsY
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 29, 2018
Many have pointed out that the sports franchise names themselves are not seen as derogatory, but rather honoring. So considering the franchise's history, while also taking into account American history, one can decide for themselves what they think on the situation.
Related: Commanders Keeping Nickname Despite Fans' Dislike And Downright Hatred
