The former Washington Redskins football team managed to come up with a name that cannot possibly offend anybody for the 2020 season: the Washington Football Team.
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The team, formerly known as the Redskins, said in a statement that the name is for “brand clarity and consistency purposes.”
“The Redskins name and logo will officially be retired by the start of the 2020 season. We encourage fans, media and all other parties to use ‘Washington Football Team’ immediately,” a statement said.
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There were some suggestions that seemed like viable candidates. Todd Starnes, the host of the “Todd Starnes Show,” thought the Washington Eunuchs had a nice ring to it, and former Gov. Mike Huckabee thought the Washington Elizabeth Warrens may strike fear in opposing defenses.
Since the beginning of the George Floyd protests, corporations and elected officials have been reexamining traditional aspects of U.S. society that could carry out-of-date racial connotations. Critics of the cancel culture say the movement is arbitrary and an attack on the country itself. Those in favor of the movement insist that these monuments stand in the way of social justice.
But the team’s move did little to assuage some critics who insist that keeping ‘Washington’ is racist since the country’s first president had slaves.
“Pretty sure since George Washington is also canceled the team name is still racist. They should call themselves “Football Team,” the Twitter user posted. Another user wrote that the word “football” itself is offensive because “Americans appropriated the word from soccer, so its use is white supremacy. Maybe just Team.”
The NFL—which was ensnared in the Colin Kaepernick controversy—has been doing its best to prove it is not racist. The league announced it would spend $250 million over 10 years to “combat systemic racism and support the battle against the ongoing and historic injustices faced by African-Americans,” according to a report.
The league just announced this week that it will play what is known as the black national anthem before every Week 1 game, according to ESPN. It is unclear if fans would be expected to stand at attention during the singing of “Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing.”
The Washington Post reported that the team’s new uniform will keep the burgundy and gold scheme, but the helmets will only feature the player’s number.