Pressure is mounting for Dan Snyder to change the name of the Washington Redskins. FedEx formally asked the team to change its name Thursday.
“We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name.”
FedEx statement read per JP Finlay
FedEx is a major sponsor to the Redskins. Their $205 million-partnership includes the naming rights to the team’s home stadium, FedEx Field, through 2025 season.
Additionally, FedEx’s CEO Fred Smith is part of the Redskins’ ownership group led by Snyder.
The parcel company’s request comes after a group of investors wrote a letter to FedEx to cut ties with the team unless the name was changed, according to a Adweek report. Investors also sent similar letters to Nike and PepsiCo.
The Redskins name has been deemed controversial for many years. The term is considered a racial slur. The Redskins have contended a name change.
Snyder said in 2013, he would “never” change the name. A 2016 Washington Post survey, suggested 9 out of 10 Native Americans were not offended by the team’s name. However, that survey has been disputed.
Pressure for a name change subdued until recently following the death of George Floyd in May. Floyd’s death has heightened awareness of racism and racial injustice, and cries for Washington to change the name has re-emerged.
That includes the team’s search for a new stadium. As the Redskins look to return to Washington, DC, city and federal officials say a new stadium in the nation’s capital won’t be approved unless a name change occurs.
