A Washington Redskins helmet is seen on the sphere earlier than the sport between the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField
A Washington Redskins helmet is seen on the sphere earlier than the sport between the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on December 15, 2019 in Landover, Maryland.
Scott Taetsch | Getty Photographs
FedEx has requested the Washington Redskins to alter its workforce identify, which many individuals think about a racial slur towards Native People.
A FedEx spokesman advised CNBC: “We’ve got communicated to the workforce in Washington our request that they modify the workforce identify.”
FedEx is a very powerful enterprise companion of the workforce to take a stance towards the identify but. It purchased naming rights to the workforce’s residence stadium, FedEx Discipline, in 1998 for $205 million in a deal that runs by means of 2025. Frederick Smith, FedEx CEO, is a minority proprietor of the workforce.
Earlier this week, a bunch of traders publicly pressured huge corporations comparable to Nike, FedEx, and Pepsi to sever relationships with the workforce over the identify. Native People have challenged the workforce identify going again to the 1960s.
However in current weeks, the stress to alter the identify has grown as many NFL gamers have change into more and more outspoken concerning the NFL’s function in racial points after the demise of George Floyd in police custody in Could.
References to workforce founder George Preston Marshall, who named the workforce in 1933, had been faraway from workforce supplies final month as a result of he was a vocal supporter of racial segregation. The identify can also be a sticking level in negotiations over a possible new stadium in Washington D.C., the Washington Publish reported this week.
A workforce spokesman did not instantly reply to a request for remark. Proprietor Daniel Snyder has beforehand stated he won’t ever change the identify.
“We’ll by no means change the identify,” Snyder advised USA Immediately in 2013. “It is that easy. NEVER — you should use caps.”