WASHINGTON — The Washington Redskins are in the midst of hard discussion over what its new nickname and logo should be after Dan Snyder and the franchise announced Monday that it would no longer use 'Redskins.'
The sportsbook BetOnline has the Redtails (3/1), Generals (4/1) and Presidents (5/1) as the three top name choices to replace Redskins, according to Sports Illustrated's reporting.
The names "Generals" and "Presidents" are pretty self-explanatory as options for a pro sports team name in the District.
As for the "Redtails," the name would be an homage to black fighter pilots from World War II that flew dangerous missions in the Atlantic Theater, protecting bombers from German fighter planes.
Another name choice floated that's not listed in the odds is "Warriors." Snyder filed for name rights for "Warriors" in the late 90s when he wanted to put an Arena Football League team in the District, according to The Washington Post.
Between rumors of minority owners wanting to sell their stakes in the team, or corporate sponsors reviewing their relationships with the team, things became really eye-opening for Snyder in the last week or two.
The team launched a “thorough review” of the name last week, while several prominent sponsors said it's time to change it.
Several Native American leaders and organizations sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell calling for the league to force Dan Snyder to change the team name immediately.
The letter obtained by The Associated Press expresses concern that the organization's process to review the name doesn't involve consultation with those Native American leaders.
President Donald Trump has criticized both the Cleveland Indians and Washington for considering name changes in the wake of a national reckoning over racial injustice and inequality.
Trump tweeted Monday, “They name teams out of STRENGTH, not weakness, but now the Washington Redskins & Cleveland Indians, two fabled sports franchises, look like they are going to be changing their names in order to be politically correct.”
Washington's football team is not the first D.C. team to have its name changed.
Washington's basketball team hit the hardwood as the "Wizards" in 1997 after thirty years of being known as the "Bullets."
Unlike the Redskins, corporate interests did not pressure Bullets owner Abe Pollin into changing his team's name.
Instead, Pollin felt the Bullets moniker was too violent. His friend, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, had just been assassinated. At the same time, D.C. also had a notorious reputation for its violent crime.
