Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins organization have
handled this name change debate rather poorly.
Every time they have come to a fork in the road they have
taken the road less traveled, and these roads are not the noble ones Robert
Frost was talking about.
From
publicly stating that the name will never be changed, to trotting out Native
American representatives with dubious resumes to justify the non-racial slur
connotation of “Redskin”, to openly defying congressional suggestions to change
the name, Daniel Snyder has put himself in the position of Nero playing the
fiddle while Rome burns in a fire he created and continues to fuel.
Public relations has never been Dan
Snyder’s strong suit, but this name change debate conclusively illustrates that
Dan Snyder does not care that he is despised by pretty much every human being
with a pulse at this moment.
HogsHaven points out the consequences his actions have had on the changing of the
Redskins name, and it is worth a read to highlight what keeping the name means
at this moment and who is really on that side of the debate.
Despite all of this negativity coming
down on Snyder and the organization, however, they can still win the PR battle.
With only a few minor changes, Dan
Snyder can silence all of his critics’ rebuttals and pay his penance to the
public and fan base for this egregious handling of the name change debate.
Please note that most of these are not
my original ideas, but I hope the combination of these ideas are the way the
team chooses to go.
1) Keep the color scheme and the logo
This
will soften the blow to the significant part of the fan base that thinks the
name should not be changed.
Everyone loves the burgundy and gold, and I would hate to have to change
that color scheme and wear some heinous concoction that some marketing “wizard”
comes up with. The Washington
football team, whatever we end up being called, should forever be burgundy and
gold.
We
can also keep the logo because that is not up for debate in the lawsuit being
brought forth by Amanda Blackhorse.
The court decision was on the trademarking of the name “Redskins”, but
the logo can still be trademarked.
Keep the logo and you win over more of the fan base, and it sets up the
next two possibilities for Dan Snyder to win this argument
2) Change the name to
the “Warriors”
I
must admit that I first heard this on the Sport Junkies radio show, and I’m
sure that others came up with it before then, but changing the name to the
“Warriors” while keeping the same logo and color scheme gives Snyder the high
ground. Snyder can brand it as an
homage to the Native Americans who were the first “Warriors” of this country
and who need to be remembered for their bravery in the face of tyranny and
oppression. He can say that we
should never forget the injustices that were committed towards Native Americans
in the past, and that this new team will serve as a beacon that will illuminate
the sins of our past so we may create a brighter future for the Native American
people. He could set up charities
and organizations to help the Native American community. He could publicly entertain Native
American leaders at Fed Ex field and turn this into a positive for him and the
organization. He can also use the
name to honor the men and women of the Armed Forces (this idea came directly
from the Sports Junkies). Think
about it; the team in the Nation’s Capital honoring those who defend this
country with a rebranded name.
Who
could argue against keeping the logo and color scheme now? I’m sure there will
be many who say that Snyder is doing this to build his image back up from being
a borderline racist, but now those people look cynical and inconsiderate of the
Native Americans and those who fight in the Armed Forces. Not exactly the most popular stance to
take, and Snyder could reference that point every time someone decides to call
him out on this PR move.
“Oh, I guess you do not support our troops?”, or “Maybe the plight of
the Native American people is just a gimmick to you, but it is serious to
us”. As long as Snyder is
committed to this idea the haters will slowly go away and his image will
improve with time. If he is not
good with this idea, there is another solution that may win over most people.
3) Have no name at
all
This
is somewhat of a Prince move, but keep the colors and logo and have no
nickname. Using the logo will open
the door to say this move is out of respect for the Native Americans and to
keep their legacy and struggle in the forefront of American culture like the
“Warriors” idea, but it can also be used to galvanize the Washington area. Snyder can do this by replacing the
word “Redskins” with “Washington” on all organizational apparel and
merchandise, and he can brand it as being a move for the Washington DC
area. He could say something like:
“This
football team has been a unifying force for this city for over 75 years, and
everyone who has lived in this area knows that the name symbolizes a community
coming together to support a common interest. This team transcended all boundaries of social
stratification to create a positive experience for everyone in this city
regardless of how good or bad the times were. The fans of this team knew that the name was not a symbol of
hate, but it was a moniker that brought people together in joyous celebration
of what has become an American tradition.
Football. But over the
years, the outside focus on the negative connotation of this word has grown to
a point that cannot be ignored by anyone, especially myself (Dan Snyder) and
the leaders of this organization.
We understand that the name conjures feelings of hate and bigotry in
members of the Native American community, and we cannot continue to put our
fans in the position of being perceived as racists simply for wearing the name
of their favorite team that has meant something positive to them for their
entire lives. We also understand
that this team has been a part of three generations of fans living in this
area, and to use a different name would be turning our backs on the one tradition
this city has been able rally around since FDR was in office. That is why I (Dan Snyder) and the
leaders of this organization have decided to adopt no name for our
organization. In this way we can
carry on the tradition that we have always known, while moving forward with a
respectful representation of the Native American community that has felt
marginalized by the use of a term they felt was demeaning towards their
people. We will keep the logo in
remembrance of the legacy and struggles the Native American people have had to
endure to make this country what it is today, and to create a partnership that
will help them continue to create a positive story for their people in the
future. We will keep the logos and
colors to honor the tradition that has been Washington football for over 75
years. Not having a nickname now
puts the focus on what this team was, and always has been, about. The fans and the people of this
city. We will forever be the
burgundy and gold, and we are Washington Football.”
Cue Agent Smith.
This speech would hit a home run.
It will rally the fan base, something Snyder has never done, and it
would put the idea that this team was about unity to the forefront of the
argument.
He could also continue
to hit that point home, that this is about the Washington community, and give
this area a sense of self.
Everyone always says how transient this area is and how it has no
identity.
This move could give the
fan base an identity it has never had before, and a sense of unity that could
make it stronger than ever before.
I implore Dan Snyder to take this PR advice but I know he
won’t. He’ll continue on his
litigious warpath that will alienate everyone, including the fan base, until he
perceives to get whatever delusional reward he has in mind as the end game to
this scenario. Thanks Dan, and
keep up the “good?” work.
