Washington Football Team president Jason Wright announced recently that the organization would unveil a new name and logo in early 2022, but at least now we can eliminate one of those nicknames that were in the running.
In a written piece posted to the team’s website, Wright said that the team believes “it is important to prioritize the views of those who have been hurt by our historical use of Native American language, iconography and imagery” when considering choosing their new nickname. That means they have determined that “moving forward with no ties to Native American imagery is the right path” and the Warriors name will not be an option.
“In the spirit of that engagement, I want to address a name that has emerged amongst our fanbase, “Warriors.” One might look at this name as a natural, and even harmless transition considering that it does not necessarily or specifically carry a negative connotation,” Wright wrote. “But as we learned through our research and engagement with various groups, “context matters” and that makes it a “slippery slope.” Feedback from across communities we engaged clearly revealed deep-seated discomfort around Warriors, with the clear acknowledgment that it too closely aligns with Native American themes. Such an embrace of potentially Native-adjacent iconography and imagery would not represent a clear departure that many communities have so forcefully advocated for us to embrace, and that frankly, we set out to do when we started this process a year ago.”
The football team in D.C. has gone by its generic “Washington Football Team” moniker since 2020, when it finally ditched the most controversial nickname in sports.
