The public cry for Washington’s NFL team to change its nickname, which many feel is offensive toward Native Americans, has continued to gather steam, but the man ultimately making that decision, Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, remains undeterred.
“We will never change the name of the team,” Snyder told USA Today. “As a lifelong Redskins fan, and I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it’s all about and what it means, so we feel pretty fortunate to be just working on next season.”
Snyder is known as a man who does what he wants regardless of public pressure or criticism (see the numerous failed player acquisitions made during his tenure). Washington is finally showing signs of life on the field under the leadership of Robert Griffin III, but that has not silenced the cries from fans to retire the nickname the team adopted 80 years ago.
A trademark lawsuit has been filed against the team, but Snyder claims that even federal action will not change his mind on the issue.
“We’ll never change the name,” he repeated. “It’s that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.”
The lawsuit, filed in early March, is currently ongoing.
