The Washington Football Team announced a new set of stadium guidelines and protocols by which all fans who attend their home games must abide. These include a ban on the wearing of any Native American headdresses. The NFL franchise owned by Jewish businessman Daniel Snyder
“We are excited to welcome everyone back wearing their Burgundy & Gold. However, Native American-inspired ceremonial headdresses or face paint may no longer be worn into the stadium,” read the announcement.
The Washington Football team famously changed the team name from the Redskins just before the start of the 2020 NFL football season. The team did so in response to years of criticism that its old name was a racist and derogatory slur for Native Americans.
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Until recently, the Washington Football Team was expected to change its name to the Washington Warriors. But last month the team announced that it would not be doing so. Not having yet chosen a new name, the team will continue to be known as the Washington Football Team through the 2021 NFL season.
Interestingly, the Major League Baseball team the Cleveland Indians seem to have learned from Washington’s mistakes. That team was also under pressure to change its name because it was considered to be racist. But Cleveland made sure to have settled on a new name before dumping its old one. The team recently announced that next year they will be known as the Guardians.
The name was not the only thing wrong with the Washington Redskins. They also had a caricature of a Native American as their team logo. With no new name and no new logo to go with it, for the 2020 season the Washington Football Team simply placed their players’ numbers on the sides of their helmets where a team logo would ordinarily go. Unlike in other sports, NFL teams do not place their names or cities on their jerseys, just player numbers. So the helmets are where the teams acknowledge their nicknames.