FedEx has seven more years left on a naming rights deal for Washington’s stadium.
But the shipping company told owner Dan Snyder they’d take their name off the building after this season if the team’s name didn’t change.
According to Liz Clarke of the Washington Post, the company sent that intent in a two-page letter which was delivered the same day last week they acknowledged in a brief statement that they had requested a name change
The letter noted that the team name could harm FedEx’s brand reputation and was inconsistent with its larger societal goals.
That letter and last week’s statement were the first shots in what quickly became a war on the name from sponsors, with Nike removing all team merchandise from its online store, and Pepsi and Bank of American announcing their support for a change as well.
Also, three of the team’s co-owners (including FedEx’s Fred Smith) have launched bids to sell their shares, yet another signal of their displeasure with doing business with Snyder.