When Dan Snyder changed the name of his team from an offensive slur against Native Americans to the “Washington Football Team,” it was widely viewed as just a placeholder until a permanent team name could be implemented for the 2021 season and beyond.
Maybe not.
Snyder told Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal that if the fans come to like it, Washington Football Team may be his team’s name forever.
“Sure, it’s possible!” Snyder wrote in an email. “If the Washington Football Team name catches on and our fans embrace it then we would be happy to have it as our permanent name. I think we have developed a very classy retro look and feel.”
Snyder said he’s going to take as much time as it takes to get the name right, and choose a name that generations of fans will support.
“We want our future name and brand to stand for something that unifies people of all backgrounds and to continue to be a source of pride for the next 100 years or more,” Snyder wrote.
He may have unwittingly stumbled on that future name and brand.