TIMELINE: Here's what led to the Washington Football Team name change
A new name - and a new era - begin Wednesday as the team announces a full rebrand.
The last 18 months have been a tumultuous journey for Washington Football fans since the 80+ year namesake of their beloved team was changed forever.
So with a new name being announced on Wednesday, we took a look back at how we got here.
A Long and Storied Franchise History
1932: George Preston Marshall purchases the Boston Braves.
1933: Marshall changes the name of his football team from the Boston Braves to the Boston Redskins. Marshall told the Associated Press that year, he switched team names to avoid using the name of the city's professional baseball team. Boston's Major League Baseball team was called the "Braves" from 1912 until 1935 and again from 1941-52.
1937: George Preston Marshall moves the team to Washington, D.C.. Marshall asks his wife, Corinne Griffith, to write the lyrics of the team's fight song, "Hail to the Redskins."
The fight song is the second oldest fight song for a professional American football team. The Green Packers fight song, "Go! You Packers! Go!", is the oldest.
Voices Go Unheard
March 29, 1972: At the request of Native American leaders, the team replaces the offensive lyric "Scalp 'um" with "Beat 'em" in their fight song. The team would also discontinue the use of its cheerleaders wearing black-braided wigs.
1992: A group of American Indian leaders file a petition for the cancellation of the federal government's registration of the Washington "Redskins" trademark, saying its use is disparaging to Native Americans. The petition would go unresolved for the next 17 years, when it was ultimately denied. Two thousand Native American activists hold a protest in Minneapolis outside the stadium ahead of Washington's victory in Super Bowl XXVI over the Buffalo Bills.
May, 2013: Owner Dan Snyder infamously tells USA Today "We will never change the name of the team. We'll never change the name. It's that simple. NEVER — you can use caps."
Out with the Old Name
July 1, 2020: Following renewed criticism of the team name in the wake of racial justice protests around the country after the murder of George Floyd, major Washington Football sponsors FedEx and Nike call for a change.
July 3, 2020: With the franchise's stadium name in jeopardy and gear being removed from retail shelves, the organization announces in a statement they are undergoing a thorough review of the name.
July 13, 2020: After 10 days of review, the organization officially announces the retirement of the Redskins name and logo following the review. Snyder and Head Coach Ron Rivera head up the search for a new name and design.
July 23, 2020: Ahead of training camp starting in Richmond, Washington announces they will play under the name the Washington Football Team heading into the 2020-21 season. The belief is the name is temporary while the search for a new name gets an extended deadline. Updated uniforms are revealed.
The Washington Football Team Era Begins (and Ends)
August 17, 2020: The organization hires a new President, Jason Wright, a former player and the first black team president in league history. Wright is tasked with helping the team find a new name and to scout for the construction of a new stadium to house the team.
August 2020: Washington Football Team launches WashingtonJourney.com, an immersive destination designed to include fans on the journey and provide a platform for their voices to be heard as the organization ushers in a new era. Fans were able to submit their new name and logo ideas. WFT said they received over 40,000 submissions spanning every state and territory of the U.S., and 60 countries across six continents.
January 3, 2020: The Washington Football Team wins the NFC East Division with a 7-9 record after beating the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17. It's the only division title won under the temporary team name and the first for the franchise since 2015. The team would lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round the following week.
Narrowing the Search for a new Franchise Name
July 12, 2021: Wright, in his "weekly brief" announces the team would not consider the fan-favorite "Warriors" suggestion as the new team name and logo. The team noted they will not have any "linkage to Native American imagery."
July 28, 2021: Wright tells WUSA9 that Washington Football Club will not be considered as the new team name. This comes after NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent said, "The Washington Football Club" when announcing the team's draft pick. Also, when Snyder stepped away from day-to-day operations after a misconduct investigation, his own statement referred to the team as the Washington Football Club. Wright says the mention of The Washington Football Club was "a typo."
January 4, 2022: Wright announces the new name of the Washington Football Team will be announced on Feb. 2, known as "2-2-22." He also removes RedWolves or Wolves, fan-favorite names, as possibilities due to trademark issues.
February 2, 2022: The Washington Football Team announces the new name of the football team will be ________.
TO BE CONTINUED ON 2.2.22!
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