Fans and politicians made little fuss over the Washington Redskins' branding when the franchise relocated to Washington DC in 1937. Perhaps the Great Depression and a looming World War were the "problematic" issues of those times. Safe to say... times have changed.
Today, news broadcasts and sports networks alike are framing a potential Redskins rebrand as a defining moment in modern America - a moment in which an increasingly tense social climate can force even the most stubborn of conventionalists to fold on their stances. The President of the United States has voiced his opinion on the matter... as have executives at major corporations including FedEx and Pepsi.
As momentum seems to build regarding a name change, Professor Mike Lewis (who wrote an op-ed on the subject for the New York Times) and I wanted to explore the business side of such a move as well as the implications across all of sports. In this podcast episode, we dive into the Redskins' options and explore the challenges today's social climate imposes on various sports franchises.
Listen here:
Also streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Stitcher.