#CHANGE THE MASCOT - WASHINGTON'S FOOTBALL TEAM NAME

Re-branding the Name – Washington’s Football Team

As a native Washingtonian I have loved my football team since the Sonny Jorgensen era.

It is well past the time for a new branding of Washington’s football team. The great pride

I have personally is being a African-American when a heritage of being born and raised

In The Nation’s Capitol, the seat of our government. This is where tourist come by busloads

daily and visit places such as the Smithsonian’s Museums, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials,

the Viet Nam, Korean War and World War II Memorials, The White House, The Capitol and

the Supreme Court. This is my personal heritage also as a Native Washingtonian to live

and work in this city of central focus where the U.S. President lives. This is the city

where Defense contractors and other corporations setup an office to garner government

services business. This is D.C. The throbbing pulse of Our Government and The Honored

Memorials of  the Nation’s Best Heroes; Names and Images in marble and granite.

However when it comes to our football team and understanding the history of the owner,

I am left when the clear impression of a racist businessman. An owner who promoted

Business motives to block the drafting or retaining of Black Americans on NFL teams.

So my question is did George Preston Marshall change the name from Braves to Redskins

to honor Native Americans or was this just a business concept created to maximize and sustain profit?

I believe it was the latter. I believe this was his version of the Wild Bill West Show in the Sports

Business Module. Finally, since the September 11^th terrorist attacks and our Armed Services

Men and women sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan. The city’s football team’s name should

Reflect our country’s national  pride and the city’s heritage.

Our city’s sports teams should have a name that reflects the city’s nature.

Other then the city’s two-basketball teams: The Wizards and The Mystics.

We have the Nationals for baseball and the Capitols for hockey.

Why not the Memorials for football? Boston has the Patriots.

((( My logo suggestion and re-branding concept attached below )))

New Names Suggestion

I suggest a team name reflecting our honored history of freedom and democracy:

-         The Washington Memorials

 

New Logo Design

The Iowa Jima flag-raising statue overlaid with the crest of the Washington Monument as backdrop.

 

Team Colors

Burgundy, Gold and Gray

Check out the Team store gray is already being incorporated – Now lets give it the full significance

Of symbolizing the granite strength resilience of our nation and its communities

( For example look at the Tennessee Volunteers gray uniform – I loved them )

  

Re-branding the Name – Washington’s Football Team

Jersey trade-in program

It is important to understand there is an economic factor for any business.

I propose a jersey trade in program to be set-up by the NFL where a 25% discount

Is applied at the Washington team store and the NFL store for the purchase of the new

Team logo apparel when the old team apparel is traded in for recycling.

There is even a larger economic business concept to consider here in lieu of the country’s

need for jobs creation. Consider the re-branding of Washington’s football teams logo and name

becoming the catalyst for a re-birth and rise of the textile industry in America once more.

The country has transformed greatly in the last 20 years with the growth of other cultures

of immigrants and citizens, many of these individuals who value sewing for their family’s needs.

It would be a grand commitment for the NFL and Sports Corporations such as: Reebok

and Nike to create a manufacturing partnership and invest in economically depressed cities and towns

an establish textile businesses exclusively to make team apparel. An even broader scope

would be for 100 percent of all American sports apparel to be manufactured in the United States 

for all the Pro and College teams – Men’s and Women: football, basketball and baseball, at least

Our three premier sports.

Hugh Masekela - Sossie/Makoti

# BASEBALL ALLSTAR GAME 1969

As a child my heart was broken when the Washington Senators

moved to Texas to become the Rangers. However the everlasting

memory of the beautiful game lays in the 1969 All-Star Game.

The game was played at R.F.K. Stadium in Washington D.C..

I was a naïve, shy 13 year old boy who’s great joy was when

my buddy Joey Morris Dad took us to a game; Sitting up

in the upper deck, eating hot dogs and putting that special mustard

on them ( Gulden’s ) – this was a high end mustard at the time.

1969 game became my holy grail of baseball experience.

On the way to the game there was a severe thunderstorm

resulting in the game being played the next day.

After the game me, my mother and Joey headed to the clubhouse

entrance to get autographs and on the way there the first person I see walking towards

me is Hall of Fame Pitcher Sandy Koufax doing radio announcing for the game.

Then there was Hall of Fame outfielder Mickey Mantle doing television

announcer duties. If you get the drift every other player I met is a Hall of Famer

for a young, black urban kid this was ultimate joy. Remember the previous year

both Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated.

So let me rattle off some names of autographs I got:

Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Carl Yazstrzemki, Willie McCovey ( games MVP ),

Ernie Banks, Rod Carew, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Frank Howard,

 Orioles players: Boog Powell, Frank Robinson, Paul Blair and Brooks Robinson,

Bob Gibson, and finally my favorite Roberto Clemente ( my cheered nickname

while playing baseball for my high school ).

 Ps: When my mother would tell me to clean my room – I generally

Piled the mess into my closet. Mom cleaned out the closet autographed

program and all. I’m not mad at you mom. I can still see in my mind

the smiles of Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and other players.

#Rebranding the Name – Washington’s Football Team

I am a native Washingtonian and I have loved my football team since the Sonny Jorgensen era.

It is well past the time for a new branding of Washington’s football team.

The present name as the Redskins is not a celebrated name of Native American history.

Its connotation and birth like any other moniker assigned to an ethnic group were created

From a negative and belittling image whether we were: Afro-American, Native American,

Asian, Hispanic Irish, Jewish etc. We have all dealt with some history of spiteful name-calling.

As the owner of Washington’s football team George Preston Marshall was clear on his position

of letting Blacks play on his team. The Washington Redskins were the last team to try-out Black Americans

and Bobby Mitchell you could say was Washington’s version of Jackie Robinson.

From 1934 to 1945 there were no Black Americans in the NFL. While prior to this history in the NFL

between 1927 to 1933 there are at least three notable minority’s represented in the NFL : Walter Achiu

a running back of Chinese-Hawaiian ancestry , Arthur Matsu a quarterback of  Japanese-Scottish ancestry,

and Jim Thrope  a Native American, a College All-American Athlete in several sports and an Olympian

athlete.

I suggest a rebranding that reflects Washington D.C. as the Nation’s Capitol; The set of our Government.

The Nation’s Capitol with all its honored memorials: The Lincoln, The Jefferson,

The Viet Nam and Korean War Memorial Walls, The WWII Memorial The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

The Smithsonian, The Monument, Arlington Cemetery, The Old Soldiers Home etc.

New Names Suggestion

I suggest a team name reflecting our honored history of freedom and democracy:

(1)   The Washington Monuments,  (2) The Washington Memorials

New Logo Design

The Iowa Jima flag raising statue overlayed with the crest of the Washington Monument as backdrop.

Team Colors

Burgundy, Gold and Gray

Final Note

As a Skins fan Notice: I said Skins without referencing the whole name.

It has been the only way for me and maybe other fans to fill comfortable with the team’s name.

Also as a African-American the subconscious accept ice most likely for many Skins fans

Is the Native American icon logo is brown. Most likely a conscious choice for during the 60’s-70’s

era of Washington D.C. census population marked as high as a 70 percent African-American/Black

populace. Suppose the logo depicted a red Native American. We can love our team however

it is way past time to remove derogatory linguistic for our rich culture as Washingtonians.

Born and Raised in the Nation’s Capitol – The place where tours folk to momentarily

Absorb Our Country’s governmental seat – What a Priviledge

Heartfully

Thomas N. Corbett 3^rd

blog Kickoff

I am a native Washingtonian for me that means I rally and root
for my local sports teams: professional and college.
Football is my first love as a sport fans then basketball and baseball.
I am confident in am observations of teams and athletes and from
time to time share some local sports history on a team or athlete.
Welcome Friends to The Letter Jacket Throne.