President Trump is not the only politician in Washington, D.C. who would be okay with the Commanders renaming themselves the Redskins.
Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan in D.C. captured this very interesting quote from D.C. City Council Chairman Phil Mendelson.
“He suggested the past DC opposition of the team moving back into the city while named Redskins had more to do with Dan Snyder than the name,” Paulsen said of Mendelson’s position on the issue. “Suggested he would have no problem with DC welcoming the team back with the name Redskins now.”
That is a highly significant statement.
It’s also the first public acknowledgment and approval of President Trump’s stated desire to have the team return to its legendary nickname, which was first mentioned on Sunday morning when the president posted about his desire to have the team change its name from Commanders back to Redskins.
Now, Mendelson is significant, but his words alone don’t guarantee that the name change will happen.
Name changes have to be approved by the league. The league voted to allow the Washington Football Team to change its name to Commanders, and would need to weigh in to have the Commanders once again become the Redskins.
But, while there’s a long and elaborate process in place regarding name and uniform changes, it’s certainly not impossible that the Commanders could decide to re-adopt their former nickname.
The determining factor will be President Trump’s level of determination. How serious is he about gumming up the works on a stadium deal to get his way on the name change?
Well, according to his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, the answer is that he is indeed, “serious.”
“The President was serious,” Leavitt responded to a reporter on Tuesday who asked whether Trump intended to follow through on his threat to delay the stadium deal, “and it’s part of the art of the deal, part of his negotiating skills. As you know, sports is one of his many passions, and he wants to see that name changed.”
The Commanders still have not issued a public statement about Trump’s call to reclaim their former nickname.
