When the announcement finally came on Monday that the NFL’s Washington franchise was eliminating its long-lamented “Redskins” nickname and logo, it came in exactly the kind of petty fashion we have come to expect from team owner Dan Snyder.
It was billed a “retirement” rather than a termination.
In two separate sentences, the announcement accurately reflected the precise order of Snyder’s priorities in the change, promising to lean into the team’s “sponsors, fans and community.”
And in what should be interpreted as one last middle finger to those who have criticized the nickname and logo for so long, the message was delivered on “Redskins” letterhead — emblazoned with the same logo the team has been effectively leveraged into removing.