DAGEN: THE REDSKINS RECONSIDER,
THREE MINORITY OWNERS OF THE
TEAM ARE LOOKING TO SELL THEIR
STAKES IN THE NFL TEAM.
DAN SNYDER, THE MAJORITY OWNER,
SAID LAST WEEK HE’S REVIEWING
THE NAME AFTER PRESSURE FROM FED
EX AND NIKE.
LEE, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS?
TO BE CLEAR, I AM A LIFE LONG
REDSKINS FAN BUT I SAID YEARS
AGO ON THE AIR, ON THE RECORD
SAYING THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE
STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS EONS
AGO TO GET RID OF THE NAME.
THE REASON THE FANS HATE DAN
SNYDER IS BECAUSE HE’S BEEN AN
AWFUL OWNER.
THEIR RECORD IS ABYSMAL.
HE’S A TERRIBLE OWNER.
IT’S ABOUT TIME THE REDSKINS
STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS.
LEE: I THINK IT’S ABOUT TIME
THE REDSKINS STARTED TALKING
ABOUT THIS TOO.
I THINK IT’S BEEN -- THEY’VE
TAKEN THE HEAT ON THIS FOR A
LONG TIME AND THEY STUCK TO
THEIR GUNS ON IT AND I DON’T
THINK IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION.
I THINK NOW IS THE TIME TO
CHANGE THE NAME.
I THINK PROBABLY YOU A GOOD TIME
-- PROBABLY A GOOD TIME TO
REBRAND THEMSELVES.
I THINK THEY NEED TO HAVE A NEW
IMAGE SO-TO-SPEAK.
THEY HAVEN’T HAD THE BEST RECORD
IN RECENT YEARS.
I THINK THIS WOULD GIVE THEM A
MUCH NEEDED BOOST.
I THINK THE TIME IS RIGHT.
AND I THINK THEY CAN’T AVOID IT
ANY LONGER.
DAGEN: IT HAPPENED ACROSS THE
NCAA, STANFORD CHANGED THE
MASCOT NAME IN THE ’70s I
THINK.
AND SYRACUSE DID THE SAME.
THE FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES,
THEY WORKED WITH THE LOCAL
NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE TO MAKE
SURE THAT THE TRIBE WAS OKAY
WITH THEM RETAINING THE KIND OF
SEMINOLES TO REPRESENT THEM.
BUT LEE, REALLY QUICKLY OF
BEFORE WE MOVE ON, DO YOU HAVE A
NAME FOR THE REDSKINS?
WHAT WOULD YOU -- HAVE YOU
RESEARCHED THAT AT ALL?
LEE: I HAVEN’T RESEARCHED IT AT
ALL.
I’VE SEEN THEY HAVE GOOD ONES
OUT THERE.
I’M NOT SURE WHICH ONE I WOULD
PICK.
BECAUSE THE QUESTION IS, DO THEY
GET SOMETHING THAT’S REALLY
CLOSE THAT HAS A DIFFERENT
MEANING OR DO THEY GO WITH
SOMETHING DIFFERENT ENTIRELY.
I THINK IT’S A REALLY IMPORTANT
QUESTION.
I THINK PEOPLE WILL WANT IT TO
STAY CLOSE.
I THINK THEY’RE GOING TO WANT TO
KEEP IT WITH THE SAME KIND OF A
FEEL BUT IT’S -- I HAVEN’T COME
UP WITH A NAME.
DAGEN: OKAY.
I KNOW IT’S WASHINGTON BUT
NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS.
NOTHING.
[ LAUGHTER ]
DAGEN: PLEASE, NO.
IT’S NOT JUST THE WASHINGTON
REDSKINS.
THE CLEVELAND INDIANS ARE ALSO
CONSIDERING A NAME CHANGE AS
WELL AFTER THE TEAM COMPLETELY
REMOVED THE-IT WAS OF TENSION
I’VE -- OFFENSIVE TO MANY
CHARACTER, MASCOT, CHIEF WAHOO
LAST YEAR.
JOHN LONSKI, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF
THE CHANGES?
JOHN: WELL, I THINK THEY’RE
OVERDUE.
MUCH OVERDUE.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS, YOU KNOW,
I’M A NEW YORK GIANTS FAN AND I
THINK IT’S AN OLD BASEBALL TEAM
FROM WASHINGTON THAT LOST ALL
THE TIME.
WHY NOT CALL THEM THE WASHINGTON
SENATORS, BRING THAT NAME BACK.
THAT WOULD REALLY FRIGHTEN
WASHINGTON REDSKINS FANS.
DAGEN: I’M SAYING DON’T CALL
THEM SENATORS, DON’T CALL THEM
THE WASHINGTON CONGRESSMEN.
CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING MORE
LOATHESOME.
WHAT’S THE FINAL WORD.
LEE: YOU MENTIONED IN
THE ’70s SOME UNIVERSITIES
STARTED MAKING CHANGES.
THIS HAS BEEN A SLOW DRIP OF
SORT OF SENSITIVITY TO MARKETING
AND BRANDING.
THERE’S BEEN AN INFLECTION
POINT.
I THINK THERE’S NO LONGER A
TOLERANCE EITHER BY EMPLOYEES OF
COMPANIES, ATTENDEES OF
UNIVERSITIES OR THE GENERAL
PUBLIC FOR OFFENDING A FEW TO
MAKE MANY HAPPY AND I APPLAUD
ALL EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING TAKEN
TO HAVE SENSITIVITY.
DAGEN: AND HERE’S MY FINAL
WORD.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS CHANGE THE
NAME, START WINNING
CONSISTENTLY.
MAYBE THEY’RE CONNECTED.
[ LAUGHTER ]
DAGEN: AND MAYBE GET RID OF THE