The Washington franchise confused some Monday by announcing the retirement of the Redskins nickname without actually announcing a replacement. It turns out there’s reportedly a reason for that.
Owner Dan Snyder and the franchise are reportedly caught up in a trademark fight over the preferred new name, which was not identified in the report.
As for the Washington team's new name, @Lescarpenter and @MarkMaske point out: Two people with knowledge of the team’s plans said Sunday that the preferred replacement name is tied up in a trademark fight, which is why the team can’t announce it Monday.
— Cindy Boren (@CindyBoren) July 13, 2020
This is definitely an issue Washington has run into while searching for a replacement. Many nicknames have already been trademarked by someone else, making the process more difficult for the franchise to pick a new name. If nothing else, this is another reminder of how quickly Snyder was forced to change his stance on the nickname due to pressure from partners and sponsors.
The trademark process may actually have given away what the ultimate choice on the new nickname will be.
