Washington retires Redskins name. A possible replacement is ‘gaining serious traction’
The NFL team in the nation’s capital announced Monday it was retiring the Redskins name and logo.
“(Owner) Dan Snyder and (coach) Ron Rivera are working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years,” the team said in a statement.
The Washington Post reported the team’s “preferred replacement name is tied up in a trademark battle, which is why the team couldn’t announce the new name Monday.”
Sam Fortier, who covers the team for the Post, tweeted this weekend that the name Redwolves “is gaining serious traction.”
That petition has now been signed by more than 6,400 people.
However, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office shows that a person named Philip Martin McCaulay filed a claim for Washington Red Wolves on July 8 for “Entertainment in the nature of football games.”
McCaulay also filed a trademark claim on July 7 for Washington Redtails for “Cups and mugs; Wine glasses.”
Who is he? A 2015 Washington Post story said McCaulay is a “trademark squatter, someone who registers a trademark in the hopes a company decides it wants to use that name and agrees to pay a bounty for it.”
If that’s the only stumbling block, it seemingly would open the door for Redwolves (or Redtails) to become Washington’s new nickname.
Here are some fan design concepts for the Redwolves:
There aren’t many red wolves in the United States.
This is from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: “The red wolf is one of the world’s most endangered wolves. Once common throughout the Eastern and South Central United States, red wolf populations were decimated by the early 20th century as a result of intensive predator control programs and the degradation and alteration of the species’ habitat. When the red wolf was designated endangered in 1967, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated efforts to conserve and recover the species. Today, about 40 red wolves roam their native habitats in eastern North Carolina as a non-essential, experimental population (NEP), and more than 200 red wolves are maintained in captive breeding facilities throughout the United States.”
This story was originally published July 13, 2020 at 9:37 AM with the headline "Washington retires Redskins name. A possible replacement is ‘gaining serious traction’."
