Emily Shields MPSM 510 Leadership Opportunity #3 It is hard to bring up the Washington Redskins in any conversation without a scoff or

remark about racism. The controversy has entered the public sphere as the term “Redskin”

pertains to the historic abuse of Native Americans. 1 Even President Obama spoke out against the

team’s name and the U.S. Patent Office terminated Washington’s federal trademark registration

in 2014. 2 Most recently, members of British Parliament have asked the NFL to either have

Washington change its name or send a different team to play in London in 2016. 3 In response to

the controversy, Washington’s owner Dan Synder said the team would not change its name,

citing that “fans sing ‘Hail to the Redskins’ in celebration at every Redskins game,” and that the

name is cultural. 4 This response has been met with criticism. As Sports Illustrated put it, Synder

is the NFL’s most hated owner because he “is engaged in a public relations battle against an

entire race so his franchise can continue to be known as the Redskins.” 5 Despite his

1 Breech, J. (2016, February 24). Parliament members to NFL: Change Redskins name or forget London. Retrieved from http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25494523/parliament-members-to-nfl-change-redskins-name-or-forget-london http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25494523/parliament-members-to-nfl-change-redskins-name-or-forget-london 2 NFL fan poll: Should Washington Redskins change their name? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.si.com/nfl-fan-poll-2014/washington-redskins 3 Breech, J. (2016, February 24). Parliament members to NFL: Change Redskins name or forget London. Retrieved from http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25494523/parliament-members-to-nfl-change-redskins-name-or-forget-london http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25494523/parliament-members-to-nfl-change-redskins-name-or-forget-london 4 Harding, A. (2013, October 10). Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder defends team name in letter. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/09/us/washington-redskins-name/index.html 5 The most hated people, places and things in the NFL. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/07/23/nfl-most-hated-dan-snyder-bill-belichick-percy-harvin    

transgressions, it is not too late for Synder to take action. Synder has a unique leadership

opportunity to demonstrate responsibility towards Washington’s stakeholders, ultimately

salvaging Washington’s reputation as an inclusive organization.

Washington has many stakeholders that are impacted by the negative response to the

team’s current name. Sponsors are a major stakeholder and they certainly have felt the heat of

the scandal. FedEx in particular, which has the naming rights for the team’s stadium, has been

targeted with letters from protesting groups. Timothy Spangler of The Guardian said that

sponsors could benefit from cutting ties with Washington because they would “be on the right

side of an emotionally-charged issue.” 6 Sponsors do not want to be associated with an

organization that’s been called racist and ignorant, and Synder has to consider that moving

forward. He has to hold his end of the deal in creating a mutually beneficial relationship that

sponsors look for when they initially partner with an organization.

Of course, the most obvious stakeholder in this case is the public. The public fills the

seats at the stadium, buys merchandise and keeps the team afloat. Without fans, would there be a

point in a football team? A recent poll showed that over a quarter of football fans found the name

“Redskins” offensive. 7 That percentage may seem insignificant, but it has grown over the past

year. Like sponsors, fans do not want to be associated with or pay money to support an

organization that has values that are deemed poor by society. As an owner, Synder should

provide fans with a team they can be proud of. If public opinion worsens, Washington can lose

6 http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/jun/26/washington-redskins-sponsors-pressure-team-name-controversy 7 http://www.washingtonian.com/2016/02/05/poll-25-percent-of-football-fans-think-redskins-should-change-their-name/

its fan base, including season ticker holders. That is a major blow to the financial growth and

success of the organization, and that is something that Synder should be concerned about.

Finally, players and coaches are a significant stakeholder. While the team has generally

kept pretty quiet about the issue, defensive end Jason Hatcher has said the team’s name is

negatively impacting the team on game day. Hatcher said that the team did not receive favorable

calls during the last season because of the team’s name. 8 While this has not been proven and is

merely speculation, Synder has a responsibility as an owner to provide his players with an

opportunity for a fair and balanced game. If the team’s name is creating biased to the extent it

influences the outcome of a game, Synder should consider what his priorities are. Is keeping the

name worth sacrificing the success of the team?

While the responsibilities to Washington’s stakeholders may make it seem like changing

the name is the obvious answer, Synder has likely been thinking about the consequences. First,

some fans do identify with the “Redskins” traditions and changing the name would probably

change those traditions and may make loyalists unhappy. More importantly and from a business

standpoint, changing the name would also mean changing logos and merchandise. Changing a

team’s name is not without cost. When the Charlotte Bobcats became the Charlotte Hornets, the

estimated cost was close to $4 million. 9 The name change does come with consequences, but

the responsibility to stakeholders is well worth the trouble.

8 Spangler, T. (2014, June 26). Washington Redskins' sponsors under pressure over team name controversy. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/jun/26/washington-redskins-sponsors-pressure-team-name-controversy    9 Jordan: Bobcats changing name to Hornets. (2013, May 21). Retrieved from http://www.nba.com/2013/news/05/21/bobcats-change-name-to-hornets/

Even though Washington is a private organization, it serves the public. Washington is

highly involved in community events and does a lot of charitable work for the Virginia and D.C.

area. Washington positions itself as a prominent and visible force in the community’s daily life

and even though the organization is private, it feeds off of public support. If charities, nonprofits

and schools no longer wanted to work with Washington because of its name, that eliminates the

organization’s ability to be a part of the community and garner that support.

Even thought Synder has failed to change the team’s name as of late, there is still a

leadership opportunity for him to create an organization that is non-offensive and creates

inclusivity for everyone in the community. One of the tasks that Synder has as a leader is to meet

with Native Americans and truly make an effort to learn about the derogatory nature of the term

“Redskins.” So far, in response to allegations, all Synder has done is create a foundation called

the Original Americans Foundation, which is supposed to prove opportunities for Tribal

communities. While that is commendable, it has been viewed as a public relations tactic to make

the public stop talking about the controversy. 10 Synder should show genuine concern for the

issue instead of making it go away. One of the important tasks of being a leader is showing a

willingness to deal with conflict as learned in The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. 11 Encouraging

discussion to work out conflict is something Synder needs to do.

Synder can make himself an example of a good leader by not only addressing the

conflict, but realizing that he has to uphold a responsibility to multiple stakeholders. The

10 Newell, S. (2014, March 24). Dan Snyder Is Starting A Foundation For Native Americans. Retrieved from http://deadspin.com/dan-snyder-is-starting-a-foundation-for-native-american-1550821668  11 Lencioni, P. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team: A leadership fable. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.  

combination of showing an openness to discussion coupled with the weight of stakeholder

responsibility, should make the name change a clear solution. Washington is a private

organization, but its prominence in society and functionality depends so much on public support.

Synder still has time to save Washington’s reputation and many are counting on him to lead the

organization to a thriving future.