Redskins president says ‘no’ to changing team name to get new stadium
Washington Redskins president Bruce Allen made it clear with a one word answer that the organization will not reconsider changing the team's name even if there is a political barrier to building a new stadium.
The Redskins are in the early process of finding a new home and have explored potential sites. Possible locations include in Maryland, where the Redskins now play, in Washington, D.C., where they used to play, and in Virginia, where they train.
Allen was asked at a news conference held at the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center in Richmond, Va., whether the team would consider changing its name to build a new home.
"No," Allen said Monday, without elaboration.
Redskins owner Dan Snyder has insisted that he will not change the team's name despite continuing objections by Native Americans and others, including members of Congress.
The Redskins' lease to play its home games at FedEx Field in Landover expires in 2026.
Allen said the Redskins have had "great conversations" with officials for potential stadium areas.
"Well, building a stadium is different than building a house," Allen said. "The 49ers just moved into their stadium and that was a 15-year process that they were in. The San Diego Chargers have been in a 15-year process themselves with nothing on the horizon yet. We wanted to get ahead of it and start doing the preliminary work. It's not going to be a new stadium in the next 48 months, so you don't have to worry about that.
"We've had great conversations with all the areas. The design is something that we've started on, but really it is preliminary right now."
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell opposes the team name, which could prove to be a hindrance if the Redskins want to return to Washington, D.C.
President Barack Obama has objected to the team name and questioned claims that the longtime use of Redskins is not offensive.
"I've got to say that if I were the owner of the team and I knew that there was a name of my team — even if it had a storied history — that was offending a sizeable group of people, I'd think about changing it," Obama said last year.
