Many will describe it as an attempt to force the commanders to change their name back to the name that was abandoned in 2020. The truth is that a new lawsuit against the team cannot force the name change.
The Commanders were sued for defamation of the Native American Guardian’s Association via Newsweek.com. The claim stems in part from allegations that a Commanders employee called the group “fake” in a conversation with a former owner of a luxury suite at FedEx Field.
“We believe the complaint is without merit and will resolve the matter in court,” a Commanders spokesman told Newsweek.com.
The lawsuit alleges that commanders worked with the National Congress of American Indians to remove the previous name and not reinstate it.
“As the self-proclaimed voice of Native Americans everywhere, NCAI and its commanders have attacked more than just the integrity of NAGA; They silenced over 90 percent of Native Americans who disagreed with them,” the lawsuit says. “They also silenced the Americans.”
This entire ordeal likely stems from the decision by members of the new ownership group (including majority owner Josh Harris and limited partner Magic Johnson) to casually mention the former name on July 22, the day the Daniel Snyder sale was completed. The casual use of the term sparked speculation that the new owner was floating a test balloon regarding a possible return of the abandoned name. It also encouraged some to aggressively push for the name’s return.
Over time, the language evolved to the point where the word became a dictionary-defined swear word. After years of resistance, Snyder finally gave in under intense pressure from sponsors. It remains to be seen whether enough fans can put enough pressure on the team to turn it around again.
At the moment it seems highly unlikely. However, when the pressure mounts, Harris and his partners have themselves to blame for opening Pandora’s Box. If they hadn’t blurted out the name in the euphoria that followed Snyder’s departure, none of this probably would have happened.