Emmitt Smith has Redskins name change he thinks will work The Sporting NewsBy Rana L. Cash @ranacashSN RSSJune 24, 2014 4:06pm EDT If Daniel Snyder wants advice about his football team’s nickname, he can get it from all corners. There are those standing fast in his corner; there are those railing against him and his insistence on keeping the Washington Redskins team name as is.There’s another opinion offered Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame running back, Emmitt Smith. As heated as the rivalry between these two storied franchises is, Smith actually sympathizes with Snyder and has an idea about what steps he should take.
Emmitt Smith (AP Photo)“I think it’s unfortunate because Daniel Snyder bought the Redskins because of the Redskins value and the Redskins brand,” Smith told Sporting News. “Now you take that from him, it’s gonna be very tough because he loses some of that value.“But if he can just drop the Red and keep the Skins, I think that part would suffice. Drop the Red and keep the Skins, keep the Indian logo and keep it moving, make the adjustment. You don’t have to change the colors. People know them as the ‘Skins anyway. The brand has been completely established; don’t lose it all trying to fight the overall battle. Take the one thing that will make you successful and that part is the ‘Skins and no one can question that.”Something says Smith could be wrong on that final point. It will be questioned, as will everything that has to do with this naming controversy, from now until who knows when. Vocal supporters and detractors flank Snyder. From the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office canceling six registered trademarks—a decision that will be met head-on in the appeals process—to the three Virginia lawmakers forming the Redskins Pride Caucus in defense of the name, there is no sense of a clear, clean finish to the debate.
