The NFL's Washington Redskins, one of the league's most storied franchises, refer to FedEx Field, located in Landover, Maryland, as home, meaning that the team and the league have a sizable partnership with the shipping magnate, FedEx.
It means that FedEx spends a lot of money to have its name associated with anything and everything "Redskin."
And it also means that, in the public eye, FedEx, the Redskins and the NFL are all tied together very closely.
A Native American tribe located in Pawhuska, Oklahoma will boycott FedEx because of its relationship with the team, a decision that has a negative impact on each brand.
"The Osage Nation in Oklahoma is boycotting global shipping company FedEx due to its relationship with the Washington Redskins and calling on other tribes around the country to do the same, saying the NFL team's name is derogatory to people of American Indian descent," the AP reported.
That's rough news for the team and for the company.
Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear said of the boycott that until the team changes its name to something "less inflammatory and insulting," the 18,500-member tribe should and will refrain from using FedEx "when an alternative is available."
The report notes that the Osage Nation is one of many Oklahoma-based tribes, representing "more than 500,000 tribal citizens across the U.S.," to join the chorus of voices calling for Washington to change its name and mascot.
"The company values its sponsorship of the stadium, noting that the facility hosts a range of sporting and entertainment events," said FedEx spokesman Patrick Fitzgerald. "The company has closely followed the 'dialogue and difference of opinion' concerning the team name."
Team spokesman Tony Wyllie declined to comment, but said he "stood by his recent statements about the franchise believing that most Americans didn't support changing the team's name."
