When the Washington Redskins announced the upcoming name and logo change due to public outcry, they did so without revealing the new brand. Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green has weighed in and provided his opinion about the name. He hopes that owner Daniel Snyder opts for the Red Tails monicker.
Speaking with TMZ Sports, Green said that he applauds Snyder for making the change. “I’ve given him a lot of crap over the years, but I applaud him at this point,” Green said. He also noted that Red Tails would be his first and only choice at this point in the decision-making process. This name refers to the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American pilots who fought in World War II and flew planes with red paint on the tails.
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“The Red Tails are some of the greatest heroes of any color in our country,” Green told TMZ, “and particularly against the extraordinary horrors that the Tuskegee Airmen were up against.” Green is one of the many people that support this name and believe it would honor the military heroes. He joins Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who also said that he likes Red Tails.
While NFL figures have expressed their support of the potential name, the actual surviving Tuskegee Airmen have expressed mixed opinions. TIME spoke to multiple members and asked their opinion on the matter. One wholeheartedly supported the idea, while others said they are still developing views on the subject.
“Absolutely,” said Lt. Col. Harold Brown, 95. “Thinking about it sort of selfishly in terms of our own legacy, we are running out of pilots. Waiting a few years, that would be the end of us. I don’t know of a better way to keep that name alive than to put it on a name right behind ‘Washington.’” Brown is one of nine surviving members of the famed military group.
Lt. Col. James Harvey, on the other hand, had a different opinion on the matter. He wrote to TIME and said that he’s “not sure” the NFL franchise is worthy of the name. “They don’t win that many games plus a lot of the players have a… Poor attitude. But, it is not my call. Just the way I feel at this point in time,” he told the outlet in an email.
The future name is currently unknown, but Red Tails is one of the top choices alongside Warriors, Hogs and Generals. If Washington does choose to honor the Tuskegee Airmen, Green will support the decision. Similarly, Brown says he will leave his beloved Cleveland Browns and become a Washington supporter.
