CFL's Edmonton Eskimos to Speed Up Name Review, Seek Input from Inuit Community
Jul 15, 2020
REGINA, SK - NOVEMBER 02: Kevin Elliott #18 and DaVaris Daniels #80 of the Edmonton Eskimos celebrate a touchdown with teammates in the game between the Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium on November 2, 2019 in Regina, Canada. (Photo by Brent Just/Getty Images)
The Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos have reportedly agreed to expedite their name review and provide an update in that regard by the end of July, according to Phil Heidenreich of the Global News.
In a statement, Edmonton said it was taking "this issue seriously as has been demonstrated by the three years we've spent engaging in Canada's North and conducting research related to our name. We recognize that a lot has occurred since this information was gathered, and as a result, we are accelerating our ongoing process of review."
The team also said it was further consulting with the Inuit community, stakeholders and sponsors.
That came after insurance provider Belairdirect said Tuesday that it was rethinking its sponsorship of the team. The company released the following statement:
"For several years, we have been a sponsor of the Edmonton Eskimos. At Belairdirect, one of our core values is respect, which is founded on seeing diversity as a strength, being inclusive and collaborative. Guided by this value, in order for us to move forward and continue on with our partnership, we will need to see concrete action in the near future, including a commitment to a name change."
A number of other partners, including Maple Leaf Foods, Fisherman's Friend, Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Ltd., Servus Credit Union and Tim Hortons, said they had been in contact with the team regarding the name review or supported the review.
Edmonton's potential name change comes at a time when various nicknames around sports have come under scrutiny or are being changed. Most notably, Washington's NFL team—which has long come under fire for having a racially offensive nickname—announced Monday it would officially be changing its moniker.
"That review has begun in earnest," the team said in a statement (h/t Homero De la Fuente and Wayne Sterling of CNN.com). "As part of this process, we want to keep our sponsors, fans and community apprised of our thinking as we go forward. Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the name and logo upon completion of this review."
Washington has not yet named a replacement nickname.
