WASHINGTON — With the name and logo of Washington's pro football team under fire, merchandise for Redskins gear has become harder to find.
Amazon announced on Wednesday that it would stop selling the gear for the team, and they are not alone.
Nike, Walmart and Target have also joined the growing trend to force Dan Snyder and the franchise to make these changes that have been called on for decades, but have intensified amid vast calls over the last month for social and racial equality in the United States following the death of George Floyd.
Dick's Sporting Goods has also removed the team name and apparel buying option from its site when you look for NFL gear.
While these retailers will not sell Redskins gear, the official online fan gear shop for the National Football League still has merchandise for sale on its site. Fanatics and Vintage Brand are also still selling gear.
But could the need to sell Redskins gear be gone all together soon?
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the team will drop the Native American logo but will keep its colors. Schefter said the name its self is still being reviewed.
Now that major retailers have stopped selling gear, officials in Virginia and Maryland are starting to speak up more on making the name change, including Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R).
Hogan said he believes the name of Washington's professional football team “probably should be changed.” The Republican governor was asked on NBC's “Today” show on Wednesday whether he believed the team should change its name from the Washington Redskins. The team's home field is in Landover, Maryland, and Hogan grew up in the area as a fan of the team.
When he ran for governor in 2014, he expressed support for the name. But on Wednesday he said the time is probably right to change the moniker, and he's glad the team is having the discussion.
Between rumors of minority owners wanting to sell their stakes in the team, or corporate sponsors reviewing their relationships with the team, things became really eye-opening for Snyder in the last week or two.
The team launched a “thorough review” of the name last week, while several prominent sponsors said it's time to change it.
Several Native American leaders and organizations sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell calling for the league to force Dan Snyder to change the team name immediately.
The letter obtained by The Associated Press expresses concern that the organization's process to review the name doesn't involve consultation with those Native American leaders.
President Donald Trump has criticized both the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins for considering name changes in the wake of a national reckoning over racial injustice and inequality.
Trump tweeted Monday, “They name teams out of STRENGTH, not weakness, but now the Washington Redskins & Cleveland Indians, two fabled sports franchises, look like they are going to be changing their names in order to be politically correct.”
Washington's football team is not the first D.C. team to have its name changed.
Washington's basketball team hit the hardwood as the "Wizards" in 1997 after thirty years of being known as the "Bullets."
Unlike the Redskins, corporate interests did not pressure Bullets owner Abe Pollin into changing his team's name.
Instead, Pollin felt the Bullets moniker was too violent. His friend, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, had just been assassinated. At the same time, D.C. also had a notorious reputation for its violent crime.