Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Redskins name: 'It probably should be changed'

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Redskins announce thorough review amid pressure to change NFL team name

The Washington Redskins announced a ‘thorough review’ of their name amid pressure from Nike and FedEx, the naming sponsor of the team's stadium; David Spunt reports.

Larry Hogan is the latest person to speak out about the Washington football team.

The Maryland governor, who is a Republican and previously supported the team, said on Wednesday that Redskins is a “hurtful name,” and he “absolutely” believes that it should be considered a racial slur. Hogan, who appeared on NBC’s “Today” show, is one of the many politicians in favor of a name change.

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Back in 2014, Hogan told the Washington Times that he liked to “call them the Washington Redskins.” He said that he didn’t think the government should have a say in what a business should call itself.

However, Hogan backtracked on his comments six years later by saying that the name “probably should be changed.”

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“I’m glad that they’re having that discussion,” Hogan said about the talks to change the team name. “I believe that the name will be changed. I think, look, I grew up in the Washington area as a Redskin fan. It’s got a lot of history associated with the name. But I understand it’s a hurtful name, and in today’s context, it probably should be changed.”

The team announced this month that it has begun a “thorough review” of the nickname, which experts and advocates call a “dictionary-defined racial slur.”

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Snyder has not shown a willingness to change the name since buying the team in 1999. The recent national conversation on race has renewed opposition to the name, prompting the team to conduct the formal review.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.