In 1969 the big stadium in southeast D.C. was renamed to honor Robert F. Kennedy. Now, over 40 years later, the letters RFK invoke memories of the stadium just as much as they do the man, at least for those who live in the district and aren't old enough to remember him.
Dan Snyder is using those letters to adorn the new standing room only section of FedEx Field which houses a cigar bar, Hooters waitresses, and the chance to meet cheerleaders. As Dave McKenna points out, he didn't get anyone's permission first.
“Neither the RFK Center nor the RFK family have given rights to the name [to Dan Snyder],” says Lynn Delaney, executive director of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Justice and Human Rights ...
So, is that do-gooder objective promoted by having the initials “RFK” attached—by the owner of a team named the “Redskins”—to the home of a Hooters?
“No, it’s not,” says Delaney. “Absolutely not.”
But McKenna concedes that Snyder's use of the name RFK is a little bit of a gray area. He's not naming the area after the man, but after the stadium which housed the team for so long.
Of course, it’s the good memories of that stadium, rather than the good name of the liberal icon, that Snyder wants to exploit in order to sell pricey SRO tickets to the Redskins current home. During their 36 years at RFK Stadium, the Redskins won three Super Bowls—a status they haven’t enjoyed since decamping to Landover.
But at the same time, he didn't ask the people who are in charge of that stadium for permission either.
Unfortunately, the Washington Convention and Sports Authority, the quasi-governmental agency that now owns and operates RFK Stadium, says Snyder never called to ask for permission, or let them know he’d be nicking the name, either.
This is an odd move for a guy as business savvy as Snyder. I understand his want to use the name RFK, but he should know to at least go through the proper channels to receive permission.
(H/T: Hogs Haven)