mmbackgrounder

Introduction
Bon Secours Richmond Health System
Bon Secours and the Redskins Name Change
The Bon Secours Richmond Health System is a system of doctors, hospitals and long­term care
facilities dedicated to serving the people of Richmond. Bon Secours was started by the Sisters of
Bon Secours during the French Revolution. Soon after, the Sisters of Bon Secours came to the
United States where they focused on providing care to the poor and sick. Bon Secours Richmond
Health System began expanding with the opening of St. Mary’s Hospital in 1966. Currently, Bon
Secours operates four hospitals as well as a college of nursing, a school of medical imaging and
two family practice residency programs. Bon Secours is the only not for profit health system in
Richmond, helping those in need regardless of ability to pay.
Bon Secours Richmond Health System and The Redskins
In 2012, Bon Secours Richmond Health System partnered with the Redskins to bring the team,
and fans, to Richmond. Hourigan Construction worked with Bon Secours and the Redskins to
draw up plans for a state­of­the­art training center that houses the summer training camp for the
team. In addition to the football training camp, the center houses a sports medicine and men’s
health clinic open to all men. The Redskins training camp draws fans to Richmond for a three
week period each summer to watch the team practice for the upcoming season.
The Issue
In 2013, controversy over the Redskins’ name resurfaced in the first major initiative aimed at
changing the name since 1999. Many fans, activists, and media outlets believe that the Redskins
name is an offensive racial slur towards Native Americans. Some have insisted that the Redskins
change their name to something more neutral to avoid offending anyone. The owner of the
Redskins has publicly said that he will not change the name, maintaining that he believes the
name honors Native Americans. Currently, the name remains the same, but some media outlets
have recently said they will not use the name ‘Redskins’ in any broadcast or article. A decision
about the issue has not been reached, and both sides of the argument continue to maintain their
position.
Timeline of the Redskins’ Name Controversy
1972​: 11 representatives of Native American organizations come together and present
Edward Bennett Williams, president of the Redskins, a list of demands, including,
“change the ‘derogatory racial epithet, Redskins.’”

1972: ​Williams says the team will remain “The Redskins.”
1992:​About 2,000 people protest the Redskins at the 1992 Super Bowl.
1999: ​Trademark Trial and Appeal Board judges cancel federal registration of the
Redskins name.
2013:​Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian holds an event on the
Redskins name change.
2013: ​The Oneida Indian Nation of New York uses radio ads in cities where the Redskins
play to encourage name change.
2014​: TTAB judes again cancel six trademarks held by the Redskins.
Bon Secours Redskins Training Camp Statistics
●​ ​The training camp center was completed in 2013.
●​ ​The cost of building the facility was $10 million.
●​ ​Bon Secours paid $3.2 million for naming rights to the facility.
●​ ​The facility will generate an expected $8.5 million annually.
●​ ​The training center generated $40 million in new private investment in the city of Richmond.
●​ ​In its first year, the training camp broke the NFL training camp attendance record with more
than 165,000 fans attending.
●​ ​The center contains a men’s health and sports medicine clinic that is open to the public.
●​ ​A tent on the training camp grounds sells Redskins merchandise to fans.
●​ ​Bon Secours invested in advertising on all platforms that includes the unique Redskins­Bon
Secours logo.
Possible Outcomes
●​ ​The Redskins change their name as many groups are insisting. Bon Secours rebrands the training
center and any advertisements that include the Redskins’ name or logo. Costs have not been
analyzed, but will likely exceed $1 million.
●​ ​The Redskins keep their name. Bon Secours keeps Redskins’ name and logo on the building and
any advertisements.
Public Opinion and Polls

●​ ​23% of Americans think the name should be changed, compared to the 8% in 1992, and up nine
percentage points in the last year alone.
●​ ​Of 1,019 Americans polled in Aug. 2014, 71% think the name should be kept, which is down
from 89% in 1992.
●​ ​68% think the name is not disrespectful towards Native Americans.
●​ ​9% say the name is “a lot” disrespectful to Native Americans.
●​ ​54% think the name is unlikely to be changed.
●​ ​42% think the name will be changed
●​ ​4% have no opinion on the likelihood of the name change
●​ ​In a non scientific poll of NFL players, 58% of players believe the name should not be changed,
while 42% think the name should be changed.
●​ ​In a survey of 51 Redskins players, 26 said the name should be changed and 24 did not want to
answer.
●​ ​89% of Republicans and 88% of people who consider themselves conservative think the name
should not be changed.
●​ ​58% of Democrats and 53% of people who consider themselves liberal think the name should
not be changed.
●​ ​83% of Republicans, 68% of independents, and 57% of Democrats see no disrespect in the
name.
●​ ​In 2004, a poll of 768 people who consider themselves Native American found that 90% said the
name did not bother them.
●​ ​Former Attorney General Eric Holder, Senator Harry Reid and former Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton have urged Dan Snyder to change the name.
Summary
Bon Secours Richmond Health System’s Redskins Training Camp is a state­of­the­art facility
that draws fans to Richmond, creates business and provides health services to men. The
controversy over the name could impact various corporate sponsors of the team, including Bon
Secours. The effect on Bon Secours Richmond Health System would be strictly related to
business.
Sources
"Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center | Hourigan Construction." ​Bon Secours
Washington Redskins Training Center​. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

"Training Center Information | Redskins Training Camp 2013." ​Bon Secours Washington
Redskins Training Center​. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Fiske, Warren, and Nancy Madsen. "Mayor Jones Says Redskins Training Camp Deal."
PolitiFact​. Richmond Times­Dispatch, 4 Mar. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Cushing, Nathan. "A Look at the Redskins Summer Training Camp ­ RVANews." ​RVANews​.
RVANews, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
"Poll: 71 Percent Say Keep Redskins." ​ESPN​. ESPN Internet Ventures, 2 Sept. 2014. Web. 30
Sept. 2014.