We'll never change the name. It's that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.
- Daniel Snyder, Washington Redskins owner, May 9, 2013
Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review.
- Statement From The Washington Redskins Football Team, Jul 13, 2020
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From a negotiation standpoint, there are two big problems with using extreme words like, "never", "ever", and "always" (among others).
The first problem is that you risk backing yourself into a corner; when you state a position in the absolute, you don't leave yourself any room for flexibility. So should circumstances change and leave you in a place where it's actually shrewd to rethink your position, your options become limited:
1) You can refuse to change your position, which sometimes isn't viable and sometimes not in your best interests;
2) You can admit you were wrong and make a change, but that's not easy for some people to do;
3) You can not admit you were wrong and make the change, which makes you look foolish... just ask Daniel Snyder.
The second problem with using extreme words is that it's really easy to be proven wrong.
I NEVER do the dishes, you say? I did them two nights ago... ha!
I ALWAYS leave my socks on the floor? Hmmm... are there any on the floor now? Ha!
I made a conscious decision years ago to avoid using extreme words whenever possible.
Notice how I didn't write, "I made a conscious decision years ago to never use extreme words?"
That's how you start.
Your ability to deal with the obstacles you'll face increases exponentially once you give yourself the ability to move out of your own way.
- dp
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