As more prominent media members opt against using the name of Washington’s football team in their coverage, we’ve decided to start keeping track.
This list doesn’t include those who have spoken out against it but haven’t indicated they’ll stop using it (Cris Collinsworth, Bob Costas or Terry Bradshaw, for example).
Below you’ll find a collection of announcers, sportswriters, and outlets who have either publicly stated they won’t be using the nickname or have an established track record of doing the same. This list will update over the course of the season as more join the movement against the Washington nickname.
Not using the name
Sportscasters/Sportswriters
- Peter King (TheMMQB.com/Sports Illustrated)
- Mike Florio* (ProFootballTalk.com)
- Keith Olbermann
- Bill Simmons (Grantland/ESPN)
- Bob Ley (ESPN)
- Lisa Salters (ESPN)
- Mike Carey (CBS)
- Greg Gumbel (CBS)
- Christine Brennan (USA Today)
- Matt Miller (Bleacher Report)
- Matthew Berry (ESPN)
- Gregg Easterbrook (ESPN)
- Mike Wise (Washington Post, did so long before recent debate)
- John Feinstein (Washington Post)
- Tim Graham (Buffalo News)
- John Smallwood (Philadelphia Daily News)
- Jim Vance (NBC4 Washington)
Newspapers/Websites
- The Kansas City Star
- The San Francisco Chronicle
- The Seattle Times
- The Detroit News
- Slate
- The New Republic
- The Oregonian
- The Washington City Paper
- Sportsgrid
- Mother Jones
- DCist
- The Washington Business Journal
- New York Daily News
- The Charlotte Observer
Leaning toward not using the name
- James Brown (CBS)
- Phil Simms (CBS)
- Tony Dungy (NBC)
- Tom Jackson (ESPN)
Leaving it up to individual correspondents
* We can’t find an official announcement from Florio, but it’s been months since he last used the name. In that span, he’s published at least 50 posts pertaining to the team without mentioning it.
If we’ve omitted anyone, let us know!

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About Brad Gagnon
Brad Gagnon has been passionate about both sports and mass media since he was in diapers -- a passion that won't die until he's in them again. Based in Toronto, he's worked as a national NFL blog editor at theScore.com, a producer and writer at theScore Television Network and a host, reporter and play-by-play voice at Rogers TV. His work has also appeared at CBSSports.com, Deadspin, FoxSports.com, The Guardian, The Hockey News and elsewhere at Comeback Media, but his day gig has him covering the NFL nationally for Bleacher Report.
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