Washington removes statue of former owner outside of RFK Stadium

The Washington football team have announced that they have removed the statue of former owner George Preston Marshall that previously sat outside of RFK Stadium. Max Brown, the Chairman of the Events DC Board of Directors, and Greg O'Dell, the President and Chief Executive Officer, released a joint statement addressing the removal, calling it an "overdue step on the road to lasting equality and justice."

"This symbol of a person who didn't believe all men and women were created equal and who actually worked against integration is counter to all that we as people, a city, and nation represent," the statement read. "We believe that injustice and inequality of all forms is reprehensible and we are firmly committed to confronting unequal treatment and working together toward healing our city and country."

Marshall owned the team from its creation in 1932 until his death in 1969. He was extremely resistant to Washington integrating its roster, making the team the last in the NFL to do so.

"We recognize that we can do better and act now," the statement continued. "We've heard from many of our stakeholders in the community, and we thank you. Allowing the memorial to remain on the RFK Campus goes against Events DC's values of inclusion and equality and is a disturbing symbol to many in the city we serve."

Of course, many have pointed out that if Washington is really committed to 'values of inclusion and equality', the franchise should ditch its offensive team name. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said that it was 'past time' for the team to leave the name behind.