Redskins Merchandise Sales Fall 35 Percent Amid Name Controversy

Sales of Washington Redskins merchandise fell 35 percent last quarter despite overall NFL sales rising 3 percent, according to licensed merchandise sales tracker SportsSourceOne.

“People are having a second thoughts about wearing a T-shirt with the logo or name that it has now been called racist,” Matt Powell, senior analyst for SportsSourceOne, told CNN Money. “If I’m a retailer and I’m nervous about this logo, I’m taking a more cautious approach.”

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office revoked six of the team’s trademarks in June following backlash from Native American groups that found the team’s name “disparaging.” Since then, several sportscasters and news organizations have publicly refused to use the team’s name.

A team spokesman attributed the decrease in sales to Washington’s 3-13 record last season. Other teams that suffered from subpar seasons didn’t experience quite the same drop in sales, the team noted. The only team to experience a greater drop in sales was the Baltimore Ravens, which experienced a surge in sales after the team’s 2012 Super Bowl championship win but missed the playoffs in 2013.

The Washington Redskins ended the 2012 season with a 7-game winning streak, capping off a 10-6 record and leading to a fourth seed spot in the playoffs. The team failed to capture the same momentum in 2013, suffering the team’s worst record since 1994 with a 3-13 season.