Photo by Brian Mosely.

Mayor Vince Gray was getting some plaudits earlier this week for comments he made in January about how Washington ‘Skins should certainly consider having a discussion about their full name, and for omitting any mention of the team’s name in his State of the District address on Tuesday. But it seems anyone who put Gray in the column of those who actively want to see the local NFL franchise transition to a name that’s not blatantly racist is mistaken.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Gray said that because the ideal site for a new football stadium in D.C.—were the ‘Skins to ever move back into town—sits on public land, it would inevitably spark a debate about whether an organization with such a title is worthy of taking over government property (Robert F. Kennedy Stadium):

“The point I was trying to make at the time was … it’s sitting on federal land,” he said. “You know that issue will come up if that’s the proposal, to build the stadium there. That was the point I was making.”

To Gray, it was that argument, coupled with the lack of “Redskins” mentions in his speech on Tuesday, that set off speculation that he wants to see the team change its name.

“I wasn’t going to let my State of the District speech become the ‘Washington football team’ story,” he told the Post.

The Post reports that Gray was approached by ‘Skins General Manager Bruce Allen at an event in January, and Allen was under the assumption that the mayor was pushing for a name change. Gray said that he then explained the confusion to Allen.

Gray also told the Post that changing the team’s name would not be necessary for it to move move back to D.C.

News of these apparent mixed signals comes a day after the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian held a seminar about the nasty legacy of the Washington football team’s official nickname, with many academics, activists, and local sports journalists repeatedly condemning the team’s refusal to modernize. One of the takeaways offered by the Post’s Mike Wise was that a name change might only be effected if someone “can kick Dan Snyder in the pocketbook.”

Although Wise was talking principally about athletes, where Snyder chooses to settle his football team certainly impacts his pocketbook in a way that city officials could have some leverage. The notion that Snyder would return his NFL franchise to the District anytime soon is already implausible enough, with its lease at FedEx Field in Landover not expiring until 2027. But even if a move is possible, Gray apparently giving up on a bargaining chip that could make a real difference in the reputation of his favorite football team is a little disappointing.