Adidas says it will help U.S. high schools ditch 'potentially harmful' Native American mascots and monikers

Sportswear giant Adidas announced Thursday it will assist any high school in the United States that wants to drop a "potentially harmful" Native American logo or mascot.

The company says that about 2,000 high schools in the U.S. have names or mascots that "cause concern for many tribal communities," and it will pay for the costs associated with changing a logo or mascot. The move was praised by Oneida Indian Nation leader Ray Halbritter. "They are choosing to be on the side of inclusivity and mutual respect and have set the bar for other businesses to follow," he told The Washington Post.

Adidas sponsors Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, and the team shot back against the announcement in an angry statement. "The hypocrisy of changing names at the high school level of play and continuing to profit off of professional like-named teams is absurd," said spokesman Maury Lane. "Adidas makes hundreds of millions of dollars selling uniforms to teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and the Golden State Warriors, while profiting off sales of fan apparel for the Cleveland Indians, Florida State Seminoles, Atlanta Braves, and many other like-named teams." Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has said the team's name will never change, and claims it honors Native Americans.

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Adidas spokesman Michael Ehrlich said the company has no plans to ask professional teams to change their names, and told the Post in an e-mail that it's a "voluntary effort" with high schools and "we are not mandating a change. We are committed to continuing a dialogue to look at the issue of Native images in sports and work to find solutions."