For years now, a name change for the Washington Redskins has been discussed, but so far, the controversial name stands.
That may change if the team ever decides to relocate to within Washington, D.C. Currently team headquarters are in Ashburn, Va., while their stadium, Fedex Field, is in Landover, Md.
The Mayor of Washington, Vincent C. Gray, said that if the team would be willing to relocate to within city limits, they would have to discuss a name change, according to the Washington Post. Redskin is considered a racial slur for Native Americans.
“I think that if they get serious with the team coming back to Washington, there’s no doubt there’s going to have to be a discussion about that,” Gray said. “And of course the team is going to have to work with us around that issue.”
The team has resisted the idea of a change for years now, despite public outcry. Many high school and college teams have changed their mascot away from offensive Native American names, but pro sports teams have not followed suit.
Recently, the Atlanta Braves stirred up some controversy for reintroducing their “screaming Indian logo on a batting practice cap. The Braves are now considering ditching the logo.
In both Merriam-Webster and Oxford dictionary standards, the term “Redskin” is deemed offensive. Gray said that he would like to sit down with the team to try to convince them to change the team name.
“I think it has become a lightning rod, and I would be love to be able to sit down with the team … and see if a change should be made,” Gray said. “There’s a precedent for this, and I think there needs to be a dispassionate discussion about this, and do the right thing.”
In the NBA, the Washington Bullets changed their name to the Wizards in 1997. If the Redskins want to get with the times, they should highly consider a change as well, whether they’re moving back to D.C. or not.
Photo of the Day
In honor of the Sonics’ reported return to Seattle.
Photo via Facebook/Shawn-Kemp
Quote of the Day
“Good. He’s fast, he’s got good vision. He breaks tackles, he makes people miss, he outruns them. He’s good in the passing game. He’s pretty much good at everything.”
–Bill Belichick on Arian Foster. Apparently “good” was the word of the day in Foxboro
Tweet of the Day
Perhaps that’s overstating it, but three players did suffer season-ending injuries on Fedex Field on Sunday — Robert Griffin III, Chris Clemons and Steven Hauschka.
[tweet https://twitter.com/dannyoneil/status/289165946852110336 align=’center’]
Video of the Day
Richard Sherman did a lot of talking against the Redskins, but it appears Trent Williams‘ shove to the face was unprovoked. Stick around for Sherman’s kind words for Robert Griffin III at the end.
