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Redskins name change should be discussed, Vincent Gray says

By Mike DeBonis

The Redskins’ resurgence has District politicos once again talking about what it would take to relocate the team back inside the city limits. But Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) today suggested there would have to be a controversial prerequisite to any stadium deal: a name change, or at least discussion of one.

As Courtland Milloy reminded Washington Post readers today, the Redskins moniker has been under fire for decades for being, plainly, a racial slur. The team, under the ownership of both Jack Kent Cooke and Daniel M. Snyder, has resisted making a change.

“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,” he said after a news conference, “and of course the team is going to have to work with us around that issue.”

Gray noted that many sports team — including the Washington Bullets — have discarded offensive names and/or mascots.

“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,” he said. “There’s a precedent for this, and I think there needs to be a dispassionate discussion about this, and do the right thing.”

The mayor did not go so far as to call the Redskins name a “dealbreaker” but he did obliquely reference that the federal government, not the District, ultimately controls the land on which RFK Stadium now sits and on which a replacement football stadium would most likely be built.

Recall that the Redskins, under avowed racist owner George Preston Marshall, did not field a black player until 1962, after Interior Secretary Stewart Udall threatened to deny the team the use of what would later be named RFK Stadium unless it integrated.

Could a future federal official pull a Udall and threaten to keep the Redskins off federal land unless they changed their name? That would indeed be a dealbreaker.

In other Redskins-related comments, the mayor discussed Robert Griffin III’s knee maladies, which now threaten to keep him out of at least part of the next season. Gray put the blame on team doctors rather than Head Coach Mike Shanahan or Griffin himself.

“It probably raised the question of whether medical professionals should play a greater role in whether a player continues to play or not,” he said. “We’ve obviously done that with concussions, and maybe we need to do that with all the injuries. … A coach is not a medical professional, and I think they should defer to medical professionals in instances like this.”

Note that there has been much discussion of whether the Redskins’ team doctor, nationally renowned orthopedist James Andrews, had sufficient opportunity to examine Griffin after his initial injury last month.

Gray added, “I think if the Redskins had won, this would be described as a courageous act on the part of the player.”

© The Washington Post Company

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Maybe they should change it to "Bullets" ...

in the NBA, you would just pick whatever popular movie is out and name them something associated:

Toronto Raptors (Jurassic Park)
Washington Wizards (Harry Potter)

So, here are some suggestions:

Washington Hulks
Washington Iron Men
Washington Dark Knights

But, I think I found the winner:
Washington Archers (both for Hawkeye and Hunger Games)

I'm sure he'd want the Washington Grays.
Please go away Mayor. You have too much crime to meddle in this.

If we're going with movies...

Washington Djangos

Now if we can just rid Cleveland of Wahoo...

I'd tell them: "OK, we won't move back to Washington , we'll move to LA."

That would probably end that conversation pretty quickly.


They are the friggen Redskins....just embrace it at this point.

Geesh.

J/C

I still think the Washington Bullets name change was ridiculous. Yes, I know there are bullets in guns (and I know that some people feel guns are inately evil), but there's such a thing as a bullet train, too. So the Bullet nickname could have remained and been focussed in that direction.

I don't know of many people of Irish descent calling for Notre Dame to change it's name. Or any ranch owners in Texas calling for the Cowboys name to be changed.

Like Peen said, it's the Redskins - embrace it already and move on.

Neither of those names are derogatory terms for a people group.

I take it you've not seen the ND logo.
As there are very few persons of Irish descent left on the team,I would think "The Fightin Afro-Americans" would be more appropriate.
But then you,and many like you would find that offensive.

First, how about Washington worries about getting a field/turf that isn't absolute crap. Then, they can worry about a new name and stadium.

Quote:

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Neither of those names are derogatory terms for a people group.

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So Fighting Sioux is deratory but Fighting Irish isn't? Not saying YOU claimed Fighting Sioux is, but that's the reason the name was changed.

People need to quit being pansies, and get over it. It's just a name for an entertainment franchise.

It's not like they are calling themselves, the Washington Drunken Scalping Redskins or something. But if they really insist, I say go with Washington Congress and fill the team with a bunch of bickering idiots, make the logo a dollar sign, and the mascot can be Alfred E. Newman.

I totally agree...as a Country we are PC'ing ourselves to death.

While I don't really agree with making the Redskins change their name I don't think comparing the Redskin name with the Indians, Seminoles etc is close to an equal comparison.And I do understand why some would find it offensive.

I say they should change thier names to something which reflects whats going on in national politics more Washington things...

Like Washington Nimrods...

You get the picture....

Washington Criminals

I say they keep the name REDSKINS!

But....Change the mascot to a potato.

We have a nation gnats eyelash from going under, we have politicians that supposedly work for us wasting money and taxing us to death and wanting a raise for doing such a lousy job.

We have an infrastructure that is crumbling, we have people starving, we have homeless people, we have cruelty to animals, we have crisis in our educational system, our healthcare situation is a mess, we treat our veterans like dirt, Unemployment, while improving, is still way to high. I could go on and on, but I see no value to that.

This person is worried about hurting someones feelings about a sports teams name? Gimme a break, but we have MUCH bigger fish to fry.

This isn't to say that I'm insensitive to the American Indian, but you know,,, sometimes, you gotta take on the bigger issue first.

I'm absolutly certain that the Redskins weren't named the Redskins to anger or embarrass the American Indians Proud heritage.

"We have an infrastructure that is crumbling, we have people starving, we have homeless people, we have cruelty to animals, we have crisis in our educational system, our healthcare situation is a mess, we treat our veterans like dirt, Unemployment, while improving, is still way to high. I could go on and on, but I see no value to that."

God,it's good to be alive.

I find the name Browns offensive as some guys on the team are white so it is a misleading name, and false advertising.

regardless of whether or not it should be changed, it's a dumb name.

Based on their spear helmets and their hog named fanbase:

Washington Javelinas

j/k


Washington Wild Hogs......Sorry if that offends the pork industry.

The Washington Obamanations.

..

Were does he sign