Washington Redskins (Photo credit: Keith Allison)
For the better half of this year, NFL owner Dan Synder has consistently been pressured by activist groups to change the name of his professional team. The Washington Redskins is the current moniker for the D.C. team. Ray Halbritter of the Oneida Nation met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Dan Synder in an attempt to reach a compromise. The outrage for the team name is literally derived from its meaning. The word “Redskin” as defined by Merriam-Webster is “Native American” although in a usually offensive manner.
In 1937, the team which first originated as the Boston Braves moved to Washington D.C. The owner at the time decided to change the name, unbeknownst and careless to the historical references of the word. Dan Synder has remained firm that he has no plans to ever change the name. He would like to continue the proud tradition of his team.
I am not really sure how he can be so proud to tout a racial epithet as his team name. It would be very easy to change the name of the team. I understand we live in a politically correct society. I am not one to usually give into this correctness, but I think in this particular case it surpasses the normalcy of such discrepancies. The only reason, I suspect, the name hasn’t been changed is that the Native American society is a minority in this country. Imagine if a NFL team was named after another racially offensive term. Suppose one used the “N word.” Even though today’s youth uses the word not always in an offensive manner it doesn’t deter from the fact of the historical significance of the word. So because it doesn’t offend a large enough group Synder doesn’t feel the need to do the right thing.
Purely from a business perspective I think the man is foolish. Changing the team name would amount to a resurgence in apparel sales and would energize the fan base. I think Synder should change the name, via with a name of his choosing or by creating a competition amongst the fan base to create a new name. It is the right thing to do.
Should Synder change the team name?
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Twitter: @adrakontaidis & @talkrealdebate
