Growing up a fan of the Washington Redskins, I use to be adamantly against changing the team name because of the tradition that it represented. However, after 20+ years of sucking, I would support a new beginning with a new team name and a new team ownership. Dan Snyder has been the downfall of the franchise. What would you rename a Washington, DC sports franchise?
I don't know what new name they should pick, but the name 'Redskins' (being a reference to scalps/skins being collected and sold as proof of killing Native Americans) is, IMHO, racist and should be stopped.
That is not the real orgin of the name. The first documented cases of the phrase "white skins" to refer to europeans and "red skins" to refer to American Indians, were written by American Indian chiefs. It was their wording, so the name is truly a reference to skin color.
With utmost respect for,the OP and for the situation in general, I think the question is going to end up being: "Should the WR prepare to RESIST pressure to change their name?" Ther are many that would argue that it only a matter ot time. There is a high school near my hometown that were known as the "Redskins" and they were forced to change their name. The "Redskins" name was carved deeply into the building's cement and marble façade, and they changed their name to "RedHawks". They power sanded the "-skins" out, and re-etched -hawks. You can still clearly see the "-skins" Letter of the law? Surely Resisted fiercely? Oh, yeah! Message to the Forced Changers? Most definitely!
Dan Snyder will not budge. He keeps winning in the courts. A new ownership might give into the pressure. On a side note, there is a high school on a Navajo Indian reservation that also uses the mascot "Redskins." http://www.tpnn.com/2014/06/19/will...-high-school-their-redskins-mascot-is-racist/
Hey, I know! Maybe we focus on the screaming and the horrific, maiming, senseless deaths and the soul ripping separation of families and the bombing of building into rubble and the rubble into dust and the dust into blood-excrament-tears mud
Hey, I know! Maybe we focus on the screaming and the horrific, maiming, senseless deaths and the soul ripping separation of families and the bombing of building into rubble and the rubble into dust and the dust into blood- excrement -tears mud and "leaders" bombing their own people into obliteration and slaughter in the name of "God"... ...how 'bout we do that? ...maybe?
Oooooooooohhhh! You mean, should they change it because they are a sucky team??? Well, how about "The Washingon We Promise to Try Very Hard Not to Suck Any More Redskins"? Or "The Washington It's Obama's Fault Redskins" Or, maybe sell them to a consortium of Native American businessmen who, if you were correct in your post above, would be ok with the name as is? Good HIjol!...always helps...
Much as I hate to admit it, I kinda like PETA's suggestion on this one: keep the team name, but change the logo...to a redskin potato.
Reread the post, Team! When he said "change the name" he was talking about their performance and changing the Redskins name completely, not because of the Native American thing. I vote "Caucasians". Too funny!
+1 Failing that, it's entirely down to the affected party, the Native Americans. If there's a demonstrable consensus, there shouldn't even be a discussion about it. It should just be done.
No, I was saying the name has nothing to do with scalping. That is a falsehood. I have heard that suggested multiple times, and I like the idea.
Doesn't matter who first used the word or the original meaning, it became a racial slur and because of that the Washington team needs to change it's name.
^ You haven't been paying attention, have you? The word is a racial slur because it was originally a reference to Native American scalps being collected and used as bountys, as proof of killing them. This is documented and proven. Simply claiming that it's a reference to "red skin" as opposed to white people's "white skin" is, as I also just said, imposed on Native American culture after the fact, by European writers. (Native tribes generally did not keep written records, so there is no proof that they ever used the term in such an innocuous manner.)