Why is the name of the Redskins football team suddenly a huge controversy? If it is racist, why wasn’t there a huge outcry back in the 1960s? Why has it taken decades for the eternal victim class to make this an issue in 2013? Truly, this is another example of people with nothing better to do suddenly throwing a temper tantrum to get quoted in the media. Offense is taken much more than it is given.
NFL team names celebrate some sort of image. These names are about honor. Anyone who has sung themselves hoarse (I’ll admit it, but beer is soothing) singing “Hail to the Redskins” knows they are singing about honor, respect, pride and achievement, not denigrating a skin color or race.
- Is Pittsburgh insulting steel workers with their team name?
- Are Nordic types offended by purple-wearing vikings?
- Is Nancy Pelosi bent out of shape her hometown team is an outrage to the early California pioneers?
- And how about Buffalo?–what a slap in the face to everyone called Bill for gosh sakes!
- And Houston fans must feel terribly affronted that their team is called–gasp–Texans.
The Redskins should stay with the Redskins name. Fans who paint their bodies burgundy and gold should continue to do so with pride. Someone on Twitter suggested the team should change their logo to a potato–that’s a much better choice than destroying years of tradition and homage just to shut up the latest batch of complainers. (Past has shown they don’t shut up, they just gin up new crap to complain about.)
My recommendation: Call them the Washington Thinskins.
Fun fact–the Green Bay Packers were named after Curly Lambeau’s employer, the Indian Packing Company, which paid for the team’s first jerseys and let them practice on company property. How offensive to Indians and native Americans (who are not at all native to this continent).
Okay–comments now open for those wishing to post their gratuitous accusations that I am a racist.
UPDATE: This clear-eyed article in “Real Clear Sports” debunks much of the bunkum behind this fake controversy: What Should Be Redskins’ New Name?