No more Washington Redskins

[Darkstone]

Any fan of any sport would be devastated if this happened to their team/club. As with most people around the world, I've always been exposed to American football. Along with the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Redskins were always internationally famous and iconic. Just ask Debbie. I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of our American friends, particularly any Washington fans. Also, suggestions for the new name/mascot? 

Edited July 14, 2020 by Darkstone

[Doggy]

Fans of Redskins change it to Red Tails, where players wants to be known the Wolves.

[Geoff]

I know nothing about this but sounds like extreme intelligence in motion again. I believe later this week the colour white will be removed from colour charts around the world? 

I personally feel strongly that reading, writing and all forms of speech should be banned so as not to cause offence to anyone.

[kourosofsteel3]

 I'm dearly  missing  my Houston Oilers... 

[shamus]

The University of North Dakota Fightin Sioux went through a similar controversy and subsequently changed their team name to the Fighting Hawks a few years back.

I found this to be much ado about nothing. While I'm admittedly whiter than the screen you're reading this on, I still fail to see how the name Fightin Sioux is a derogatory moniker. And if it is, why is nobody leading the charge to have the University of Notre Dame do away with the name of their sporting department; the Fightin Irish?

The Washington Redskins case is more obvious to me. While not universally recognized as a racial slur, I've never heard the word used in a positive way to identify Native Americans and historically there is enough evidence to suggest it is offensive enough to do away with.

Here in Canada we started off referring to them as Indians, followed by Natives, followed by First Nations and now they are known as Indigenous people. Cool by me. I have several Indigenous friends; I call them by their first name or their surname and find either one works fine. Point being, their ethnicity rarely if ever comes up in conversation.

I also have issues with the Cleveland Indians name. For one; it's lame! It is a generically boring choice for a franchise name imo and definitely lacks imagination (kind of like calling your team the Houston Texans). But originality or lack thereof is only offensive to creative minds, I suppose.

If you wanted to reference Native American culture via Cleveland why not associate your baseball team with a specific band or tribe  significant to that area at the time instead of coupling a historically inaccurate umbrella term (Indians are from India and West Indians are from the West Indies) with a goofy cartoon caricature of an "Indian".

While the word Indian may not pack the racially charged clout of the N word or even redskin, I'd certainly find it insulting to have been known collectively by a term invented by the same people who very nearly wiped them off the face of the planet in an extremely hostile takeover of North America.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[auslander]

Personally I think the location and history of a team is more important than the nickname but I hear ya. In Australia this couldn't happen without the majority vote of club members. We don't have "owners" as such, just people who buy yearly memberships.

[auslander]

Also, a name suggestion: Washington Swampies.

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Never understood naming your sports team after a group of people you excluded from joining said team. 

[martinsane]

1 hour ago, KarpetRydOFunk said:

Never understood naming your sports team after a group of people you excluded from joining said team. 

Now that's a loaded statement. Football is inherently made up of men and more specifically white and black, but I don't think the Redskins or any other team would turn away a player based on their ethnicity only their play ability.

[auslander]

Safer to stick with nicknames of animals, fictional characters or inanimate objects.

Surely their is some kinda animal, other than political animals, roaming around D.C.? 

[nyoilers]

They just might stick with the Washington Football Team