The Washington DC Football Team
I've made this point a few times in the Football group, but I just wanted to get this out there.
Let me say, first off, I am a die-hard Washington DC football fan. And yet, my team's name is an ethnic slur. There's a lot of history going back there, and I thought I would unpack some of that.
First off, for those of you who aren't football history fans, the "Cowboys/Redskins" rivalry is younger than the "Redskins" franchise name by about 30 years. So they were the Redskins for 30 years before that excuse.
So how did the team come to be called the "Washington Redskins"? Easy. Because they were before that the "Boston Redskins".
Why were they the "Boston Redskins"? Because they played at Fenway, and wanted a tie-in with the Boston Red Sox. Before the move to Fenway, they were the Boston (football) Braves, and tied in with the actual Boston Braves, the Baseball team (now the Atlanta Braves).
I can't stress this enough. The name was changed to "Redskins" as a marketing gimmick, so there's absolutely no reason it can't be changed from the Redskins for the same reason.
Want a name that still keeps the Cowboys rivalry current? The Rustlers. Also, the Bandits. If we want to keep the Native American reference, how about the "Powhatan"? Or the "Comanche"?
The name was "meant" neither to honor nor insult Native Americans, but to tie in with a baseball team. But what a word was "meant" to mean is not really the point; it's offensive.
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Peel them back and watch them bleed!
I would bring up, as well.
OK, the name is offensive to some Native American people, but I've also seen some say that they aren't offended at all by the name.
What do we do...take a poll, and the group with the higher percentage wins?
Because here's the thing...no matter what, there will always be something that's offensive to someone.
Other team names...city or town names...musical group names...
Also, like you mentioned...what the hell is up with people not even in that group being outraged and offended FOR that group??
In the case of the Washington Redskins, what...Native Americans are too wimpy or unintelligent or apathetic to be offended? What...white people have to rescue them?
Because, God knows...white people know what's best for them, right?
We've got Native Americans living in deplorable conditions on reservations. Alcoholism and suicide are rampant. Poverty and no hope for a better future.
I can't say for sure, but I would imagine that many, if not most, of those people would probably spit in the faces of the Benevolent White People who are trying to make a big issue over the name of a football team instead of trying to make life better on the Rez.
