50 Senators Tell NFL To Change Washington Redskins Team Name

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

SAHIL KAPUR – MAY 22, 2014, 9:36 AM EDT
Fifty senators are teaming up to call on the National Football League to change the team name of the Washington Redskins, declaring that "racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports."

The senators wrote a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell -- led by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), and co-signed by 47 others -- invoking the racist comments by NBA Clippers owner Donald Sterling as an opportunity for the NFL to follow suit and take action.

"The despicable comments made by Mr. Sterling have opened up a national conversation about race relations," the senators wrote. "We believe this conversation is an opportunity for the NFL to take action to remove the racial slur from the name of one of its marquee franchises."

The Cantwell-Reid letter, dated May 21, was cosigned by Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), John Walsh (D-MT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Carl Levin (D-MI), Mark Begich (D-AK), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tom Udall (D-CO), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Angus King (I-ME), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Amy Klobuchar, (D-MN), Al Franken (D-MN), Edward Markey (D-MA), Mark Udall (D-CO), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tom Carper (D-DE), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kay Hagan (D-NC), and Mary Landrieu (D-LA).

-snip-

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/50-senators-tell-nfl-rename-redskins

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[Aristus]

1. Screw tradition. Change the name to the Washington Warriors, or something,

and be done with it, already.

Unless we start having team names like the Scarsdale Graymeat. Or the River Oaks Honkies.

[IronLionZion]

4. Fighting Irish? Celtics? Knicks? Vikings? Texans? Canadiens?

It does exist, but still. There are lots of ethnic team names where the members or locals are of that ethnicity and chose it themselves.

I'd like to see the Redskins and the Cleveland Indians changed the most.

DC's team could be the Washington Budget Cutters, or the Filibusters, or something to show disapproval of congress. The bullets had a long history but changed their name to the Wizards so its not that much of a stretch.

[swilton]

7. How about the Washington

Neocons? A bipartisan group!

[cantbeserious]

27. Washington War Mongers - Seems A Fitting Nom De Plum For The Home Town

eom

[ashling]

2. A bipartisan letter

49 Democrats and 1 Independent

[tarheelsunc]

19. Actually 48-2 haha. eom

[freshwest]

20. No Republicans on the list? I'm shocked, I tell you, shocked by the party of Lincoln!

[DeSwiss]

26. Actually.....

...Lincoln wasn't a great fan of Native Americans, either.

- He thought Andrew Jackson was a ''noble hearted man and Christian gentleman'' for having found different accommodations for the Cherokee.

[onehandle]

3. Senate Democrats should suggest calling them the Washington Reagans.

The GOP would implode between their racist instincts and wanting to further felate their dead god.

[mac56]

12. Just posted the same thought!

[IronLionZion]

5. Why only 50?

There should be more.

[rpannier]

9. There are 45 Republicans

Mark Pryor, Bill Nelson, Joe Donnelly.

[swilton]

6. HIP HIP

and a K&R!!! Maybe Snyder will get the hint...

[snooper2]

8. Redscabs has a nice ring to it

[olddad56]

17. so does the Washington Racists.

[yellowcanine]

10. Washington Grids - for gridlock or gridiron. A twofer.

[geardaddy]

13. The Washington Lobbyists

has a nice ring.

[RufusTFirefly]

14. The Washington Redtapes

Same number of characters. A quick fix.

[Tommymac]

15. The Washington Corps

Besides the Marine and Press references, a 'tribute' to the corporations that own everything else inside the beltway.

[olddad56]

16. The Washington Bandits, to honor the politicans and lobbyists, and ...

because the public would never buy the Washington Lying Cheating Assholes.

[sofa king]

18. I saw Gerald Clifford curse 'em.

"As long as they have that name, they'll never win another Super Bowl," I heard Clifford declare in about 1999.

Those of you who knew or heard of Gerald Clifford know that he had the willpower to make that curse stick from beyond the grave, forever, and probably beyond forever, too.

Dan Snyder is a stubborn fellow, too, so I expect Washington to be a shitty football team for decades to come.

[warrant46]

21. Not too many (R)s on the list

None in fact

[misterhighwasted]

22. Name the team after Boehner. Orange Skins

HA

[Jack Rabbit]

23. Loopholes, Earmarks, Campaign Contributions???

That last one is a little bit windy. Maybe we should shorten it to the Bribes.

[daleo]

24. Call them the Washington Greenbacks

That would represent the essence of the city, at least on terms of the major industry.

[quadrature]

25. Washington Redskins, the name implies violence ...

a more peaceful name would be...

The Redskins