Congressional members call for Redskins name change

[Auggie]

AP / May 28, 2013

WASHINGTON -- Ten members of Congress are urging the Washington Redskins to change their name because it is offensive to many Native Americans.

The representatives said Tuesday that they've sent letters to Redskins owner Dan Snyder, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins sponsor FedEx, and the other 31 NFL franchises.

SNIP

Among the group sending the letters are the leaders of the Congressional Native American Caucus, Tom Cole, R-Okla., and Betty McCollum, D-Minn.

MORE: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9319267/members-congress-urge-washington-redskins-change-name

Cleveland baseball gets a pass?

[KamaAina]

1. And Atlanta baseball, and Florida State football, and...

actually most Seminoles in Florida do not mind the name, and many are Seminoles fans.

edit: But "R*dsk*ns" is different because it's an offensive racial slur, unlike Braves or Indians. As a resident of nearby Baltimore explained it to me, "What if it were the Washington K*kes?"

[Auggie]

2. Chief Wahoo HAS GOT TO GO

[KamaAina]

3. Indeed.

But the name itself was chosen to honor a Native American player, Louis Sockalexis, who starred for the team then known as the Cleveland Spiders in the late 19th century.

[Auggie]

4. The name was influenced by the Boston Braves and chosen by local media in 1915

The year before Boston earned the moniker "Miracle Braves" after going from last place on July 4 to a sweep in the 1914 World Series. Cleveland owners were hoping for some good karma.

Prior to "Indians" they had been called the "Molly McGuires" in honor of coal miners attempting to unionize. Before that they were the Naps, short for player Nap Lajoie, and before that they were called the "Blues," short for "Bluebirds."

The Spiders was a separate club that played in Cleveland from 1887 through 1899.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Indians

[DinahMoeHum]

5. Lotsa luck on that. Snyder has a death-grip on his franchise.

[madinmaryland]

6. I'm surprised that our number one Snyder fan has not checked in on this thread!

I suppose she is still upset about the Natinals losing to their arch-enemy the Angelos-Orioles!!

[El Supremo]

7. I did not know that Jerral had joined DU.

Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder are friends. They do things like ride on yachts together, and film pizza commercials together. Some D.C. fans have reacted negatively to this friendship, worrying that a Redskins owner can’t dream of squashing the Cowboys while simultaneously being close friends with their owner.

Turns out Jones was actually asked this week if the Redskins can still be a bitter rival, despite his friendship with Snyder.

“They are, yes, they are” he said on his weekly radio appearance with New School on 105.3 The Fan. “My friendship with him has NOTHING to do with that. As a matter of fact, have we not all had brothers, sisters, friends where the rivalry or who gets it is more intense than if you were NOT friends? That becomes the case here.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/wp/2012/11/20/jerry-jones-says-his-friendship-with-dan-snyder-enhances-rivalry/

[madinmaryland]

8. I am JERRAH! Snyder is worshipping my THREE Super Bowl RINGS!!

[TZ]

9. I'm here.

I'm not at all upset that Adam LaRoche hit a couple of dingers last night. Pretty good trouncing of the O's...
And anyone who knows anything about Snyder knows he really doesn't give a shit about what ANYONE thinks. He's a little tyrant.