The pressure is mounting on the NFL to take action in order to change the Washington Redskins’ name. This pressure came in the form of a letter with the request to the NFL signed by fifty members of the Senate.
Those Senators feel that the NFL needs to impose sanctions on the franchise similar to how the NBA brought sanctions against Donald Sterling for the racial comments he made a month ago.
The lawmakers signed a formal request to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressing their disdain with the Redskins’ team name. This request is very important especially considering the racial implications surrounding the Redskins’ name.
Maria Cantwell, Democrat Senator of Washington, circulated a letter endorsed by Senator Harry Reid that read, “The N.F.L. can no longer ignore this and perpetuate the use of this name as anything but what it is: a racial slur.”
The fact that the letter has 50 signatures from the Senate on it signifies the unanimity of the opinion that the team name is a racial slur. Cantwell stated, “Listen it is hard to get 50 people in this place to agree on anything,” in reference to the Senate unanimously agreeing that the NFL needs to put pressure on the Washington Redskins franchise to change the team name.
NFL officials said they have yet to receive the letter. However, league spokesman, Brian McCarthy, provided a statement surrounding the Redskins’ saying, “The intent of the team’s name has always been to present a strong, positive and respectful image.”
Daniel Snyder, owner of the Redskins, along with the management of the franchise are firm on their beliefs that the team name is not racist and that it is symbolic in a sense that is a tribute to the courage of Native Americans collectively. There are also claims from the team that several Native Americans support the name.
In the grand scheme of things those Senators believe that the National Football League should flex their authoritative muscle by sending the same message the National Basketball Association sent in lieu of the Donald Sterling situation. That message being that racism and bigotry have no place in the realm of professional sports.
Photo Credit: Washington Post, Strategic Sourceror
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