Redskins Name Change, News & Rumors: Following Sterling's Ban, Focus Shifts to Racist Redskins Team Name; Senator Blasts Owner Dan Snyder, NFL
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's swift and profound decision to ban Donald Sterling from the league has led to increased pressure on NFL team owner Dan Snyder to change the name of the Washington Redskins.
The Washington football franchise has been under more scrutiny in the last year than ever before since groups, celebrities, and others have called for the change of a team name that is blatantly racist and offensive to the Native American community.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid responded to the news of Sterling's ban this week by calling on the NFL to step up its game and do away with such racist team names.
"Since Snyder fails to show any leadership, the National Football League should take an assist from the NBA and pick up the slack," Reid said. "For far too long, the NFL has been sitting on its hands doing nothing while an entire population of Americans has been denigrated."
Other groups have also responded with similar sentiments. The Oneida Nation said in a statement that the NBA took a "courageous" stand and that professional sports should not be used to promote bigotry.
"In taking such appropriate disciplinary action, the NBA has shown other leagues, including the NFL, that they have a moral responsibility to take disciplinary action against people like Washington owner Dan Snyder, who also continues to proudly promote bigotry by using a dictionary-defined racial slur as his team's name," The Oneida Nation said in its statement, according to CBS.
Despite the mounting pressure, Snyder remains dismissive about the issue and does not seem to have any interest in changing the name.
"We understand the issues out there, and we're not an issue," Snyder said last week, according to CBS. "The real issues are real-life issues, real-life needs, and I think it's time that people focus on reality."
When do you think the franchise will finally change the team name? Do you think the pressure will mount until the team can no longer go forward with such an insensitive name and logo? Feel free to let us know in the comments section located down below.
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