Professional Football Researchers Association Forum
PFRA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the history of professional football. Formed in 1979, PFRA members include many of the game's foremost historians and writers.
lastcat3 wrote:Like it or not it s going to change. If not now it will eventually. Calling a team the Redskins isn't any different than if there was an NFL team called the Kike's. Like others have said they can still choose a name that represents a Native American.
It's not. One is a slur and Redskins isn't.
If you had grown up in Wisconsin, as I did, you wouldn't make that unwarranted assertion so blithely.
If you honestly think "Redskins" isn't a slur, try going to my birthplace, Shawano, and calling a member of the Menominee tribe a redskin. Or go to Green Bay and try the same with a member of the Oneida tribe.
I guarantee you won't be happy with the response you get.
As a fan of the team I am not bothered by the name change. I wish there had never been a controversy but if a name change is the only way to stop it then so be it. Some who have defended the name have stated "what's the big deal about a name" Well then what is the big deal about changing it? It seems to me those who fuss about the change are just continuing the controversy they lament. I loved the team as a kid because my father followed them. If the name had been different i am sure I still would have loved them. As the paraphrase of Shakespeare states "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". Though I guess under Snyder it may be more accurate to state "A rotten egg by any other name would stink just as much". My father passed in 1999 so I am grateful the glory years came when they did. Right now I am grateful that we even have football [though if they go 0-16 I may change my mind]. I just hope they keep the same colors and keep Red in the name [Red Hogs, Red Wolves, Red Tails]. Hopefully my post didn't veer too much into politics.
fwiw I've always disliked when the Jets honored their titans past. Sure same franchise but what on earth is worth remembering? 3 forgettable years playing in front of nobody and struggling to make payroll. Who has affinity/nostalgia for the 1960-1962 Titans? They were a punchline.
Weirdly enough, I do! Black & gold Raiders, vertically striped socks, the Polo Grounds & Balboa Park. A new league struggling to stay afloat and gain traction? I'm in.
Hey! I know...
Why don't they call them the Washington Washingtons...
Keep everything the same and just replace the Indian in the logo with as silhouette of George Washington.
Problem solved. Let's get back to raking in the cash!
I like the look with the numbers on the helmet. I'd probably leave it too. A nickname will never please everyone and choosing a good one is probably even harder to pull off in this situation. In the early days of pro football, I suspect we had a number of teams called pros, independents, etc. because they didn't have nicknames and needed to be called something.
