March 2, 2012 | 10:03 AM | By

D.C. Officials Want Redskins Back, But What About That Name?

D.C. officials, including Mayor Vincent Gray, are in talks to bring the Redskins back to the city after the team left for Landover, Md. 15 years ago. The idea: that the team’s headquarters and training facilities open in Hill East, near RFK Stadium.

Just as with the “Linsanity” craze, talks over relocating the Redskins to D.C. has revived a debate over whether the team’s name is offensive. As Washington Examiner columnist Harry Jaffe points out, the D.C. Council passed a resolution in 2001 that the Redskins should change its team name because it “is offensive and hurtful to many Native Americans” and “to all people who reject racial stereotypes and bigotry as socially and morally unacceptable.” And it looks like some elected officials, such as Ward 6 Councilman Tommy Wells, still view the name as a sticking point.

@TommyWells
Tommy Wells
And as much as I care about the team it’s hard to get over the fact the name is racist
Mar 02 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply

  • M. Heisel

    It is imperative that more people complain about the name of this football team.  People would be appalled if it were called the Washington Black Skins or worse the Washington N*****s.  The term “redskin” has the same kind of connotation for Native Americans, and I just cannot understand why nearly everyone just accepts it without question.  It is horribly insensitive.

  • Redesuwilliams

    I’ve been saying for the past 7 years that the Redskins won’t be successful again until they change that name. So far, so bad.