The Washington Redskins team name and logo have not faced any real protest since 1992, but an effort to change that is gaining momentum in the DC City Counsel. However, it seems like the PC Police are in the minority on this one.
The team’s nickname has faced a new barrage of criticism for being offensive to Native Americans. Local leaders and pundits have called for a name change. Opponents have launched a legal challenge intended to deny the team federal trademark protection. A bill introduced in Congress in March would do the same, though it appears unlikely to pass.
But a new Associated Press-GfK poll shows that nationally, “Redskins” still enjoys widespread support. Nearly four in five Americans don’t think the team should change its name, the survey found. Only 11 percent think it should be changed, while 8 percent weren’t sure and 2 percent didn’t answer.
This week, David Grosso, a member of the Washington D.C. Council, said he plans to submit a resolution calling on the Redskins to change their nickname because it is “racist and derogatory” and suggested “Redtails,” in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen, a pioneering group of African-American pilots who served the United States in World War II, as a replacement.
Although 79 percent favor keeping the name, that does represent a 10 percentage point drop from the last national poll on the subject, conducted in 1992 by The Washington Post and ABC News just before the team won its most recent Super Bowl. Then, 89 percent said the name should not be changed, and 7 percent said it should.
Redtails? Really? People who come up with names like that are why we can’t have nice things. And Redtails certainly doesn’t have the value or brand recognition that Redskins has.
C. Edward Wright from Breitbart Sports thinks that the PC Mascot Police will never be satisfied.
Then there is the slippery slope issue. Is it okay to glorify a bunch of white guys with weapons - like Vikings, Patriots, Tar Heels, Cowboys, Mountaineers, or perhaps Commodores? And if it’s insulting to Native Americans to be a mascot, why is it glorifying to a bunch of white guys in the first place? Then there’s religion: where do we come down on Angels and (Blue) Devils? Let’s not forget the most schizo name of all, the Demon Deacons. I won’t even mention the Fighting Irish.
And are small folks insulted by Titans and Giants? Dolphins are worshipped by the PC crowd, so is calling a team the Dolphins a good thing or a bad thing? I’m so confused.
These questions are perhaps humorously absurd, yet no more absurd than this entire discussion is. The point is that the PC thought police and speech police crowd will never be satisfied. For them to be satisfied is for them to be out of business. Thus, even if every team is called the Wildcats, and all the players are bi-sexual, the mascot police will find something to be upset about. Unless, perhaps, we can get a blessing from Jason Collins. He is, after all, the new standard for courage, understanding, enlightenment and wisdom. Or so I’ve heard all week from ESPN. What say you, Jason? Redskins? Redtails?
How long before some group starts trying to ban cheerleaders? Who wants to guess the public support numbers on that one?
