Redskins address President Obama’s name change remarks
The Redskins are going on the defensive about a proposed change to their storied name.
The Washington Redskins have taken heat for their name for years, but recently President Obama enter joined the ever-growing rally for a name-change for the storied franchise. The President has told the Associated Press that if he was the Redskins owner (Dan Snyder), he would consider a change to the name that the team has used since 1933 when they went as the Boston Redskins.
The team is deciding to address the President’s comments head-on. On Saturday, the Redskins released a statement regarding the Commander-in-Chief’s desire to see the name changed. The release features the information drawn from two polls, one recent and one from nearly a decade ago, as well as Obama’s rooting interest in the similarly-named Chicago Blackhawks.
Here is what the Redskins had to say about the President’s remarks regarding the franchise’s name:
”As a supporter of President Obama, I am sure the President is not aware that in the highly respected independent Annenberg Institute poll (taken in 2004) with a national sample of Native Americans, 9 out of 10 Native Americans said they were not bothered by the name the ‘Washington Redskins.’ The President made these comments to the Associated Press, but he was apparently unaware that an April 2013 AP poll showed that 8 out of 10 of all Americans in a national sample don’t think the Washington Redskins’ name should be changed.
“The Redskins respect everyone. But like devoted fans of the Atlanta Braves, the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Blackhawks (from President Obama’s hometown), the fans love their team and its name and, like those fans, they do not intend to disparage or disrespect a racial or ethnic group. The name ‘Washington Redskins’ is 80 years old - its history and legacy and tradition. The Redskins’ fans sing ‘Hail to the Redskins’ every Sunday as an expression of honor, not disparagement.”
The Redskins are on bye week in Week 5 but will face the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 6.
