The Minnesota Vikings will be playing at the University of Minnesota’s stadium for the next two seasons while they build a new field of their own. The transition had gone smoothly, but the university has a new request of the team; don’t used the word “Redskins” when Washington comes to town.
Minnesota asks Vikings not to use Washington mascot name
When Washington’s football team visits Minnesota in November, there may be no references to Washington’s mascot or team name.
Matthew Stockman
The University of Minnesota is working with the Minnesota Vikings in an effort to keep the Washington Redskins' name from being used in "promotional and game date materials" during the NFL teams' Nov. 2 game at the school's stadium in Minneapolis, according to an Aug. 1 letter from university President Eric Kaler to U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn
...
"The time for debate has ended - the name of the Washington franchise is clearly an offensive racial slur," McCollum wrote to Wilf. "I urge you, as an NFL team owner, to not remain silent on this matter any longer."
If the Vikings refrained from using the word, they would be the first to not use the Washington mascot name or logo when the team comes to play. The Vikings doing so would be a historic move, and one that would place even more pressure on the Washington organization to change its team name.
Minnesota and the Dakotas — home to many Vikings fans — have a sizable Native American population. This would be the second time a school in the region took a stand against using Native American names for sports teams. The University of North Dakota dropped its “Fighting Sioux” mascot in 2012 after facing pressure from the NCAA, which has been far less tolerant of slurs or references to Native Americans than the NFL.
See More:
