Should the Washington Redskins change their name?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

No/  Calling themselves the D.C. Redskins would be stupid.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Thing is, how does being used as a sports team nickname, in and of itself, constitute a demeaning use?

<slope class="slippery">Besides, if we don't nip this now, in a couple of decades, PETA will be going after sports teams named after animals.</slope>

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

We can start by ruling out the "Washington Generals", the basketball squad that predictably loses to the Harlem Globetrotters.

Considering how the Redskins have been playing of late, are you sure we can rule out the Washington Generals?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Since adopting a new name (or logo) would provide an opportunity to force fans to buy new merchandise instead of continuing to use what they had (or even better - buy both the old and the new) I seriously doubt loss of merchandising revenue is a reason for refusing to change the name.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The Washington football team really is offensive in a way that other Native American names, or names of any other ethnicity, aren't.  It's in a class by itself.

How is Redskin any more offensive a term than White, Black, Brown, or Yellow?  I just don't see it being anywhere near the level of n that some opponents of the term would argue it is.  About the only thing beyond beyond "it's offensive because it's offensive" that I've seen opponents of the name bring up is that the term has connotations of savage warriors.  I never realized that American football is such a gentle and peaceful game that any association with savagery or fighting should be shunned.  Now, if the particular depiction of redskins by the Redskins were offensive, then there certainly would be a problem.  But unless one is going to argue for a ban on all team names based on ethnic identity, I just can't see this as being needful.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

You're right, it's no more offensive than if the team were called the Washington Yellows and they had a mascot with a sedge hat.

Exactly, altho it would be stupid because that wouldn't exactly be a very impressive mascot unless it was for a competitive gardening team.

However there is a existing pro team name that is more obnoxious than the Redskins, yet no one is proposing that we rename the damn Yankees.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

:words:

 the derogatory "F" term for LGBT as terrible just as others would find a team with the name of the "B" word as offensive to women and the "N" word for African Americans and the "C" word for whites and so on.

:words:

You're absolutely wrong, I for one would welcome a team called the Alabama Crackers or whatever.

I wouldn't.  Crackers are from Florida and Georgia not Alabama, and the Atlanta Crackers were the city's minor league team until the Braves moved there from Milwaukee in 1966. If for any reason Atlanta needs to drop the Braves moniker, I hope they adopt the Crackers name.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Maybe our beloved Senators could hush up about an NFL team's name and worry more about the federal government honoring Andrew Jackson by placing him on our national currency. What a joke.

Particularly hilarious because Jackson himself opposed the idea of paper money

Not quite, but he did think that since there were coins for denominations ranging from ½¢ to $10 that the smallest banknote should be a $20 bill.  So if he is to be on our money, there is no better denomination for him to be on than the one he is on.

(The $20 double eagle was not minted until a few years after Jackson died.)

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

To all the yes voters, what alternative name should they use?

Just about anything. "Washington Warriors" has a nice ring to it and they could keep using tasteful Native American imagery.

The people pushing for a name change generally deny that there is such a thing as tasteful Indian imagery when it comes to sports mascots.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Denying a trademark registration on the basis of it being "derogatory" seems like a potential infringement on freedom of speech.  At the very least, the onus on those seeking to have the registration cancelled needs to be to show that the harm caused by it goes beyond hurt feelings.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

This will be overturned like it was last time.  It also guarantees Snyder will never change it.

I suspect you're right on the former point, George, but question the latter. Maybe, just maybe, this'll be the fig leaf needed for the team to just start moving to change the name "to avoid legal fees and uncertainty" or the like?

Probably not. While the loss of registration will make going after those who infringe upon it more difficult as they'll only be subject to civil rather than criminal penalties, it can still be done.  Plus if they make certain that all of their licensed products also have the NFL logo on them somewhere, those criminal penalties would still apply to any otherwise indistinguishable knockoffs.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

This will be overturned like it was last time.  It also guarantees Snyder will never change it.

I suspect you're right on the former point, George, but question the latter. Maybe, just maybe, this'll be the fig leaf needed for the team to just start moving to change the name "to avoid legal fees and uncertainty" or the like?

Probably not. While the loss of registration will make going after those who infringe upon it more difficult as they'll only be subject to civil rather than criminal penalties, it can still be done.  Plus if they make certain that all of their licensed products also have the NFL logo on them somewhere, those criminal penalties would still apply to any otherwise indistinguishable knockoffs.

But wouldn't any knockoff that simply avoids also using the NFL logo thus escape criminal prosecution (asks the prosecutor who can barely spell "patent law")?

Yes, tho they still would be subject to civil prosecution.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

How does it punish you to rename a football team?

Because it would be giving into the politically correct lovers.

So if Donald Sterling tried to change the name of the Clippers to the N*ggers that would be o.k. because it's anti pc. gotcha.

I think there's the line you don't cross, obviously. Redskins isn't nearly as offensive as the 'N' word.

I think once you begin crossing the line though, you do more harm than good. I don't want a child to grow up 20 years from now in a world reading about how the most free country in the world is just like Europe because we changed what made us unique to please a select few.

But the term redskin IS as offensive to the targets of the slur as the term n*gger is.

Actually, no.  While there are indeed portions of the Native American community who do see redskin as offensive as African Americans see n, there are others who accept its use or even stand behind being able to use it for their own teams.  So I don't see the situation as being to the point where legal obstacles to the use of the term are warranted.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I forgot people like Eazy-E and other rappers use the term n*gger so it's perfectly o.k. 

No it's not perfectly okay, but to claim that redskin is at the exact same level as n in terms of offensiveness is an absurd oversimplification.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I forgot people like Eazy-E and other rappers use the term n*gger so it's perfectly o.k. 

No it's not perfectly okay, but to claim that redskin is at the exact same level as n in terms of offensiveness is an absurd oversimplification.

Oh God.

As much as I disagree, can we agree it is at LEAST as offensive as "darkie" rather than debating over semantics? Please??

No.  Redskin is at the level today where how it is used determines whether it is offensive or not,whereas darkie would be offensive no matter how it is used.  I suppose it depends upon whether one thinks any use of redskin by non-redskins is offensive.  I don't think it has reached that point when used in a sporting context, or if has, then I eagerly await the announcement by the Notre Dame Emerald football team of their own new name.