It would appear that, for the foreseeable future, The Washington Redskins will remain The Washington Redskins. It is difficult to imagine the level of shame that should be felt by Dan Snyder, owner of the team, Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the NFL and, the country in general. And yet, there is no outrage, no boycott, no statement from our first black President. Why should there be? After all they're only Indians. It's not like we owe this race of people we systematically disenfranchised, tortured and murdered by the thousands any shred of respect. Their very existence is a reminder of how reluctant we should be to condemn the Greeks in Armenia or, yes, the Nazis.
This isn't about dignity. It's not about race. It isn't even about justice. It's about money. Dan Snyder owns one of the hottest merchandise franchises in the country. Sales of Robert Griffen III jerseys broke all records in 2012-13. His shirts can cost up to $249 a pop. The Washington NFL franchise trails only the Dallas Cowboys in sales of logo-laden crap. If you imagine that Dan Snyder would jeopardise that pot of gold for anything as trivial as the culture of another race, then you must believe in the concept of the student athlete. Remember, Snyder is the guy who sued his own season ticket holders who couldn't pay for their seats after the recession of 2008-9. This guy would ration the toilet paper in the ladies room if he could.
Snyder is a greedy pig without question but the NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell is just gutless. Having received a letter from the Congressional Native American Caucus, requesting a change in the Washington team's name, Goodell thought about it for a nano-second and wrote back. His letter states, in brief, go stick it up your wigwam. "Neither in intent nor use was the name ever meant to denigrate or offend any group." Well, that's a load off my mind. Except you don't get to decide what offends me. It's not OK to fly the Confederate stars and bars over a state capital and tell black people to get over it. We wouldn't even consider the Washington Wetbacks or the Washington WOPS. Why is Redskins OK?
The name Redskins derives originally from Braves Field, the venue that hosted the team in its earliest years in Boston. It was changed to Redskins when the club moved to Fenway Park and was maintained when they moved to D.C. in 1937. However it was through the 50's and early 60's that controversy first attended the team. Owner George Preston Marshall adamantly refused to hire black players. The Redskins played in Griffith Stadium, home of the thoroughly racist Washington Senators baseball franchise. (The Senators owner Cal Griffith told a crowd in 1970 that he moved his team from D.C. to Minnesota because "you only have 15,000 black people here"). The Senators finally hired a black player in 1954 (seven years after Jackie Robinson signed a contract with Brooklyn) but it took Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to force Marshall to integrate his football club. The Redskins signed Bobby Mitchell in 1962, seven years after every other NFL team desegregated. The fact that the Redskins played in Robert F. Kennedy Stadium from 1969 to 1996 is an irony lost on Dan Snyder. Marshall, it's said, had no great love of Jews either. One can only speculate how offended Dan Snyder, who is Jewish, might have been if GP Marshall had called his team the Washington Kikes or the Potomac Jewboys.
Roger Goodell is a busy man what with perpetuating all that racism so I have taken the liberty of rewriting his letter to the Congressional Native American Caucus. This is what he meant to say:
Dear Native American Brothers,
HOW!
I understand that you feel that the name Redskins as a mascot for the Washington football team is offensive to American Indians or Native Americans (whatever). Please understand, we mean no offense. Much time and effort has gone into crafting just the right image for the Redskins logo. The character we portray is how we imagine the Noble Savage looked in the moment before white people killed his family, burned his home and stole his land. We have avoided stereotypes about drinking, scalping and silly dances. That would be offensive. We respect the Native American culture even though we understand it has been all but wiped out. But hey, water over the dam right?
I have spoken at length with the Washington team owner Dan Snyder and he's pretty adamant about keeping the name. There's a lot of wampum involved. Imagine if someone tried to make you change the name of the Foxwoods casino? I know, right? Seriously, Dan sells enough junk with that Indian on it to buy the reservations in six states. Don't worry, he's not going to do that. Hell, what would he do with a million acres of dust and a bunch of inebriated guys in flannel shirts? However, to show that it's not all about money (wink,wink) Dan is willing to offer team tryouts to any braves who can down enough steroids to bulk up and make the team. Can't ask any more than that, right?
Anyway, I'm afraid there will be no treaty (like that would matter) on the subject of a name change. With 70% of the country on our side it looks like, once again, you are out-numbered and SOL. The Redskins will remain the Redskins and you will remain a cartoon villain in old West comic books. Sorry chief.
Sincerely
Roger Goodell
Commissioner, NFL
ps. I have forwarded your letter to the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Blackhawks. Good luck with that.
rg
So here it is. No one outside of the Native American community gives a rat's ass about offending Indians. Football fiends who think Crazy Horse finished forth in the Belmont Stakes will howl in protest if anyone tries to drag the NFL into the 21st Century. Remember, "Teach Ignorance" is the mantra of half the schools in the South and West. We are determined to use every opportunity to show the world that we may be the land of the free and the home of the brave but we are also the address of the assholes.
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