"the name game"

[DCDOGG]

WASHINGTON (AP)—The Washington Redskins have won the latest round in a 16-year court battle against a group of American Indians, prevailing on a technicality that again skirts the issue of whether the team’s nickname is racially offensive.


http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AuM_OsC62oxEDfCjZq8UIGMdsLYF?slug=ap-redskins-name&prov=ap&type=lgns


 

[redskin_ty]

Just people trying to get more money, you do not see all the cowboys in Texas offended by the name what about all the people in New England offended about that name they use!!!  It is just a big joke!!!!!

[Simone]

I guess I don't understand why anyone would take it racially offensive. All I know is that the Redskins are the only team that actually represent a human being decoy, the rest are birds or some other weired decoys.

[Mike Bass]

I think that one of Stwasm's earlier blogs on this subject suggested that some Indians take the "Redskins" name as a Africa-American would if a team would use the "N" word as a nickname. As was suggested on the blog, I think that if the organization would get together with the group of people and explain that the name was chosen out of the respect that they have for the Native American's nobility and reputation of being a brave and strong group of people, that they would better understand the intent of the name as being one that is complimentary to their race rather than one that is derogatory.

[Simone]

I think that one of Stwasm's earlier blogs on this subject suggested that some Indians take the "Redskins" name as a Africa-American would if a team would use the "N" word as a nickname. As was suggested on the blog, I think that if the organization would get together with the group of people and explain that the name was chosen out of the respect that they have for the Native American's nobility and reputation of being a brave and strong group of people, that they would better understand the intent of the name as being one that is complimentary to their race rather than one that is derogatory.

I agree, That is how I always viewed it. Even when I first came to the US.

[DCDOGG]

I think that one of Stwasm's earlier blogs on this subject suggested that some Indians take the "Redskins" name as a Africa-American would if a team would use the "N" word as a nickname. As was suggested on the blog, I think that if the organization would get together with the group of people and explain that the name was chosen out of the respect that they have for the Native American's nobility and reputation of being a brave and strong group of people, that they would better understand the intent of the name as being one that is complimentary to their race rather than one that is derogatory.

I agree, That is how I always viewed it. Even when I first came to the US.

this has already been done - on multiple occasions with multiple groups.

here is some reference reading material that should be made mandatory for every Redskins fan:

What do Native Americans think of sports teams named after Indians?

http://www.nationalreview.com/daily/nr030802.shtml

'Redskins' mascot acceptable, poll says

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6093796/

A Linguist's Alternative History of 'Redskin'
Term Did Not Begin as Insult, Smithsonian Scholar Says

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/02/AR2005100201139.html

[DCDOGG]

i had a chance to do some repair work for the Cherokee Nation DC office and met with their executive administrator Paula Ragsdale.

i had my Skins gear on, but changed (to the emergency shirt i keep in my truck) out of respect. 

http://www.cherokee.org/

basically she said that the Redskins weren't really an issue for most of our native American friends ... unless somebody else actively brings up the topic. then they might express some displeasure with the name but aren't overly fanatical about the whole thing - which is pretty much what we all have observed. she also said however that just like any other organization, the people at the top need to "justify their existence" which is mostly why the topic keeps being brought up, but they generally have bigger fish to fry.

nice lady - gave me a bunch of freebies i didn't ask for.

[Mike Bass]

I don't know but the polls seems to be limited to  700-1000 people which isn't much so the 10% (70-100 people) do not look like a big amount but if stretched to 7000-10000 people polled the  10% would increase to 700-1000 unhappy people which is a lot. I don't think that the name should be changed but I would hope that we keep reaching out to the people who are not understanding.

[DCDOGG]

some "Real Numbers":

In Census 2000, 4.3 million people, or 1.5 percent of the total U.S. population, reported that they were American Indian and Alaska Native.
This number included 2.4 million people, or 1 percent, who reported only American Indian and Alaska Native as their race.

http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/race/censr-28.pdf

10% of the higher count would be 430,000 people.

90% of the lower count would be 2,000,000 people

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FedEx Field seats over 90,000 people.

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the population of Washington DC is over 572,059 inhabitants.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/11000.html

[HOGWILD21]

I wasn't gonna bring this up but I will. Today at work I brought up this convo up with a Native American. I asked him if it offended him by all the mascots that had to do with Native Americans. He told me it bothered him a little because he felt like in his words,"they are making fun of us." Well my big mouth kinda made it from a question to a little heated conversation. I told him how that can be offensive,it should be an honor to have them represented in a good way. He then turned right around and asked if I would be pissed if they were called the Washington Wetbacks! I told him how in the he ll would you ask a stupid question like that. The teams are not running their names in the mud. I told him that they have better issues to go after and that they should just drop this whole joke of a case. I wasn't trying to be mean by asking the question but just wanted to ask someone who is Native American their opinion. I wasn't expecting that answer but I guess some people will just fight a losing battle.

P.S. He is a Cowboys fan so it didn't bother me to argue with a Cowpoke.