That Washington football team whose full name I won’t use because it’s fucking racist? The granddaughter of the founder told them they should change the name:

“They need to change the name,” Jordan Wright, who said she was Marshall’s granddaughter, told Leesburg Today columnist Leonard Shapiro recently (via Dan Steinberg). “In this day and age, it’s just not right.”

The Oneida Indian Nation, which has challenged the name with a public campaign against it over the last year, issued a statement applauding Wright.

“We applaud Ms. Wright for speaking out and calling for a change,” the statement said. “She could have remained silent, but instead chose to publicly repudiate her grandfather’s legacy and stand on the right side of history. This is yet another wake up call to the NFL. When even the kin of the owner who gave the Washington team its name is now demanding a change, it is yet another sign that the team’s current ownership is standing on the wrong side of history. As Ms. Wright said: they need to change the name.”

 

There are people, a lot of people, in the US who would be aghast (you don’t get to use that word everyday do you?) if a sports team in 2014 used nigger or faggot in their team name.  Many people, not just black or gay people, would be up in arms-justifiably.  Both of those words are steeped in bigotry and to use them continues to show disrespect to both groups.  Why then, do people defend the use of the Washington R#@(!s? It’s a racist name.  They could gain so much more by changing the name.  Even now, if Daniel Snyder (the current owner) decided to apologize and change the name, it would be appreciated.  If he went further and publicly spoke out against racism of all kind-specifically racism against First Nations people…that publicity would be fantastic.  Fans can deal with name changes.  Those who grumble-fuck you.   I’m sorry (actually not sorry) but eliminating racism from our culture is far more fucking important than keeping a football team name.