The Washington Redskins are one of the most valuable franchises in the entire sports world, but over the years the team has come under fire from many Native Americans who say that the team name is racist and now a number of people have brought up an internet petition asking for a name change.
According to Deadspin.com, there is a petition listed on signon.org that asks for people to sign their names in the hopes that owner Dan Snyder will change the name from the Redskins and to also change the mascot of the team. The document will be sent to the owner when it reaches 750 signatures, a number that it is closing on due to Twitter and other social media attention.
The petition reads: "After a symposium at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian, this petition was started to urge franchise owner Dan Snyder to change the name of the mascot. In an effort to advocate for this change, we are urging signers to refrain from using the mascot name, and urging the Washington Post to do the same."
Earlier in February at the symposium mentioned in the petition, many Native Americans spoke about the hurt and pain the term "Redskins" brings up and the racial stereotypes it propagates.
"I can only imagine what it would be like to be at a football game at FedEx Field in a crowd of close to 90,000, all screaming at the top of their lungs, when what they are screaming is a racial slur," said Judith Bartnoff, a deputy presiding judge in District of Columbia Superior Court.
Many fans have dismissed the argument and the team has shown no signs of relenting on the decision not to change the name. The original nickname comes from the team's former owner, who was the last one to allow an African-American on his roster.
Snyder and the team has argued that since many other high schools and teams use the name, it should prevent them from being the only ones to change it. Those other teams are not NFL franchises though.
A team official wrote on their website: "Redskins.com found that there are almost as many schools using the name Redskins as Cowboys, as only 75 schools use the name Cowboys, and interestingly just 19 use the name Giants."
Washington mayor Vincent Gray brought up the topic earlier in the year in regards to the team possibly moving back into the city in the future, as they currently play their games in Maryland. He stated that if the team wanted to do so, they should discuss changing the name.
"I think that if they get serious with the team coming back to Washington, there's no doubt there's going to have to be a discussion about that, and of course the team is going to have to work with us around that issue," Gray said, to the Washington Post. "I think it has become a lightning rod, and I would be love to be able to sit down with the team . . . and see if a change should be made."
The Redskins moved to Washington in 1937 and have had the name ever since. Over the years other high schools, universities, colleges and professional sports teams have changed their name from the Redskins moniker, including Miami University in Ohio. Up until this point, team owner Dan Snyder has shown no signs of wanting to change the name or starting a discussion to do so.
Many fans argue that the name is traditional, but other groups have called for changes. According to the Washington Post, in 1992 a group of Native Americans filed a disparagement lawsuit against the Redskins brand, which was formally trademarked years earlier. D.C. resident Suzan Harjo, who was the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, led the group, but the case was lost on a technicality.
The Redskins logo that depicts an Indian has also been pointed out by critics, but the name change would likely result in a logo change as well.
The name change would not be something unprecedented in the city, as the Washington Wizards were formerly known as the Washington Bullets for many years before changing their nickname.
