The Washington Redskins have one of the most recognizable team names in all of sports, but over the years the franchise and the NFL has come under fire for the derogatory nature of the nickname.
The idea of a name change hasn't been seriously discussed in recent years, but the idea came back into the forefront on Wednesday when Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray spoke to the Washington Post about the team possibly moving back into the city to play football.
Currently the Redskins play their home games in Landover, Maryland and have their offices in Ashburn, Virginia, but have the moniker of the capital city. The situation is similar to the New York Jets and the Giants, who both play home games in the state of New Jersey.
Gray spoke about the possibility of the team coming back to play within the city limits, but said that if they were to do so, the franchise should discuss changing their nickname, which has racial connotations and is viewed a slur by many people.
"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."
According to the report, Gray did not say that changing the name would be a requirement for the team moving back to Washington, but that a serious discussion is needed. The franchise was first founded in the 1930s as the Boston Braves before changing it to the Boston Redskins in 1933 after moving into Fenway Park.
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.
According to the Christian Science Monitor, between 1991 and 2008, 11 high schools and two colleges stopped using the name Redskins for their teams.
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 term 'redskins' is the most vile and offensive term used to describe Native Americans," Harjo told the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in 2011, according to the Post. "It is most disturbing to the overwhelming majority of Native Americans throughout the country that the professional football team in the nation's capital uses a team name that demeans us."
Courtland Milloy of The Washington Post wrote a companion column to the story, talking in serious terms about the Redskins name and why change should be considered.
"Does anyone really believe that the name 'Redskins' will survive the 21st century?" Milloy writes.
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 wouldn't be unprecedented for the area, as the Washington Bullets changed their name to the Wizards years ago.
"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," Gray said. "There's a precedent for this, and I think there needs to be a dispassionate discussion about this, and do the right thing."
The Redskins currently are dealing with more problems than just the nickname, as quarterback Robert Griffin III had serious knee surgery on Wednesday. Griffin suffered a torn ACL injury during Sunday's loss against the Seattle Seahawks and had his torn lateral collateral ligament repaired in the procedure.
"We expect a full recovery and it is everybody's hope and belief that due to Robert's high motivation, he will be ready for the 2013 season," Dr. James Andrews said Wednesday in a statement.
Griffin will likely need a recovery time of six to eight months and has a chance to be healthy in time for the 2013 season as long as he suffers no setbacks. Adrian Peterson recently recovered from serious knee surgery and Griffin will be trying to heal as quick as he did.
Head coach Mike Shanahan took heat from the media for keeping Griffin in the game despite not being 100 percent, but the quarterback said he was playing no matter what anyway. Griffin got hit a decent amount this season and missed one game earlier this year after hurting his knee against the Ravens.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, "Griffin led the league in scrambles (43) and scramble yards (411) before his Week 14 injury against the Ravens. However, after the injury, Griffin scrambled only once in his last three games (for 1 yard), including Sunday's playoff loss."
Griffin helped turn the Redskins' season around after falling to 3-6, helping reel off seven straight wins on the way to winning their first NFC East division title since 1999.
