Redskins Name Change, Why It Should Happen And Nobody Will Really Care

COMMENTARY | As we recently reported, the Washinton Redskins could soon be undergoing a name change. D.C. Council member David Grosso, 42, recently began circulation a resolution to change the teams name to the Washington Redtails.

The new name would remove a moniker that even many Redskins fans find offensive, and it would provide a touching tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen and the redtail hawks that live in the area.

Since introducing his resolution on Wednesday, some critics have argued that longtime fans won’t be willing to give up the team’s longtime moniker.

Truth be told, retiring a mascot isn’t that big of a deal. I live near the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In 2007, the school following threats from the NCAA retired Chief Illiniwek, a long-time symbol of the universities sports franchises. When news of the retirement surfaced, many fans vowed to keep the Chief’s legacy alive. Fans of the university bought up shirts, coffee mugs, and any other merchandise they could find. My own university even stocked an increased supply of Illiniwek merchandise ahead of the Chief’s retirement.

Fast forward six years after the Illini ditched Chief Illiniwek and I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw someone wearing a Chief shirt or drinking from an Illiniwek coffee mug.

The Washington area while stocked full of politicians and businessmen is also a very diverse area with a lot of different nationalities and races. It is very likely that those minorities will understand the need for a name change and will ultimately allow the resolution to move forward.

As Grosso points out:

“District residents and their elected representatives should not tolerate commercial or other use of derogatory terminology relating to any people’s racial identity, or which dishonors any person’s race, or which dishonors the name Washington.”

Spinning the “have more pride in your hometown” angle should be good enough to convince many fans that the name change is worth enacting.

Grosso claims to have support form eight of the council’s 13 members, and two more are leaning towards his name change recommendation. The Redskins name change is expected to receive a formal introduction in the near future.

As an avid football fan, I personally understand that only one thing matters to fans, a Super Bowl ring for their favorite players. The Washington Redskins name doesn’t define the team, its storied history defines its legacy.

Do you care if the Washington Redskins name change becomes a reality? What name would you give to the Redskins?