Opinion | Sports

Opinion: Take a serious look at alternatives to 'Redskins' mascot

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

"I’m as loyal a Redskins fan as there is. At 60, I have followed the team for more than half a century. I’m a proud season-ticket holder and a fan who refuses to boo even when the performance seems to warrant it. But we need to come to terms with the name of the team we love.

This legendary organization began as the Braves (1932) and became the Redskins in 1933. I’m proud of the name and the team, and I would miss the Indian-head logo and the cheer “Hail to the Redskins,” but we can no longer justify the team’s name. It’s not a surrender to critics who find racism around every corner, just a recognition that, in a world where sports and news announcers would be fired for referring to a Native American on air as a redskin, our city can no longer take pride in the word that engenders disappointment, frustration and sometimes anger in American Indians and non-American Indians.

I have no suggestions for a new name. I’m simply proposing that we take a serious look at the alternatives so that our pride in the Washington football team can be expressed without the shame that attends the name."

Get the Story:
Richard P. Rosano: It's time to change the name (The Washington Post 1/10)