The highest-ranking NFL is once again urging the Washington professional football team to "listen" to people who object to the use of a racist mascot.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell held a press conference at the organization's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. The first four questions were about the controversial mascot.

“Whenever you have a situation like this, you have to listen and recognize that some other people may have different perspectives, and clearly there are cases where that’s true here,” Goodell said, the Associated Press reported. “And that’s what I’ve suggested and I’ve been open about — that we need to listen, carefully listen, and make sure we’re doing what’s right.”

The team's owner, Dan Snyder, did not talk to reporters at the meeting, the AP said. And other NFL owners deflected the issue when they were asked.

“The fact is that the league will not truly be listening to critics of this racial slur unless its commissioner gets personally involved," the Oneida Nation of New York said in a statement.

The tribe is leading the Change the Mascot campaign.

Get the Story:
Asked whether ‘Redskins’ should go, Goodell says NFL must make sure it does ‘what’s right’ (AP 10/8)
Goodell: ‘Different views’ on Redskins’ name but it’s part of team’s ‘proud tradition’ (The Washington Post 10/8)
Redskins name controversy intensifies, but no immediate change afoot (The Washington Post 10/8)
Washington Redskins see pressure build to change team's nickname: A Closer Look (The Cleveland Plain Dealer 10/9)

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