It’s no secret I oppose almost every mascot invoking native American imagery. There is one team that I’m particularly critical of: the Washington Redskins. As a lawyer who represents Indian tribes in their sovereign-to-sovereign dealings with the federal government, it bothers me that the city most responsible for ethnic cleansing and native land loss still clings to an outdated slang that, for at least 500,0000 native Americans, has become a slur (there are over 5 million native Americans in the United States today. Recent polling data indicates that at least 10% find it offensive).
I happen to have a personal connection to the Redskins: I’m a native Northern Virginian. I grew up in the Washington Metro Area, only a few miles from Redskins’ headquarters in Ashburn, VA. I have many friends and family members who are life-long Redskins fans. And yes, I’ve had countless conversations with them about my desire to see the team change its name.
Here is the most important thing I’ve learned from arguing with friends and family: Redskins fans have become immune to complaints about the cultural insensitivity of Washington’s NFL mascot. Anyone who was going to change their mind already has. Everyone who has decided that "political correctness has gone too far" is not likely to budge at this point.
Even though a federal lawsuit could soon spell doom for the Redskins trademark, we have to consider the next best strategy in case the federal court system decides to protect the Redskins’ right to have a racially offensive nickname. That is why I am now encouraging opponents of Indian mascots to try a new tact towards changing DC’s NFL team name. We need to stop explaining to Redskins’ fans why the name is racist, and instead give Washington fans an incentive to accept a name change.
Over the years, I have discovered the best incentive to get Skins’ fans to accept a new name: guarantee them a new NFL owner too. Across the board, when I argue with Skins’ fans about the team’s name, they abandon all defense of their franchise when I ask them this question:
"If getting a new team name meant getting a new owner, would you accept that trade-off?”
The overwhelming majority of Redskins fans say yes to this deal, without hesitation. The truth is that Dan Snyder has ruined the reputation of one of the NFL’s most successful franchises. Washington was one of only two NFL teams in the South during the 1960s (the Dallas Cowboys being the other). The rivalry between the Cowboys and Redskins escalated over the next two decades: Dallas built up its fan base by dominating the NFC during the ‘70s, while Washington took over in the 1980s, winning 3 Super Bowls under Coach Joe Gibbs.
On the heels of Gibbs' success, then-owner Jack Kent Cooke built a large, modern stadium in suburban Maryland in the late '90s. Cooke passed away only a few months before the stadium opened, leaving his estate to sell the team to the highest bidder. That bidder was Dan Snyder.
In his first season as owner, Snyder watch his team win his first ever playoff game. At the start of Snyder's second season, the Redskins were the most valuable team in the NFL. Everything has gone downhill for the Redskins' franchise ever since. Snyder rapidly turned the Redskins into a laughing stock after his first season.
The coaching carousel in Washington has been so bad under Snyder that no elite coach will ever want to work for him again. Not only did he fire Marty Schottenheimer to bring in Steve Spurrier and his gimmick offense from the college football ranks, but he even took RGIII's side over Super Bowl winning Head Coach Mike Shanahan in recent years. These bizarre breakups has made it unlikely that Snyder will ever convince another established winner to coach his team.
Unsurprisingly, Snyder's mismanagement has only produced one playoff win since 2000. In the past 17 seasons, the Redskins have made the playoffs a measly four times. The biggest problem for Snyder is DC's Super Bowl drought: it has been more than a quarter century since the Redskins won Super Bowl XXVI.
This perennial pattern of losing under Snyder has destroyed the City of Washington's connection with its NFL team. I actually witnessed the zeitgeist of Washington's championship celebration following its 37-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVI. Even though our nation's capital is filled with transients, who oftentimes root for the professional teams of their hometown, the Redskins were once capable of unifying the politically divided city of Washington with a Super Bowl victory.
Today, I don't even know if a Super Bowl win would matter to most transplanted residents of the Washington Metro Area. No one comes to DC now and chooses to become a Redskins' fan. Why would they? Snyder doesn't lead a team of lovable losers, just pathetic ones. Seriously, if you happen to be in DC and want to have a good time at an NFL game, go to Baltimore. Just an hour from the nation’s capital, Ravens' Stadium is next to the great restaurants and nightlife of the Inner Harbor.
Getting to Fedex Field, on the other hand, is a huge pain. Nothing is close to the stadium- no bars, no restaurants, no public transportation. There's not even decent parking for most ticket holders. The peasant class has to take a bus from general parking lots just to get to the gate.
No wonder there's talk of the team returning to the District for its next stadium deal. Too bad that the NFL's Washington franchise is already facing a huge obstacle in the way of its return to DC: a few years ago, DC City Council passed a resolution saying the team would not be welcome back into DC unless it changed its name. Perhaps the City should also insist that the team get a new owner too.
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