Politics | Sports

DC council member doesn't want racist name tied to stadium deal

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

The Washington NFL team currently plays at FedEx Field in Maryland. Photo from Bernard Gagnon on Wikipedia

Officials in the District of Columbia are trying to lure the Washington NFL franchise back to the nation's capital despite an official stance against the team's racist mascot.

In November 2013, the District of Columbia Council called on the team to eliminate its offensive name. "The word 'redskins' is objectionable to many Americans who consider it to be racist and derogatory, and the use of the term is increasingly considered to be insensitive in our multi-cultural society," the resolution stated.

Council member Jack Evans agrees that the name should go. But he doesn't think the mascot should be linked to a potential stadium deal.

"The name, it may be offensive to me and others, but I don’t believe it should be part of the deal, and the reason is this: the name will change," Jack Evans said on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines" show, The Washington Post reported.

The team used to play at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. The National Park Service manages the land beneath the facility and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has indicated she won't entertain talks unless the racist mascot goes away.

The team's owner and other executives, meanwhile, have said they won't get rid of the name.

The team currently plays at FedEx Field in Maryland. That deal doesn't expire until 2027 but officials want to keep the team in their state.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) also wants to bring the team to his state. He has refused to take a position on the racist mascot.

Get the Story:
D.C. politician says it’s ‘unfair’ to keep asking D.C. politicians about the Redskins name (The Washington Post 8/25)
Jack Evans: Bring the Pigskins to D.C., Name Change or Not (The Washington City Paper 8/21)