Rename the team the “Skins.” Plain old “Skins.” It is a bit of a nonsense word for a mascot, but then so is the name of the Cleveland Browns (named for first head coach Paul Brown), or the New York Knicks (technically short for Knickerbockers, but just see how many fans at Madison Square Garden can tell you what a knickerbocker is). Keep the burgundy and gold color scheme. Replace the face of an Indian chief on the helmet and logo with a picture of a football. Lose the Native American imagery altogether. Change the fight song, “Hail to the Redskins” to “Hail to the best Skins.” It wouldn’t even be the first time that very fight song has been changed to make it less offensive! It used to go “Fight for Old Dixie,” not the current “Fight for Old D.C.” Some fans will surely keep referring to the team as the Redskins, and it may take many years for the name to completely fade away. But it is a way for the team to end its formal ties with an offensive and archaic past while not shedding the ties to what is great in the franchise’s legacy.Get the Story:
NeilI Irwin: Wonkblog: Obama thinks the Redskins should think about changing their name. Here’s how they could do it. (The Washington Post 10/8) Related Stories:
President Obama weighs in on Washington mascot debate (10/7)
Opinion: Broadcasters must take stand against racist mascot (10/4)
Oneida Nation to host symposium on racist NFL mascot in DC (10/3)
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