50 Senators Send Letter To NFL About Washington Redskins

5O United States Senators sent a letter to the National Football League and Commissioner Roger Goodell urging the Washington Redskins to change their name. In a time when race is on everybody’s mind, the term “Redskins” has caused much stir around both the world of sports and politics. The letter comes on the heals of the tumultuous comments made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling regarding race in professional basketball. Clearly, the NFL does not want any spillover into their own League, but Washington officials and owner Daniel Snyder insist that the nickname is not derogatory.

Nonetheless, the 50 democratic Senators sent the letter in hopes of enticing the NFL to reconsider their stance on supporting the Washington Redskins name.   The letter comes at a rather awkward time after the rush of news surrounding the potential name change occurred earlier in the year.

I love the Washington Redskins and I fully understand how some may feel towards the nickname. Still, however, I find it very important that the NFL control where this situation is going. The NFL must dictate whether they hope to keep the name or not and they should not be influenced by politics. Most politicians will act in favor of their own needs and do not care about the Washington Redskins. The senators care more about their vote count then the team, and the Redskins should not let this influence their decision to retain the title.