It’s his business TommyTroles!!!!I know you Lefties don’t have much experience working your butt off to grow your business, but maybe if we started regulating the stupid names you libs give your kids, you’d sing another tune.
The trademark thing is a stupid waste of time; we’ve all got bigger fish to fry. States have already successfully limited “speech” on vanity plates (the state has veto power), and there have been several court precedents invalidating ownership of internet domain names, so technically the patent office may be on defensible legal ground, but seriously – don’t we have better things to do?
The NFL is the world’s most successful example of socialism, actually. (The only successful example……..) The sharing equally of TV contracts, the salary caps, and so forth. About the name: If anybody can find even one time in any old Western movie where the term “redskin” was used as a compliment, I’ll admit that it happened that one time.
Insult from the left: “You’re mistaken. You don’t know the facts.”Insult from the right: “Stupid libs should all freaking die and turn into compost ha ha!!”
The Boston Red Stockings was a baseball team founded in 1870. It went through several name changes, until its owner, a Tammany Hall politician from New York, changed it to Boston Braves in 1912. Tammany Hall used an Indian chief as its symbol, and it operatives were called braves. In 1953 the team became the Milwaukee Braves, and in 1965 the Atlanta Braves, and is regarded as the old team in baseball. A football team was organized in Boston in 1932 that also called itself the Boston Braves. The confusion of having both baseball and football teams in Boston with the same name lead to the renaming of the football team Boston Redskins in 1933. Bostonians were by this time famous for having dressed as Indians to throw tea in their harbor, so perhaps the Native American connection seemed appropriate. In 1937 the team moved to Washington and became the Washington Redskins. At the time, in 1937, no slur against Native Americans was intended, and Indians were considered quintessentially American. The “noble red man” was much in vogue, at least in the eastern states. (The American volunteers flying for France in WWI painted an Indian head on the side of their airplanes.) The Indian head that forms the basis of the Redskins’ logo looks to have been copied from the Indian head nickel still being minted when the team moved to Washington. Of course, no Native Americans were consulted in regard to any of this, nor were their opinions considered. I don’t give this little history lesson in justification of Dan Snyder’s attitude or that of Redskins’ fans who defend him. It doesn’t matter what folks back in 1937 thought about the name. What matters is the way the consciousness and conscience of the American people have evolved in the last 77 years. The name now seems a relict of the overtly racist past of the United States, and clinging to that name, under these circumstances (it is only the name of a sports team, for God sake), is racist, whether its defenders think so or not. Because of Atlanta, they can’t revert back to “Braves” but there is no reason the name cannot be changed to Washington Warriors, which at least has the virtue of alliteration. If the logo were drawn to remove the imputation of caricature (perhaps have it drawn by a Native American artist) it would not have to change. But Toles is quite right, the longer Snyder holds out, the worse it gets. The new name could be phased in gradually, so that signage and merchandise would not have be discarded. This really should not be a big deal. Just a matter of good manners.
If you want to stick just with football, I’d say higher priorities would be breaking the monopoly protection and tax exemption, dealing seriously with the concussion problem, and breaking the rich white boys club (more Green Bays, owned by the town would be great). If you want to talk sports in general, where’s the out-cry about the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, or Chicago Blackhawks? This obsession with the Washington Redskins is myopic and silly. Trying to raise a sports team name – especially after all these decades – to the level of a national crisis is the epitome of silly. This doesn’t make the top 1000 issues of national priority.
Oklahoma is from the Choctaw language meaning Red People. Are we going to force a name change there? BTW, Marquette used to be called the Warriors but it was deemed racist.
Cinci Steve almost 10 years ago
It’s his business TommyTroles!!!!I know you Lefties don’t have much experience working your butt off to grow your business, but maybe if we started regulating the stupid names you libs give your kids, you’d sing another tune.
Mugens Premium Member almost 10 years ago
That’s a rather stupid statement, and I’m not speaking of Toles…
WestNYC Premium Member almost 10 years ago
If the NBA can force Sterling to sell the Clippers, why can’t the NFL force Snyder to change the team name ?
Simon_Jester almost 10 years ago
The righties know Redskin is not racist coz a bunch of rich, white talk-show hosts told them so
meetinthemiddle almost 10 years ago
The trademark thing is a stupid waste of time; we’ve all got bigger fish to fry. States have already successfully limited “speech” on vanity plates (the state has veto power), and there have been several court precedents invalidating ownership of internet domain names, so technically the patent office may be on defensible legal ground, but seriously – don’t we have better things to do?
Godfreydaniel almost 10 years ago
The NFL is the world’s most successful example of socialism, actually. (The only successful example……..) The sharing equally of TV contracts, the salary caps, and so forth. About the name: If anybody can find even one time in any old Western movie where the term “redskin” was used as a compliment, I’ll admit that it happened that one time.
Kip W almost 10 years ago
Insult from the left: “You’re mistaken. You don’t know the facts.”Insult from the right: “Stupid libs should all freaking die and turn into compost ha ha!!”
Doughfoot almost 10 years ago
‘Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility.’ — Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914).
Doughfoot almost 10 years ago
The Boston Red Stockings was a baseball team founded in 1870. It went through several name changes, until its owner, a Tammany Hall politician from New York, changed it to Boston Braves in 1912. Tammany Hall used an Indian chief as its symbol, and it operatives were called braves. In 1953 the team became the Milwaukee Braves, and in 1965 the Atlanta Braves, and is regarded as the old team in baseball. A football team was organized in Boston in 1932 that also called itself the Boston Braves. The confusion of having both baseball and football teams in Boston with the same name lead to the renaming of the football team Boston Redskins in 1933. Bostonians were by this time famous for having dressed as Indians to throw tea in their harbor, so perhaps the Native American connection seemed appropriate. In 1937 the team moved to Washington and became the Washington Redskins. At the time, in 1937, no slur against Native Americans was intended, and Indians were considered quintessentially American. The “noble red man” was much in vogue, at least in the eastern states. (The American volunteers flying for France in WWI painted an Indian head on the side of their airplanes.) The Indian head that forms the basis of the Redskins’ logo looks to have been copied from the Indian head nickel still being minted when the team moved to Washington. Of course, no Native Americans were consulted in regard to any of this, nor were their opinions considered. I don’t give this little history lesson in justification of Dan Snyder’s attitude or that of Redskins’ fans who defend him. It doesn’t matter what folks back in 1937 thought about the name. What matters is the way the consciousness and conscience of the American people have evolved in the last 77 years. The name now seems a relict of the overtly racist past of the United States, and clinging to that name, under these circumstances (it is only the name of a sports team, for God sake), is racist, whether its defenders think so or not. Because of Atlanta, they can’t revert back to “Braves” but there is no reason the name cannot be changed to Washington Warriors, which at least has the virtue of alliteration. If the logo were drawn to remove the imputation of caricature (perhaps have it drawn by a Native American artist) it would not have to change. But Toles is quite right, the longer Snyder holds out, the worse it gets. The new name could be phased in gradually, so that signage and merchandise would not have be discarded. This really should not be a big deal. Just a matter of good manners.
meetinthemiddle almost 10 years ago
If you want to stick just with football, I’d say higher priorities would be breaking the monopoly protection and tax exemption, dealing seriously with the concussion problem, and breaking the rich white boys club (more Green Bays, owned by the town would be great). If you want to talk sports in general, where’s the out-cry about the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, or Chicago Blackhawks? This obsession with the Washington Redskins is myopic and silly. Trying to raise a sports team name – especially after all these decades – to the level of a national crisis is the epitome of silly. This doesn’t make the top 1000 issues of national priority.
SABRSteve almost 10 years ago
Oklahoma is from the Choctaw language meaning Red People. Are we going to force a name change there? BTW, Marquette used to be called the Warriors but it was deemed racist.
Jason Allen almost 10 years ago
/eyerollhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toll_House_Inn