Should we change the name?
The question is out there every day, and momentum is building. My own preference would be “The Washington
Riggins,” because I liked the way John Riggins played -- straight ahead with
power. It seemed to be football as I
remembered it from those games in the backyard and on my grammar school and high
school teams. You ran hard and on
defense you went for the waist or the thighs to bring your man down. Helmets almost never collided and no one went
for the knees to try to disable an opponent.
I started in pads at 60 lbs. in a 100 lb. league and I don’t remember hurting
anybody.
Dan Snyder is so totally opposed to a name change that I don’t
suppose we’ll see a contest soon to come up with a new name. When the time finally comes, it will be
difficult. All the felines except house
cats are taken, and I don't think Huns or Visigoths would have much appeal. It was fun when the
offensive line referred to themselves as “the hogs,” but it’s a little
inelegant for the whole team. The Cleveland
Browns named their team after their coach, Paul Brown, and I don’t think they have
ever considered changing it, even though they also have “The Dawg Pound.” Obviously Washington can’t name its team the
Lombardis, because that name really belongs to Green Bay. I suppose we could continue the current ego
trip by naming the team the Snyders.
Dano might like it but I don’t think anyone else would. In any event, we don’t want to end up with an
embarrassment like “The Wizards.”
My son in Harrisonburg called me the other night to say he
and his friends all agree that Washington should get rid of symbols and mascots
and just call the team “The Washington Football Club.” That’s the way teams are named in Europe and
much of the rest of the world. Somehow
it seems like the grownup way to handle the naming controversy.
Comments: I just got a comment by email that expresses my feelings about "the Redskins" better than I did myself:
"Do you suppose Mr. Snyder has any idea that a preponderance of Indians view the term redskin the same as black people do niggers? And do you suppose he would ever consider renaming the team the spicks, coons, beaners, gooks or hebes or slant-eyed mother fuckers. I have three Indian friends he should meet for lunch. Two of them might just remove his hair although they would never use the term scalped."
Comments: I just got a comment by email that expresses my feelings about "the Redskins" better than I did myself:
"Do you suppose Mr. Snyder has any idea that a preponderance of Indians view the term redskin the same as black people do niggers? And do you suppose he would ever consider renaming the team the spicks, coons, beaners, gooks or hebes or slant-eyed mother fuckers. I have three Indian friends he should meet for lunch. Two of them might just remove his hair although they would never use the term scalped."
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