Redskins Trademark Cancelled

GrayEagle · June 19, 2014

WFAA conducted a phone poll concerning whether 'Redskins' should be abolished. It was something like 16% that said it should be abolished and 84% said no.

DeepGreen · June 19, 2014

Not without precedent. I think we're all glad it's not legally known as Wopshington D.C. anymore.

Careful there Tasty.

DeepGreen · June 19, 2014

If I was Snyder I would make the Washington PC people happy. I would change the team's name, then move the whole freaking franchise to another city! San Antonio?

TheTastyGreek · June 19, 2014

Careful there Tasty.

Careful with what? I thought we were totally cool here and didn't get hung up on how harmless phrases impacted ethnic or racial subgroups. Don't let political correctness run wild.

Unless of course a hypothetical, tongue-in-cheek joke based on an ethnic slur is somehow more offensive than an actual, decades-old one in active use.

ChristopherRyanWilkes · June 19, 2014

I don't find this offensive. Oh wait,maybe its because I'm white. And please don't say "I'm 1/16th native american," so is everyone else in America. Why don't we let the Native Americans decide what does or does not offend them. On a side note are we really going to let politics make us side with the Washington Redskins? I thought we were better than that.

THOR · June 19, 2014

If I was Snyder I would make the Washington PC people happy. I would change the team's name, then move the whole freaking franchise to another city! San Antonio?

That would be freaking awesome!!!

CMJ · June 19, 2014

On a side note are we really going to let politics make us side with the Washington Redskins? I thought we were better than that.

You must be new here.

People saying this is PC run amok are mistaken. PC run amok is the NCAA making schools like Arkansas State change their nickname from Indians - which even many Native Americans refer to themselves as.

Edited June 19, 2014 by CMJ

UNT90 · June 19, 2014

So, what is your point? That idiots will buy and wear Redskins stuff even if/when the team name is changed?

Is anyone really arguing with that?

Point is what is really gained?

UNT90 · June 19, 2014

You must be new here.

People saying this is PC run amok are mistaken. PC run amok is the NCAA making schools like Arkansas State change their nickname from Indians - which even many Native Americans refer to themselves as.

What is really more offensive, a term that originated as a descriptive of a darker skin tint of a person or a term that identifies the person as being from a completely different continent?

We call people white and black every day. Is it really less offensive that we don't add the word "skin" behind it? So skin is the offensive word? Then what exactly are we referring to when we call each other white and black? Our hair color?

No.

It's all just very stupid and trivial. Change it. Don't change it. There are far more important problems in this world.

Edited June 19, 2014 by UNT90

oldguystudent · June 19, 2014

Change the name to the Washington Rosacea.

oldguystudent · June 19, 2014

But seriously, when I heard of this this morning, I had no idea that the power of law could cancel a trademark for being offensive. I had always been under the impression that only social change or organizational policy like the NCAA could force a change like that. Still not sure how I feel about this being a legal matter.

Now as to the name itself, Redskins isn't like Illini or Seminoles or Fighting Irish or even Indians. It's not even like changing the name of the Cowboys to the Dallas Rednecks. There are plenty of people in DFW who walk around every day proudly proclaiming themselves rednecks. I've never been up to Oklahoma and heard anyone refer to themselves as a redskin.

Redskins is akin to the Raiders changing their name to the Oakland Niggers. A term that has nothing but derogatory meaning and whose time has long since come and gone.

UNT90 · June 19, 2014

And it's interesting that certain political threads are ok while others are locked immediately.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?

UNT90 · June 19, 2014

But seriously, when I heard of this this morning, I had no idea that the power of law could cancel a trademark for being offensive. I had always been under the impression that only social change or organizational policy like the NCAA could force a change like that. Still not sure how I feel about this being a legal matter.

Now as to the name itself, Redskins isn't like Illini or Seminoles or Fighting Irish or even Indians. It's not even like changing the name of the Cowboys to the Dallas Rednecks. There are plenty of people in DFW who walk around every day proudly proclaiming themselves rednecks. I've never been up to Oklahoma and heard anyone refer to themselves as a redskin.

Redskins is akin to the Raiders changing their name to the Oakland Niggers. A term that has nothing but derogatory meaning and whose time has long since come and gone.

The question you need to ask is when was the last time you ever heard "redskin" used as a slur? By a non-native American?

My guess would be never. My guess would be that the only time "redskin" is used nowadays it is to refer to a certain crap ass football team or refer to a guy actually wearing a "redskins" jersey.

I'm sure there are plenty of slang words used to refer to native Americans these days (for the life of me, I can't think of one. Seriously). But it isn't "Redskin."

Green P1 · June 19, 2014

What is really more offensive, a term that originated as a descriptive of a darker skin tint of a person or a term that identifies the person as being from a completely different continent?
We call people white and black every day. Is it really less offensive that we don't add the word "skin" behind it? So skin is the offensive word? Then what exactly are we referring to when we call each other white and black? Our hair color?
No.
It's all just very stupid and trivial. Change it. Don't change it. There are far more important problems in this world.

I wonder if anyone has simply tried explaining to Native Americans that they are wrong in being offended?

greenminer · June 19, 2014

I wonder if anyone has simply tried explaining to Native Americans that they are wrong in being offended?

That probably wouldn't go over very well, but you can definitely explain to them that there are Native Americans that apparently are not offended.

Red Mesa High School

Cerebus · June 19, 2014

We call people white and black every day. Is it really less offensive that we don't add the word "skin" behind it? So skin is the offensive word? Then what exactly are we referring to when we call each other white and black? Our hair color?

Hypothetical: You see two people of different skin colors walking down the street toward you. You tell your wife "Hey, that's my friend Mike." She asks you which one is Mike. It's perfectly acceptable to say "The white guy" or "The black guy" because neither is a pejorative. It would be completely out of bounds to see "The redskin" because it is a pejorative term.

The question you need to ask is when was the last time you ever heard "redskin" used as a slur? By a non-native American?

I have never actually heard anyone call someone else a "sambo" or a "chink" but I know those are both extremely offense words and sure wouldn't want to use them or root for a sports team that did.

You know your are losing the argument, and are either being purposelessly obtuse or are just trying to muddle the argument with nonsensical comparisons. Save your dignity.

Your real argument is either that 1) you personally don't find the name redskin offensive, or 2) you don't care about the fact that some people find that term offensive. Stick with those.

Mean Green 93-98 · June 19, 2014

I wonder if anyone has simply tried explaining to Native Americans that they are wrong in being offended?

Personally, I'm offended by certain groups usurping the term "Native American" in such a way as to suggest that the rest of us who were born in America are not actually native Americans.

oldguystudent · June 19, 2014

Personally, I'm offended by certain groups usurping the term "Native American" in such a way as to suggest that the rest of us who were born in America are not actually native Americans.

Indigenous American would indeed be a more accurate term.

Army of Dad · June 19, 2014

Indigenous American would indeed be a more accurate term.

Aboriginal American?

oldguystudent · June 19, 2014

Aboriginal American?

Disciples of Gretchen Bataille?

Censored by Laurie · June 19, 2014

http://www.theonion.com/articles/redskins-kike-owner-refuses-to-change-teams-offens,34292/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview:NA:InFocus

UNT90 · June 19, 2014

Hypothetical: You see two people of different skin colors walking down the street toward you. You tell your wife "Hey, that's my friend Mike." She asks you which one is Mike. It's perfectly acceptable to say "The white guy" or "The black guy" because neither is a pejorative. It would be completely out of bounds to see "The redskin" because it is a pejorative term.

I have never actually heard anyone call someone else a "sambo" or a "chink" but I know those are both extremely offense words and sure wouldn't want to use them or root for a sports team that did.

You know your are losing the argument, and are either being purposelessly obtuse or are just trying to muddle the argument with nonsensical comparisons. Save your dignity.

Your real argument is either that 1) you personally don't find the name redskin offensive, or 2) you don't care about the fact that some people find that term offensive. Stick with those.

Really don't care enough to stick with anything. And those aren't my arguments at all. I think that people need to be less worried about being offended and more worried about the more important issues in their life.

But that would kill the current narrative of this country that words are more important than deeds.

UNT90 · June 19, 2014

http://www.theonion.com/articles/redskins-kike-owner-refuses-to-change-teams-offens,34292/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview:NA:InFocus

Do you really think Snyder is offended by this?

Lol.

Cerebus · June 19, 2014

I think that people need to be less worried about being offended

Then your argument is:

Your real argument is either that 1) you personally don't find the name redskin offensive, or 2) you don't care about the fact that some people find that term offensive.

I personally don't like calling people terms they find offensive, but its a free country and feel free to do so if you want.