Next week, the NFL’s owners will meet in Washington, D.C. Also meeting there will be opponents to the ongoing use of the name “Redskins” by the local NFL franchise.
On Monday, October 7, the Oneida Indian Nation of New York will convene at the Ritz-Carlton in Georgetown to advance its “Change the Mascot” campaign.
“The conference, which will be open to the press and the public, will be a chance for NFL officials, policymakers, and other concerned citizens to hear from federal legislators, community leaders and experts about the campaign,” the group said in a press release.
The Oneidas of Wisconsin (a different tribe) recently protested the name at last month’s game between the Redskins and Packers at Green Bay. While the event didn’t generate overwhelming attendance (prompting some advocates of the name to suggest that it means the name is OK), the effort continues.
The announcement comes on the heels of Wednesday night’s wild-card playoff game hosted by the Cleveland Indians, which included fans with their faces painted red. Which will do nothing to take steam out of the effort to change the Redskins name.
It’s coming, folks. At some point in the next 50 years, the name will change. And people who didn’t want the name to change will argue against it for 50 more years.
And in 100 years, whoever is occupying the planet will look back in amazement at the fact that, in the year 2013, a pro football team was still named Redskins and baseball fans treated a playoff game like a modified minstrel show.