The Washington Redskins currently have one of the best defenses in the franchise’s history. Yet, the primary reason they are in the spotlight is not because of their play, it is due to their name. “Redskin” is an extremely offensive term to American Indians. The debate over changing this name has been going on for several years; however, the owner, David Snyder, has decided not to change the name. While Snyder insists that the name is used in only a respectful and polite manner, the name is still considered to be one of the most controversial topics in all of sports today.

A Brief History: The Boston Redskins, bought in 1932 by owner George Preston Marshall as Boston’s first ever NFL franchise, were initially named ‘The Braves.’ A year later, they changed the name to ‘The Redskins.’

Change the Name: There are several upsides to changing the name, many believe it would be a sign of respect. First, it is extremely offensive, with Political Correctness (PC) coming into mainstream media; it’s only right to end the racism that is presented with these names. Changing the name could be another essential step to take to get closer to ending racism between groups of people. It could show, that after all these years, we value and respect the culture and traditions of the American Indians. Also, keeping an offensive slur as one of the only representatives in mainstream media shows that we are not better than our forefathers that terrorized these people not long ago. It came to such extreme that “former referee Mike Carey revealed a year ago that the NFL honored his request not to work Washington’s games the final eight years of his career, explaining, “It just became clear to me that to be in the middle of the field, where something disrespectful is happening, was probably not the best thing for me, I felt a strong kinship”” (Mike Wise-ESPN).

Keep the Name: Why would we change a name that has provided an outlet for people to join together to celebrate a certain culture? A study found that 9 out of 10 Indians do not find the name of the team offensive (Washington Post). If it was to be changed, the actual Redskins would be tragically underrepresented and could eventually be forgotten. The logo change and copyright paperwork could take years and cost the NFL millions of dollars. The league is a business after all, and have you ever met a company that has willingly accepted losing millions of dollars? When Synder was asked why he continues to stay true to the current name of the team, he says, “It’s just historical truths, and I’d like them to understand, as I think most do, that the name really means honor, respect… We sing Hail to the Redskins. We don’t say hurt anybody. We say Hail to the Redskins. Braves on the warpath. Fight for old D.C. We only sing it when we score touchdowns.”

Verdict: Both sides have been said; now it is your turn to decide, which prevails? Does the Washington front office need to take a longer look at this? Or have they done all they should?