There has been a lot of talk this year as to whether or not there should be a name change for the Washington Redskins. The NFL has ultimately said that a name change would have to be the decision of team owner Dan Snyder. ESPN reported on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2013, that someone very important has voiced their opinion on the matter and that person is President Barack Obama.
Obama recently said that names of teams - such as the Redskins - offend "a sizable group of people." He doesn't believe that fans should be so attached to nostalgia and history that they end up forgetting the important things at hand.
"I don't know whether our attachment to a particular name should override the real legitimate concerns that people have about these things," he said in the interview, which was conducted Friday.
The president doesn't believe the fans of the Redskins are trying to offend anyone intentionally. He knows that history is incredibly important to anyone that supports a team in any sport.
"I don't want to detract from the wonderful Redskins fans that are here. They love their team and rightly so," he said.
The Redskins aren't the only professional sports team with an Indian nickname. The NFL also has the Kansas City Chiefs. Over in Major League Baseball, there are the Cleveland Indians and the Atlanta Braves. Still, there has been a lot more focus on the name of the Redskins than any of the others.
Team owner Dan Snyder has already said that he would never get rid of the "Redskins" nickname and that he plans on keeping it. NFL commissioner did say that Snyder had the ultimate say in the matter, but the league would keep an eye on those offended by it.
A poll done back in April showed that nearly four out of five Americans don't think the Redskins' name should be changed. In total, only 11 percent of those polled believe that Washington should change the nickname of their NFL team.
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