Some of this post will be obvious to you diehards, but not everyone knows the history of the skins:
George Preston Marshall - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quote:
|
In 1932, he and three other partners were awarded an NFL franchise for Boston. This team became known as the Boston Braves, as they played on the same field as baseball's Boston Braves. Marshall's partners left the team after one season, leaving him in control. In 1933 he moved the team from Braves Field to Fenway Park, changing the team nickname to the Redskins.
|
Quote:
|
Marshall has gained infamy for his intractable opposition to having African-Americans on his roster. According to professor Charles Ross, "For 24 years Marshall was identified as the leading racist in the NFL".
|
I have many friends that have played for the team and love the history associated with the name. I also see that if you flipped it to another skin color, it may be more clear for others. Tough call when you see both sides of the argument as having merit.
Remember in the 1930's there were many other names for different minority groups. While the groups did not have the political clout to do anything about them at that time, in our era they are considered HIGHLY offensive.