Sarah Palin weighs in on Mike Ditka's rant about Redskins name

Sarah Palin commented on pointed remarks former Bears coach Mike Ditka made last week about the Redskins name controversy. 

In a radio interview, Ditka described the controversy as "so much [expletive] it’s incredible" and said he admired owner Daniel Snyder for defending the name.

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"What’s all the stink over the Redskin name?” Ditka said. “It’s so much [expletive] it’s incredible. We’re going to let the liberals of the world run this world. It was said out of reverence, out of pride to the American Indian. Even though it was called a Redskin, what are you going to call them, a Brownskin? This is so stupid it’s appalling, and I hope that owner keeps fighting for it and never changes it, because the Redskins are part of an American football history, and it should never be anything but the Washington Redskins. That’s the way it is.

“Its been the name of the team since the beginning of football. It has nothing to do with something that happened lately, or something that somebody dreamed up. This was the name, period. Leave it alone. These people are silly — asinine, actually, in my opinion.”

Ditka also suggested the controversy stems from "political correct idiots in America" and said he wasn't "very tolerant when it comes to the liberals who complain about everything.”

In a Facebook post last week, Palin links to an article relaying comments from conservative political commentator Rush Limbaugh expressing concern that ESPN could fire Ditka for his rant.

The former Alaska governor then writes that Ditka "merely spoke his mind" and that the NFL forcing the Redskins to change the name would be the "antithesis of the American way of working through differences"

Near the end of her post, Palin said she disagrees with Ditka after reading the full statement.

He thinks the name should always be Washington Redskins, as a source of pride? Take the word “Washington” out and I’ll agree the team name is a great source of pride.

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The Redskins have increasingly come under scrutiny with charges from lawmakers and media members that the name is offensive toward the Native American community.

In May, a letter signed by 50 U.S. senators and endorsed by majority leader Harry Reid urged NFL leadership to press for a name change.

- Chris Johnson