Ron Rivera Alludes to 'Redskins': Nickname Option for New Owner Josh Harris?
We've heard Magic Johnson hint at it. We've heard Josh Harris out-and-out say it. And now Ron Rivera - who has been knee-deep in trying to steer this wobbly ship of a franchise - is now alluding to it as well, opening up the concept of the "new" Washington team nickname actually being the "old" Washington team nickname.
“Well, I know this," said coach Rivera, who during this process has of course been much more than just "the coach." "Mr. Harris and that ownership group talked extensively about bringing back the glory,” Rivera said. “What coach (Joe) Gibbs did, the traditions, that alumni group of guys that are around. It’s hard to escape it. It really is. That’s just the truth of the matter."
So ... what does that have to do with "Redskins"? Rivera continued ...
"Just so everybody knows, we do that with the utmost respect for the native tribes and for the American Indian," he said. "Anytime that’s brought up, it is brought up with the utmost of respect.”
Since the NFL's Washington club dropped its previous "Redskins" name in 2020, there has remained a clamoring from some fans who never saw the mascot/nickname as being offensive ... and who wish the franchise would return to its classic origins.
And now that Magic, who is part of the Harris ownership group that purchased the team from Dan Snyder earlier this month, has suggested all options "are on the table" for a re-brand? It is natural that some fans would assume "Redskins" - most recently treated an an NFL "dirty word" - is among those "options."
A recent petition to change the Commanders' name back to "Redskins" - after a handful of years that have seen the team's nickname change to even "Washington Football Team" - has gained thousands of signatures. ... and based on the attendance at the team's training camp workouts? Interest in calling them something different than what Snyder called them is at an all-time high.
Harris made the "Redskins" reference in a fun poke at the Dallas Cowboys being "America's Team." Maybe that opened up some emotionally-driven door here. But if "Redskins" was deemed offensive? That hasn't changed. And we would suggest this: If Washington and its fan base wants a truly clean post-Snyder slate? He's part of the "Redskins" controversy, too ... and so maybe "Redskins" should be erased off said slate.
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