The Washington What?

Tonight, in a game with massive fantasy football implications for me, the Philadelphia Eagles travel to Washington, D.C. to take on the...uhh...hmm...

No, I didn’t forget the name of the team. I’m just deciding whether or not I want to say the word “Redskins”. Well, never mind I just said it.

Over the past year, the nickname of the Washington team has gotten an increasing amount of attention. Whether you find the name offensive or think the team should adopt a new moniker is not the question being asked here (although a recent poll found a response of yes and no to those questions respectively).

Lately, the question for media members is how you address the team. Do you say “Redskins” in your story and risk making a slur to members of your audience? Or do you try to stay out of the debate and report on the Washington Redskins as the organization is properly named?

For many years, everyone answered yes to the second question. However, more and more journalists are opting not to mention the nickname any further. 

A few days ago, lofty football columnist Peter King announced he will no longer use the name on his new website. He joins a list of organizations like Slate, The Buffalo News, and the Philadelphia Daily News that will reword any mention of the Redskins.

Should media organizations be getting in the middle of this name debate? It has become a hot topic as of late and don’t expect it to go away anytime soon. Ownership in Washington has said it will never, NEVER change the name.