Thursday, May 22, 2014

Senate To NFL: Change The Redskins' Name : It's All Politics : NPR

Senate To NFL: Change The Redskins' Name : It's All Politics : NPR: The United States Senate ratcheted up the pressure on owner Daniel Snyder on Thursday after a — signed by half the Senate — was sent to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, asking him to use his authority to get the Washington Redskins to change a team name that many consider racist.

Snyder has vowed to never change the name of one of the NFL's most historic franchises. But the letter from the senators — 48 Democrats and two independents who typically vote with them — is a sure sign that the Senate isn't going to accept Snyder's "no" as the last word.

In the aftermath of the NBA's Donald Sterling-Los Angeles Clippers controversy — and Commissioner Adam Silver's quick and punitive response — the Democratic senators see an opportunity to increase pressure on the football commissioner to do the right thing, from their point of view.