Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is the latest government official to weigh in on the name of the Washington NFL team, and he’s not a fan.
“I think [Dan] Snyder is so shortsighted on this,” Reid, a Nevada Democrat, told The Hill.
As if getting hammered on the gridiron every week wasn’t bad enough, Washington has been dogged all year by the ongoing controversy over its nickname, which most dictionaries define as derogatory or a racial slur. While the Oneida Indian Nation of New York State has waged a season-long publicity campaign against the team’s name, the franchise has also been criticized by numerous politicians as high up as President Obama.
But unlike Obama, who said in October that if he had Snyder’s job, he would have to “think about” changing the team’s name, Reid’s take is far more cutting.
“We live in a society where you can’t denigrate a race of people,” Reid told The Hill. “And that’s what that is. I mean, you can’t have the Washington Blackskins. I think it’s so shortsighted.”
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Harry Reid Tells Redskins to Change Their Name
The Senate majority leader says Dan Snyder is "shortsighted" for ignoring calls to change the team's name.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is the latest government official to weigh in on the name of the Washington NFL team, and he’s not a fan.
“I think [Dan] Snyder is so shortsighted on this,” Reid, a Nevada Democrat, told The Hill.
As if getting hammered on the gridiron every week wasn’t bad enough, Washington has been dogged all year by the ongoing controversy over its nickname, which most dictionaries define as derogatory or a racial slur. While the Oneida Indian Nation of New York State has waged a season-long publicity campaign against the team’s name, the franchise has also been criticized by numerous politicians as high up as President Obama.
But unlike Obama, who said in October that if he had Snyder’s job, he would have to “think about” changing the team’s name, Reid’s take is far more cutting.
“We live in a society where you can’t denigrate a race of people,” Reid told The Hill. “And that’s what that is. I mean, you can’t have the Washington Blackskins. I think it’s so shortsighted.”
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
What It Felt Like for a Virginia Marching Band to Win Metallica’s Contest
Meet the 2023 Washingtonians of the Year
What’s IN and OUT in DC Restaurant Trends for 2024
Introducing 8 of DC’s Most Stylish
Washingtonian Magazine
May 2024: Great Getaways
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
13 Major Concerts and Music Festivals in the DC Area This Spring
Mary Timony on Her Emotional New Album, “Untame the Tiger”
The Beatles in DC: A New Exhibit in Maryland Looks Back on Early Beatlemania
Northern Virginia High School Wins Metallica’s Marching Band Competition
More from News & Politics
PHOTOS: “Rupaul’s Drag Race” Queens Work It at the National Mall
Meet the NIH Detectives Cracking Medicine’s Toughest Cases
5 of DC’s Most Interesting Ideas for Revitalizing Chinatown
A “Corpse Flower” Is Currently in Bloom at the Botanic Garden
How Emma’s Torch Is Changing the Lives of Its Refugee Workers
Former Fiola GM Convicted of Murder Is Now in a Netflix Docuseries
These 5 DC Traffic Cams Are Issuing the Most Tickets Right Now
Farewell to Crystal City Underground, the DC Area’s Strangest Mall