No local football games for this guy. Photograph via Senate Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid won’t be enticed by the offer of sitting with the executives at FedEx Field during the upcoming NFL season as long as Washington’s NFL team uses a racial slur as its nickname, he writes in a letter to team executive Bruce Allen.
Reid’s letter, published Monday evening, is the latest salvo in his campaign to persuade the Washington team to change its name, which is widely considered a racial slur against Native Americans. He is responding to Allen’s offer last month to attend a game in hopes of convincing Reid that the team’s name is not derogatory.
But Reid, a Nevada Democrat who says he represents members of 27 different tribes, writes back to Allen that he won’t attend any of the team’s home games as long as its current name remains in place.
“I will not stand idly by while a professional sports team promotes a racial slur as a team name and disparages the American people,” Reid writes. “Nor will I consider your invitation to attend a home game until your organization chooses to do the right thing and change its offensive name.”
Turning down Allen’s offer also saves Reid the hassle of having to list football tickets on an ethical disclosure form to comply with Senate gifts rules, although there’s still a good chance Reid will bump into someone representing the local NFL franchise: The team recently hired a lobbying firm to defend its name.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
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 Says He Won’t Attend Redskins Games Until Team Changes Name
The Senate majority leader turned down an invitation from the team to attend a game this fall.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid won’t be enticed by the offer of sitting with the executives at FedEx Field during the upcoming NFL season as long as Washington’s NFL team uses a racial slur as its nickname, he writes in a letter to team executive Bruce Allen.
Reid’s letter, published Monday evening, is the latest salvo in his campaign to persuade the Washington team to change its name, which is widely considered a racial slur against Native Americans. He is responding to Allen’s offer last month to attend a game in hopes of convincing Reid that the team’s name is not derogatory.
But Reid, a Nevada Democrat who says he represents members of 27 different tribes, writes back to Allen that he won’t attend any of the team’s home games as long as its current name remains in place.
“I will not stand idly by while a professional sports team promotes a racial slur as a team name and disparages the American people,” Reid writes. “Nor will I consider your invitation to attend a home game until your organization chooses to do the right thing and change its offensive name.”
Turning down Allen’s offer also saves Reid the hassle of having to list football tickets on an ethical disclosure form to comply with Senate gifts rules, although there’s still a good chance Reid will bump into someone representing the local NFL franchise: The team recently hired a lobbying firm to defend its name.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
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
March 4 Isn’t the Only Date on the QAnon Calendar
Trump Hotel Employees Reveal What It Was Really Like Catering to the Right Wing Elite
Washington’s Most Influential People
Inside DC’s Secret Covid Morgue
Hunter Biden’s Paintings: What Do Art Experts Think?
Washingtonian Magazine
March 2021: The Influencers
View IssueSubscribe
Get Us on Social
Get Us on Social
Related
Virginia Will Allow 250 People at Outdoor Sporting Events This Winter
Chelsea Clinton and Jenna Bush Hager Are Now Co-Owners of the Washington Spirit
Sean Doolittle Managed to Be of DC and Not Just in DC
Place Your Bets: A Guide to Sports Gambling in DC and Virginia
More from News & Politics
The Vast Majority of Capitol Riot Suspects Posted About Their Alleged Crimes in Real Time
Guest List
Hunter Biden’s Paintings: What Do Art Experts Think?
🌸🌸🌸Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom Is Predicted for April 2-5🌸🌸🌸
March 4 Isn’t the Only Date on the QAnon Calendar
Maryland Looks to Get Rid of Its Pro-Confederate State Song
Marijuana Sales Could Finally Become Legal in DC
A Funny Flowchart About the New Way to Network in DC