By Ken Reed
Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder took another big hit Wednesday when the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office canceled the Redskins’ trademark registration.
According to Theresa Vargas of the Washington Post, the ruling won’t prohibit Snyder from using the offensive Redskins nickname but it will make it harder for him to conduct business:
“The 99-page decision by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board said the team’s name and logo are disparaging. It dilutes the Redskins’ legal protection against infringement and hinders the team’s ability to block counterfeit merchandise from entering the country.”
Snyder has said he’ll appeal the decision. Of course he will. Snyder continues to fight to be on the wrong side of history.
The Redskins name is doomed despite Snyder’s claim that he will never change the team’s name. The momentum train against the Redskins nickname just keeps getting bigger and going faster and faster. Native American groups, politicians, journalists and a growing percentage of the general public continue to push against the Redskins name.
Look, there are issues with most, if not all, the team nicknames in high school, college and pro sports that are Native American-based. They may all eventually fall by the wayside as time progresses. But none of those team nicknames are as ugly, racist and derogatory as the Redskins name.
Merriam-Webster says “the word redskin is very offensive and should be avoided.”
Most definitely. The Redskin name has to go. Now.
In an open letter to Snyder, Jeffrey Eisenband wrote, “Wave the white flag, but do it with pride. We respect your passion for your team, but we cannot respect your passion for a disparaging mascot.”
The party’s just about over Dan.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
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