COMMENTARY:
Shore’s Closest Pro Football Team Has Skin in the Game

1983 to present

1983 to present

By WAYNE CREED

February 17, 2014

As Olympians from around the world are meeting in Sochi to compete for gold, two members of Congress, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) have also forayed into sport by sending a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, appealing to him to support the effort to change the name of the Washington Redskins. “The National Football League can no longer ignore this and perpetuate the use of this name as anything but what it is: a racial slur,” they write.

1982

Meanwhile, the team and several players have released statements claiming they have received “more than 7,000 letters and emails” in favor of keeping the name, with “almost 200 from people who identified themselves as Native Americans or as family members of Native Americans.” Whether or not the Redskins and the NFL are on the “wrong side of history,” as the senator and representative state, is something to consider. Given that I am married to a Redskins fan, and the Eastern Shore is historically Redskin territory, it might be helpful to review the actual history we may or may not be on the right side of.

The original team dates back to 1932, in Boston, owned by George Preston

1972 -1981

1972 -1981

Marshall, Vincent Bendix, Jay O’Brien, and Dorland Doyle. The team played their games at Braves Field, and as a matter of expedience adopted the same name, Boston Braves.

In the first year the team lost $46,000, and Bendix, O’Brien, and Doyle dropped out of the investment, leaving Marshall the sole owner. Marshall, who was having a dispute with his current landlord for the Boston Braves, immediately moved to Fenway Park and changed the name to the “Redskins.” Marshall claimed he did so to honor the team’s coach, Lone Star Dietz, who claimed to be of Native American descent (part Sioux). There is also an account that Marshall chose the

1970-71

1970-1971

name as an allusion to the Boston Tea Party Patriots that dressed as Native Americans, as a way to send a not so subtle message to his former landlord.

Several years of mediocrity followed until 1936, when the Redskins won their first Eastern Division Title. However, even after winning the title, only 4,000 fans showed up for the final regular season game, at which point a thoroughly disgusted Marshall refused to play the championship game in Boston and instead moved it to the Polo grounds in New York, giving up home field advantage. They lost.

CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE

1965-1969

Despite the loss, Marshall’s Redskins did one thing that season that changed football forever. He drafted “Slingin’ Sammy” Baugh from Texas Christian. Until now, the league was dominated by the running game, but with Baugh, the Redskins used the forward pass as their primary offensive weapon. With the acquisition of Baugh, and a new attack, Marshall moved the team to Griffith Field in Washington, DC.

Marshall loved the college football atmosphere, and sought to bring some of that flavor to Redskins games. In 1937, the Redskins marching band was founded — still one of only two NFL teams that have a band. (Baltimore Ravens are the other.) Marshall’s goal was to entertain fans from the moment they walked into the stadium until the game ended. The first to have a fight song, “Hail to the Redskins” made its debut on August 17, 1938. Still sung today by true fans, it was composed by band leader Barnee Breeskin and the lyrics were written by Marshall’s wife, actress Corinne Griffith (the beautiful Ms. Griffith, star of over 60 films and author of 11 works of fiction and non-fiction, has a very rich story in her own right).

1960-1964

1960-1964

Despite changes in ownership and venue, not too much has changed for the Redskins since the 1930s. Even taking into account the rich and storied history of the franchise, the question remains whether or not the name is a slur. Anthropologists consider it humiliating, while linguists say the term “redskin” describes “stalwart attributes” within the Native American culture. Frustratingly, not even dictionaries can agree: the Oxford English says “redskin” is “generally benign,” while Webster’s says it is “usually offensive.” In some ways, it seems the name has grown into politically correct disfavor more than having started out that way. For whatever reason Marshall chose the name (it’s hard to imagine he would choose a name he considered a slur), as historian Frank Ceresi states, “the reality is more benign than people on both sides of the fence are attributing to it . . . the name was meant very, very positively.” This view is somewhat understood, as the Redskins sought to capitalize on their Indian players and coach. Some team members occasionally played wearing red war paint.

Fans that have followed the team will also remember that by the 1960s and early 1970s, the Redskins had practically abandoned Native American imagery all together. Walter Wetzel, former chairman of the Blackfoot tribe and president of the National Congress of American Indians complained, “I’d like to see an Indian on your helmets.” (At the time, only a big “R” was the team logo). After meeting with Wetzel the Redskins had a new logo, a composite Indian taken from Wetzel’s photos of Indians in full headdress. “It made us all so proud to have an Indian on a big-time team . . . it’s only a small group of radicals who oppose those names. Indians are proud of Indians.”

1952-1959

1952-1959

Even still, American Indian activists in the United States and Canada have criticized the use of Native American mascots in sports as perpetuating stereotypes. The NCAA has banned the use of these types of mascots, unless they are approved by the tribe, as is the case with the Seminole tribe and the use by Florida State University. The term “redskin,” being so broad, could never achieve that level of granular support.

The more disturbing question is whether, by using this imagery, it highlights a lack of consideration and neglect relative to the Native American community as a whole, where joblessness, substance abuse, exploitation, environmental destruction, lack of education, and poverty are serious issues. Statistics from the CDC and Indian Health Service show that Native Americans experience higher rates for diabetes, heart ailments, mental illness, and suicides. These problems on reservations and Native American communities are exasperated by poverty, high unemployment, and school dropouts.

1937-1951

1937-1951

In this light, stressing about the name of an NFL franchise may attract focus away from more pressing issues. Semiotics and deconstruction of the Washington Redskins may produce some level of academic and political pleasure, but the endeavor to expend so much capital to force a name change may not leave much left to address the hard reality Native American communities are experiencing every day. Instead, I would recommend Native Americans follow the tribal casino route. I would say, it’s fine to use our terms and imagery, but the NFL and Washington Redskins should pay into a fund (to be used for healthcare, schools, etc.), as a kind of license fee. These are multi-billion-dollar entities, and if keeping the name is that important, paying a license fee to use it shouldn’t be a problem. Hopefully, some sort of agreement can be reached so that Washington can and always will be the Redskins, while at the same time guiding resources where they are needed most.

Many old school aficionados still haven’t gotten over the Colts leaving Baltimore (I know my dad never did), and if Washington changes its name to something else, they may have to write the whole thing off as a bad job and start cheering for the Dallas Cowboys. (Okay, that might be an over-reaction.)

Submissions to COMMENTARY are welcome on any subject relevant to Cape Charles (and sometimes that’s a stretch). Opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily of this publication.

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5 Responses to “COMMENTARY:
Shore’s Closest Pro Football Team Has Skin in the Game”

  1. Thomas D. Giese on February 17th, 2014 7:46 am

    If a name change is required, I suggest a minor alteration: the Washington Foreskins. No one should be offended.

  2. Steve Downs on February 17th, 2014 7:55 am

    Thanks Wayne for an insightful article. Hail to the REDSKINS! And I mean that in a good way.

  3. Daniel Burke on February 17th, 2014 8:36 pm

    For many years I worked in Owings Mills, MD. One snowy evening I watched the Mayflower vans leave with everything that was the Baltimore Colts. I thought I would never get over it. The Ravens changed all that. In just 17 years they won 2 Super Bowls and play an exciting, tough brand of old school football. Go Ravens! Having lived most of my life in that area I am deeply offended by the name “Washington Redskins.” To me it is a microcosm of all that is wrong with America. That name reminds me of years of thievery, brutality, and scheming unfair treatment of true American citizens. They should be forced to immediately change their name to the Capitol Redskins.

  4. Thomas D. Giese on February 17th, 2014 10:04 pm

    Mr. Burke, could we combine our ideas, pleasing everyone in the process, and the new name could be the Capital Foreskins?

  5. Wayne Creed on February 18th, 2014 11:01 am

    For so many years, many of us have been languishing, awaiting the Cape Charles version of Rowan and Martin. Our prayers have finally been answered by the team of Burke & Giese :-)

    Side Note: Tom makes the second best martini in Cape Charles.