Letters signed by 50 U.S. senators urging the league to change the Washington Redskins name were sent on Thursday to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The senators draw a parallel between the NBA's no-tolerance policy regarding the racist comments made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling and asks the NFL to act similarly.

"Today, we urge you and the National Football League to send the same clear message as the NBA did: that racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports," the senators write. "It's time for the NFL to endorse a name change for the Washington, D.C. football team.

"The despicable comments made by Mr. Sterling have opened up a national conversation about race relations. We believe this conversation is an opportunity for the NFL to take action to remove the racial slur from the name of one of its marquee franchises."

Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has opposed the name change, and his team has launched its own public relations campaign issuing comments by Native Americans that continue to support the name.

The NFL has stood behind Snyder and issued its own response Thursday to the news of the senators' letter.

"We have not received the letter, but the NFL has long demonstrated a commitment to progressive leadership on issues of diversity and inclusion, both on and off the field," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. "The intent of the team's name has always been to present a strong, positive and respectful image. The team name is not used by the team or the NFL in any other context, though we respect those that view it differently."

The Oneida Indian Nation, a tribe located in upstate New York that has been pushing for the name change through a national "Change the Mascot" campaign, applauded the senators' formal action while continuing to stay on its message.

"Washington team owner Dan Snyder and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell have claimed that using the R-word epithet somehow honors native peoples, but it is quite the opposite," Oneida Nation CEO Ray Halbritter said in a statement. "The R-word is a dictionary defined racial slur."

Halbritter said that the Redskins name is not a term of honor but "a malicious insult."

Jackie Pata, the executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, also weighed in Thursday.

"The NFL is a global brand," Pata said in a statement released through Oneida. "But it wants to contribute to the positive image of the United States across the world rather than callously promoting discrimination against Native Americans, then it must stop promoting this slur and finally change the name."

One letter to the NFL was signed by 49 senators (only Democrats) and was not signed by Tim Kaine or Mark Warner, the two Democratic senators from Virginia.

Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) sent a separate letter to Goodell calling for the Redskins to change their name.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10968190/senators-puts-pressure-washington-redskins-nfl

They can all kiss my ass

Skins Till The End.

I'm gonna get Frank Underwood to fuck with the Natives AND Senators again.

Meh I think they should change it. I was kind of in the middle of it but yeah, they should.

If they change it, hope for humanity is gone. People will get offended over ridiculous things. I hope they dont change it.

Well "Redskin" is a racial slur, doesn't really belong there. It's not about indian mascots, it's just the name really.

The name has been around for decades and now all of a sudden people want to be offended? They're trying to get the Cleveland Indians to alter their logo too. Native americans dont care, so that should be all that matters.

I mean it's not a big deal if they change the name (although Redskins is a cool name) but it's really weird that people suddenly want to change it so badly. People are getting TOO sensitive over racism and are offended too easily.

and they're the same people that want "freedom." Fucking stupid.

Let change it to "Spear Chuckers" instead   

^^
Freedom has dick to do with this. No one is pushing Congress or law makers to ban "Redskins". They're just asking the NFL and the team to make a switch to their name.

^^^
That's another misconception that ALL OF A SUDDEN they want to change it. No, people have been speaking out about it for years decades actually.

^^^^
But they are offended by it, what you said is not true. And who cares how long it's been the mascot? http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/11/27/native-american-leaders-speak-out-against-redskins-name/

Derogatory terms shouldn't be mascots is all i'm saying.

^^ That's why I added "so badly"... unless it was just kept out of the media it was never as much of an issue as it is now. Up until this point nothing has yet to be done or addressed like it is now. For the past years that I've been following the NFL anyway, idk about decades ago.

^^ I'm not saying this is going against freedom. I'm saying people who get offended for EVERY LITTLE THING and want everything changed are against freedom. The same people who are dumb enough to get offended over this are the ones who preach "OMG freedom" despite that being hypocritical as hell.

I still don't get where's the hypocrisy. Everyone is allowed to get outraged. I have yet to hear of someone trying to censor anyone else through law or legislation.

I get what you're trying to say though, but I don't think that applies here. Because "Redskin" is a derogatory term and this is actually something that people should be outraged at.

The whole "movement for change" came because a few dickwad fans offended a native american couple sometime in the 70's/80's, who later became the main head of the group that wants to change the name.  

The majority of Native Americans don't give a shit.  A few people want to linger in the past, instead of burying what the word was, and letting it be changed for the better.  The name has been around for more than 80 years, and plenty of people, myself included, grew up seeing the Redskins as a football team.  Hell I didn't even know it could be used as a 'racial' slur anywhere until this bs came up.  All they're doing is digging up the past.  Let it be forgotten and let those of us who enjoy the team enjoy the team.

Also, you're all ignoring the fact that 50 Senators had enough free time to write and sign this, but choose not to focus on things that are actually important considering the state this country is in.

El Tri wrote:

^^^^
But they are offended by it, what you said is not true. And who cares how long it's been the mascot? http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/11/27/native-american-leaders-speak-out-against-redskins-name/

Where are the articles from the 70s, 80s, and 90s condemning the name of the team? Where are the interviews of native americans from those eras saying how outraged they are about it?

You say "who cares how long such and such somethings been around", but in fact it matters a great deal. The Indians were established in 1901 and the Chief Wahoo logo has been around since the 1920s. The Redskins logo has been around since the 1930s in some form. All of a sudden, because people in Congress are upset about it today, means the team's look and history should change? No.

^ I agree with that.

^^ and that.

^^^ and that.

http://files.redskins.com/pdf/letter-from-pres-bruce-allen.pdf

Redskins 1, These nutjobs 0

StraightEdge Rurouni wrote:

Also, you're all ignoring the fact that 50 Senators had enough free time to write and sign this, but choose not to focus on things that are actually important considering the state this country is in.

So true.

StraightEdge Rurouni wrote:

http://files.redskins.com/pdf/letter-from-pres-bruce-allen.pdf

Looks legit, can't really argue with numbers.