May 22, 2014
Ernesto McConnell
Reporter
Headlines
It seems as if Democratic Senators are riding the wave of racial controversy in American professional sports. Controversy most recently began with the removal of NBA owner David Sterling for a phone recording that revealed his racist comments, by pressuring the NFL’s Washington Redskins to change their name. Fifty senators signed a letter released on Thursday that urges the Washington Redskins to change their name—all fifty of the Senators are Democrats. Two of the five Democratic Senators not to sign the letter were Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both of Virginia. The letter stated the following: “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.” Redskins’ owner Daniel Snyder has repeatedly stated that the team name, which is 80 years old, is part of the team’s tradition.
