Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III released a series of tweets on Monday that may have hinted at the projected name change the team is currently facing. Griffin tweeted: ""In a land of freedom we are held hostage by the tyranny of political correctness" and "Tyranny- 'a condition imposed by some outside agency or force ABC.com to believe that the quarterback was refering to a member of the Washington D.C. Council's plan to force the franchise to change their name.
David Grosso told ESPN.com he plans to submit a resolution calling on the Washington Redskins to change their nickname. The politician claims the name is "racist and derogatory" and "it's time to make a change."
Grosso suggested the team change its name to "Redtails" in honor of the Tuskegee Airmen, a pioneering group of African-American pilots who served in World War II. "You can still sing the song and everything," Grosso, told The Washington Post and then sang, "Hail ... to the ... Redtails."
Grosso also added that the name was just a suggestion, but other less offensive names would still be an improvement.
Grosso told the Post that two other members of the 13-person council have agreed to sign the resolution, which would be nonbinding. The newspaper reported that at least eight members of the council would support the potential name change.
The Redskins' nickname is currently being challenged before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board in a case filed by a group of five Native Americans aged between 18 and 24 in 2006. A hearing in the case was held in March.
The group of five Native American petitioners has to show that the name "Washington Redskins" was disparaging to a significant population of American Indians back when the team was granted the trademarks from 1967 to 1990.
The board will not be able to stop the franchise from using the name, however, will take away trademark protection which will hurt the team financially from a marketing perspective.
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