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After Redskins Court Loss, D.C. Delegate Tells Team to Throw in the Towel
Pajamas Media ^ | 07/09/2015 | Bridget Johnson

Posted on 07/09/2015 8:53:04 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

D.C.’s delegate to Congress urged the Washington Redskins to throw in the towel after a key loss in court over the team name.

Last year, the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board decided 2-1 not to renew the team’s trademark registration, ruling that Redskins is offensive to American Indians. The case went to court, and today U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee upheld the Patent Office decision.

Lee noted that Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, in 1898, defined Redskins as an “often contemptuous” word, 70 years before the first team trademark was granted. The ruling doesn’t ban the team from using the name or logo, but trademarking it.

Redskins President Bruce Allen said the team is taking the case up to the 4th District Court of Appeals.

“We are convinced that we will win on appeal as the facts and the law are on the side of our franchise that has proudly used the name Washington Redskins for more than 80 years,” he said in a statement.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said that after the Patent Office and federal court rulings, “I hope that [owner] Dan Snyder gets on with his real business of getting the team back in winning form and selecting a new mascot.”

“The national public outcry has been overwhelming and it is clear residents do not want their beloved Washington football team name to be aligned with the disparagement of Native Americans or any other ethnic group,” Norton said. “As a former First Amendment lawyer, I have looked closely at Snyder’s free speech defense and could find no precedents in federal law that would predict further litigation would be successful. In light of today’s ruling, further dependence on the courts could destroy what good will remains for the team and further harm Snyder’s own reputation.”

“Surely, these two rulings should summon NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the 29 other NFL team owners, who benefit from our team, to exercise their leadership and hasten what appears to be the inevitable outcome of changing our team’s name.”


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: racism; redskins
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To: pepsionice

” rename them the Virginia ‘English’ “

What about the Saxons or the Anglo Saxons? Seemingly there is nothing preventing the use of derogatory terms for whites, how about the Crackers?


21 posted on 07/09/2015 9:18:29 AM PDT by rey
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To: Old Yeller

Exactly.

Whatever they do, the Redskins name and logos must remain. IIRC, the Indian head logo was drawn by an actual Indian who didn’t like the old “Circle R” logo.


22 posted on 07/09/2015 9:19:30 AM PDT by NorthMountain ("The time has come", the Walrus said, "to talk of many things")
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To: Buckeye Battle Cry

See post 19 here for new proposed logo from OLD team: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3243656/posts


23 posted on 07/09/2015 9:19:57 AM PDT by Buckeye Battle Cry (Hillary - Ethically sleazy and politically stupid)
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To: rey

The Redskanks, in honor of Hillary.


24 posted on 07/09/2015 9:20:42 AM PDT by MUDDOG
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To: SeekAndFind

I always forget that Offending Someone is against the Law.

I’m sure the SCOTUS will find it in that Constitution thingy.


25 posted on 07/09/2015 9:21:01 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (They Live, and we're the only ones wearing the Sunglasses.)
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To: DoodleDawg
he should call a press conference and say that henceforth the team will be known as "Washington".

That would be the prudent thing to do. Especially if this gets overturned. As an alternative, I would offer "Commies" as in Washington Commies.

26 posted on 07/09/2015 9:23:13 AM PDT by BipolarBob
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To: Kickass Conservative

“Constitution thingy” - in liberal justice speak that is pronounced “PENUMBRA”. It’s the ideological equivalent of giving the Constitution a sex change operation.


27 posted on 07/09/2015 9:23:32 AM PDT by Buckeye Battle Cry (Hillary - Ethically sleazy and politically stupid)
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To: SeekAndFind

Contemptuous, huh? I’ll give you contemptuous: change the name to “The Washington P.C.’s”.


28 posted on 07/09/2015 9:24:45 AM PDT by ArmstedFragg (Hoaxey Dopey Changey)
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To: ArmstedFragg

29 posted on 07/09/2015 9:26:55 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: ArmstedFragg

Or, in the tradition of Stan Freberg: “The Washington Swiss”, that way we don’ offend nobody.


30 posted on 07/09/2015 9:30:17 AM PDT by ArmstedFragg (Hoaxey Dopey Changey)
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To: smokingfrog

So we have the Atlanta Braves, the Chicago Blackhawks, The Cleveland Indians and on and on.


31 posted on 07/09/2015 9:36:31 AM PDT by nikos1121 ("The enemy of your enemy is your enemy!" B. Netanyahu)
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To: smokingfrog

Pekin, Illinois was supposedly named that because Peking China is 180 degrees from the city on the other side of the globe. the High School football team were known as the “Chinks” up until just a few years ago. I think they’re the Dragons now.


32 posted on 07/09/2015 9:38:55 AM PDT by nikos1121 ("The enemy of your enemy is your enemy!" B. Netanyahu)
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To: SeekAndFind

Has Redman chewing tobacco taken any flak over their name and logo?


33 posted on 07/09/2015 9:41:06 AM PDT by BulletBobCo
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To: Boonie
Change the nickname to the “REBELS”....

And make the new logo the Confederate Flag.

34 posted on 07/09/2015 9:50:59 AM PDT by chopperman
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To: nikos1121

The should be called the Ducks!!!


35 posted on 07/09/2015 10:05:01 AM PDT by Go_Raiders (Freedom doesn't give you the right to take from others, no matter how innocent your program sounds.)
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To: Timber Rattler

That is what I would do, pack up move and give them the finger as I drive out of town.


36 posted on 07/09/2015 10:08:49 AM PDT by sarge83
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To: SeekAndFind

What about Indian Head Pennies?


37 posted on 07/09/2015 10:14:26 AM PDT by Rodentking (There is no God but Yahweh and Moses is his prophet - http://www.airpower.blogspot.com/)
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To: Timber Rattler
If I were Dan Snyder, I’d pack up the team and get away from DC just to spite Norton and her ilk.

Yep, screw all these suck bag rat bast---s.

38 posted on 07/09/2015 10:14:48 AM PDT by Mark17 (Thy goodness faileth never. Good shepherd may I sing thy praise, within thy house forever. Amen)
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To: SeekAndFind
...ruling that Redskins is offensive to a few American Indians.

There. Fixed it.

39 posted on 07/09/2015 10:18:19 AM PDT by sima_yi ( Reporting live from the far North)
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To: Buckeye Battle Cry

I think that would be one of his best options. Simply threaten to leave the D.C. area, if he continues to have to play these stupid games.

I think if he did that, the people of the region and even Congress would start to back off from this TRIVIAL issue and move on with their lives!

As a Dallas Cowboys fan, I typically loathe the Washington Redskins, but I support Dan Synder and the Washington Redskins in their fight against political correctness. And that is ALL this is! A stupid fight against political correctness. The correct answer to a PC fight is, “NO, YOU DON’T GET TO CHOSE MY WORDS OR THOUGHTS! NO!”


40 posted on 07/09/2015 10:44:46 AM PDT by ExTxMarine (Public sector unions: A & B agreeing on a contract to screw C!)
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