According to a new survey conducted by NFL Nation reporters, of 286 players whom were asked whether or not the Washington Redskins needed to change their name during the off-season and training camp, while 42% of them said yes (167), 58% of them said no (119).
The reporters also asked 51 Washington Redskins players the same question, of which 26 responded with a no, 1 responded with a yes, and 24 didn't respond at all.
This is a rather pointless poll - especially with regard to the Washington Redskins players. There are approximately 1,696 players in the NFL, so 286 represents just 16.9% of the league. Also, it's not as if this is a general election year and it'd be virtually impossible to ask every person in this country for whom they'll likely vote. There are 1,696 players in the league, so it would be very possible to survey everyone and garner a better idea of how the league's players feel about the matter. As far as the Redskins players are concerned, their owner - Daniel Snyder - has been adamant in his defense of the team's nickname this off-season. He's even gone so far as to say that the name is basically honoring Native Americans. So, of course players on the team aren't going to say the name should be changed, and it's quite telling that nearly half of those surveyed refused to answer the question.
Regardless of the numbers, though, popular opinion doesn't really dictate right from wrong. It can dictate what people feel is right or wrong, but it is not a definitive measure. Back in the day, if a similar poll were released regarding the use of the "N" word, and 58% of the people said it wasn't offensive, that wouldn't make it so. It'd simply show what people thought of it, and as history has indicated time and time again, people's opinions change and evolve. It wasn't too long ago that a large majority of this country disapproved of gay marriage, yet now, a majority of this country approves it. No matter what percentage of players in the league feel that the Washington Redskins shouldn't change their name, that can't detract from the fact that the term "Redskins" is derogatory and shouldn't be used by a large, powerful organization (or any organization) to represent a group of people.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11452022/nfl-nation-confidential-majority-players-support-washington-redskins-nickname
The reporters also asked 51 Washington Redskins players the same question, of which 26 responded with a no, 1 responded with a yes, and 24 didn't respond at all.
This is a rather pointless poll - especially with regard to the Washington Redskins players. There are approximately 1,696 players in the NFL, so 286 represents just 16.9% of the league. Also, it's not as if this is a general election year and it'd be virtually impossible to ask every person in this country for whom they'll likely vote. There are 1,696 players in the league, so it would be very possible to survey everyone and garner a better idea of how the league's players feel about the matter. As far as the Redskins players are concerned, their owner - Daniel Snyder - has been adamant in his defense of the team's nickname this off-season. He's even gone so far as to say that the name is basically honoring Native Americans. So, of course players on the team aren't going to say the name should be changed, and it's quite telling that nearly half of those surveyed refused to answer the question.
Regardless of the numbers, though, popular opinion doesn't really dictate right from wrong. It can dictate what people feel is right or wrong, but it is not a definitive measure. Back in the day, if a similar poll were released regarding the use of the "N" word, and 58% of the people said it wasn't offensive, that wouldn't make it so. It'd simply show what people thought of it, and as history has indicated time and time again, people's opinions change and evolve. It wasn't too long ago that a large majority of this country disapproved of gay marriage, yet now, a majority of this country approves it. No matter what percentage of players in the league feel that the Washington Redskins shouldn't change their name, that can't detract from the fact that the term "Redskins" is derogatory and shouldn't be used by a large, powerful organization (or any organization) to represent a group of people.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11452022/nfl-nation-confidential-majority-players-support-washington-redskins-nickname
Comments
Post a Comment