Paintrain's all encompassing 'discuss all things offseason' thread (Version 2.0)

[scowan]

Originally Posted by Alvin Walton

Yea well I'm Frank Schmedley from The League of Farmer Tanned White Guys and I say the name is not offensive and the government should gtfo.

Well if you are now a farmer tanned white guy you now have "red skin" and I know you are not offended.

On a serious note, I guess there is no real incentive to change the name for Dan Snyder until he tries to get a new stadium and starts asking for public money to help him build it. Then the Redskin name haters will come out of the wood work I'm sure.

I am really trying hard to find a way to make this offensive for me so I can understand. I am not an American Indian, I am a 45 year old white guy from Kentucky. Even if they called the team the Washington Honkys or the Washington Rednecks, I'm still just not getting offended. Maybe I just have thicker skin, I don't know. Someone needs to give me, a white guy, a name that will really offend me so I can understand. I'm conservative so maybe if you called me a liberal Democrat I might get it.

[Starry Plough]

For what it's worth, I was brought up a Roman Catholic in sectarian Northern Ireland. Now, as I got older I learned not to buy into organised religion on any level, and instead interpret things in my own personal way, but whatever, I won't get into that.

Anyway, there are a number of slurs exchanged between Protestants and Catholics here due to beliefs be them religious, political, or indeed tribal. Two in particular I find particularly offensive to Catholics (and I'm not alone) then are Taig and Fenian.

As the latter was often used to describe an Irish warrior, I've met folk from outside of Ireland who would therefore interpret it as a term of endearment as someone who fought against oppression and tyranny. Something to be proud of if you will. Unfortunately however, that is just not the case, and if someone suggested a team in any area of sport was to be dubbed the Fenians, I guarantee there would be international condemnation.

Now, if I get criticised as not understanding or appreciating what it means to grow up following the Redskins, then of course I get that. There is an identity by association, even, and in some cases especially where team sport is concerned (I know families who live and die by Gaelic football). I guess I'm merely saying I can empathise with concerns within the Native American community, but if the team name were to change, then I'd still follow them regardless.

[irish]

Originally Posted by scowan

Well if you are now a farmer tanned white guy you now have "red skin" and I know you are not offended.

On a serious note, I guess there is no real incentive to change the name for Dan Snyder until he tries to get a new stadium and starts asking for public money to help him build it. Then the Redskin name haters will come out of the wood work I'm sure.

I am really trying hard to find a way to make this offensive for me so I can understand. I am not an American Indian, I am a 45 year old white guy from Kentucky. Even if they called the team the Washington Honkys or the Washington Rednecks, I'm still just not getting offended. Maybe I just have thicker skin, I don't know. Someone needs to give me, a white guy, a name that will really offend me so I can understand. I'm conservative so maybe if you called me a liberal Democrat I might get it.

Its only a matter of time before the name is changed.

You are correct about the new stadium Scowan. Like most things this will end up being about $ and when DS decides he needs a new stadium and wants public $ to build it (there is no chance he will shell out his own dough for a stadium) he will change the name. Of course he will spin it to make it sound like its not about $ and he will use "we fought the good fight t keep the name" language but make no mistake about it, the name change will be all about $.