2013 NFL Season Thread

[Your Mom]

I feel bad but I sometimes forget what Redskins even means. Too used to it I guess. Sounds like a good change to me

[HC]

So I read that the D.C. city council wants to force the Washington Redskins into becoming the Washing Redtails, after the Tuskegee Airmen. If that happens, I don't think I want to live on this planet any more.

Yes, because a name based on an offensive stereotype is much better

Did I say that? No. I'm actually for a name change, but not one as corny as that. Thanks for the smart remark though.

Edited May 1, 2013 by HeadCheese

[GhostMachine]

So I read that the D.C. city council wants to force the Washington Redskins into becoming the Washing Redtails, after the Tuskegee Airmen. If that happens, I don't think I want to live on this planet any more.

Yes, because a name based on an offensive stereotype is much better

The Redskins' name being offensive comes up every few years. I think the proper solution if they ever do change the team's name (and I don't see it happening) would be to go back to the helmets with the spear head logo and call the team the Washington Warriors. It keeps the Indian motif without keeping an offensive name.

[gunnar hendershow]

Yes because being identified as spear-carrying savage warriors is not offensive at all.

Paul Lukas had a great article about Native American imagery and names in sports a few months back.

Also I think the Tuskegee Airmen are some of the greatest Americans whoever lived. I think whether or not it would be properly honoring them to name a sports team after them is up to the surviving members and the families of the deceased ones. I would be in favor of it and think it would be a great name for any team. I always feel like sports nicknames are a great opportunity to represent a part of the culture or history of a city, state, region, or the country. It's why names like the Memphis Grizzlies or Arizona Cardinals just sound boring or nonsensical to me whereas names like the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Islanders I think are excellent.

[HC]

Well, to be fair, the Grizz name made a lot more sense in Vancouver. Still love 'em though.

[munky]

Is the UFL still a thing? Tebow could go there.

edit: No, it's not. I guess he's fucked then.

Edited May 1, 2013 by munky

[Lint]

Is the UFL still a thing? Tebow could go there.

edit: No, it's not. I guess he's fucked then.

Apparently the Omaha Beef of some indoor league offered him a contract...$75 a game.

And yes, I had the same thooughts about the whole spear thing..giving a game played by a large african american percentage the chance to be referred to by some idiots as the "Washington Spearchuckers" isn't a good thing either. Going with something to honor the Tuskegee Airmen is a much better idea. "Hey, we're gonna turn this negative into a positive" kind of thing

[Adam]

If they are going to be forced to change their name then the entire logo/mascot/imagery related to Native Americans surely has to go. Keeping it 'similar' or whatever is going to cause the same amount of offence. They're going to need a total rebrand.

I favour the idea of them giving a nod to what Washington means to wider America, in the same vein as the Washington Capitals.

[Cactus Drags]

I'm in favour of them making a change, but I'd like to see them keep the burgundy and gold, you don't see a lot of those colours in sports these days.

[Dan]

I loved the throwbacks the 'skins wore last season. Shame they didn't keep it.

[Maxx]

I'm in favor of anything that upsets or inconveniences Dan Snyder.

[gunnar hendershow]

A lot of the Skins fans I know get so defensive about the name too. It's like changing the name to something else would adversely affect the quality of the players on their team. Some guy actually did tell me it would hurt the amount of fans they have because "a lot of people will think it's a new team" and as a result the established Redskins fans won't root for this new team... or something.

It's a good marketing decision to change the name and logo since fans will have to all buy new merchandise by the boatload.

[HailtotheYo]

To be fair, most people thought Geno was pretty much a lock to go in the first round. The feeling was that despite a weak QB class, teams who desperately needed one (Jags, Raiders, Bills) would still take one but it just didn't pan out that way. And he still would've gone in the 1st round if Bills hadn't surprised everyone and taken EJ Manuel instead of Geno.

Surprise that they didn't take Geno ? They were never interested in Geno and had been heavily scouting/working out/looking into Manuel.

[gunnar hendershow]

Yeah for the Bills it was a surprise they didn't take Nassib, they didn't have any interest in Geno going into the draft. A number of other teams did though, and it was a surprise none picked him.

[livid]

Meh the Nassib talk was all BS being generated by Kiper though. It's clear the guy was nowhere near a 1st rounder and the hype leading up to the draft was obviously manufactured.

[Adam]

Yeah, I more meant that the Bills picking EJ Manuel was a bit of a surprise rather than Nassib, and that it was still a surprise that Geno wasn't taken at all in the 1st Round.

[gunnar hendershow]

Meh the Nassib talk was all BS being generated by Kiper though. It's clear the guy was nowhere near a 1st rounder and the hype leading up to the draft was obviously manufactured.

Kiper gets accused of that a lot--Akili Smith being the primary example--though I have a tough time fully connecting the dots.

[Twist]

It's a good marketing decision to change the name and logo since fans will have to all buy new merchandise by the boatload.

This will be offset by the cost of changing all their branding across the board. Stadium changes, stationary changes, training complex changes. That is a massive cost for an organisation the size of the Redskins. They'll still end up with a profit but it won't be huge.

[Dan]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000166596/article/jacksonville-jaguars-start-anew-with-david-caldwells-debut-draft

Brilliant article I just read, thought I'd share it (Y)

[Berober]

Have you guys read the Grantland article about NFL China? Brilliant read