What's in a Name? A team by any other name would still play the same...maybe?

 I don't think changing a name with help any situation or solve a problem. It can cause more conflict than it should with lawsuits and the Senators voting and giving their opinion about name changing. The Senators can do whatever they want with any type of situation, whether or not people aren't happy about a name changing especially if it is a popular sports team. I think it should be up to the team, owners and fans to decide whether or not the names should change. If it was offending people, like the Washington Redskins team, then it should be in control of whoever wants to deal with the negativity. I don't see the "redskin" name being offensive because no one really pays much attention to the name, just how good that team is. It is offensive to those who want it to offensive. The only people who benefit from the change would be the players on that team because they can't control what goes on with their team name. All the players just do what they're paid to do and it doesn't really affect them. The only thing the players will have to change is the colors they wear. I think the fans and the owners of the team will be hurt because the fans buy their team jerseys, t-shirts, hats, etc. and if the name gets changed, it will be a waste of money for them to even buy stuff. It won't even be worth anything because that team won't exist anymore. The owners of the team will be hurt by the change because the owner put so much money to make this team as good as possible and spent a lot of money on a stadium, players, colors, mascots, logos, etc. I think the Sterling case has impacted a lot of teams all over the world. Many of those teams owners don't want to have to go through anything that involves slang words that will affect people.

 

The original mascot was Miami Redskins, but people didn't like the fact that the name because it was offensive to Native Americans. The Native Americans were offended because it was being used as a term that hurt the feelings of the Native Americans and they wanted the name changed. It made the Native Americans feel like they didn't belong. In 1997, the name changed to Miami University Redhawks instead. It is not offensive.