On Tuesday, August 19, NBC continued the liberal media’s obsession with bullying the NFL’s Washington Redskins into changing its name. Nightly News anchor Brian Williams insisted that the team is having difficulty defending its name because “some consider it a slur.”
Williams introduced the segment by proclaiming “it might have just gotten more difficult for the Washington Redskins to hang on to their name. Two NFL veterans who are now both veteran broadcasters, both say they will not use the team’s name during this coming football season in the booth.”
The NBC anchor then turned to reporter Ron Mott to hype two NFL broadcasters who are refusing to use the name Redskins when they work NFL games:
Last night the Washington Redskins won their preseason game and their controversial nickname was heard during the nationally televised broadcast. But in the coming season, two high profile football analysts, Phil Simms for CBS and Tony Dungy for NBC, say they will join the list of media professionals and organizations avoiding using the name. It's such a political football they also declined today to say anything further.
Mott did provide soundbites of individuals on both sides of the Redskins name debate, but the NBC reporter did his best to promote the notion that “the pressure is mounting” for the team to change its name. The report touted how “last month, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office canceled the team’s trademark registrations for being disparaging.”
As the segment concluded, Mott highlighted how “experts say money may be the only factor that could persuade Snyder.” He then turned to Abraham Madkour of Sports Business Journal to proclaim that “the only thing that's going to potentially impact his decision is whether or not sponsors depart the Redskins and don’t renew their deals.”
See relevant transcript below.
NBC Nightly News
August 19, 2014
BRIAN WILLIAMS: It might have just gotten more difficult for the Washington Redskins to hang on to their name. Two NFL veterans who are now both veteran broadcasters, both say they will not use the team’s name during this coming football season in the booth. Instead, they’ll just talk about the Washington squad on the field. The team owner has resisted a name change even though some consider it a slur. And this won't help, as we said. Our report tonight from NBC's Ron Mott.
RON MOTT: Last night the Washington Redskins won their preseason game and their controversial nickname was heard during the nationally televised broadcast. But in the coming season, two high profile football analysts, Phil Simms for CBS and Tony Dungy for NBC, say they will join the list of media professionals and organizations avoiding using the name. It's such a political football they also declined today to say anything further.
MIKE WISE: These are household names during the fall in our living rooms. And if they're not using the name and other people start not using the name, you do become irrelevant at some point as a brand.
MOTT: The pressure is mounting.
UNKNOWN PERSON 1: Native Americans call themselves many things.
MOTT: Last month, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office canceled the team’s trademark registrations for being disparaging. But owner Dan Snyder has held firm, appealed the decision, vowing never to change the name. Today the team said the name derivative and directed people to redskinsfacts.com to learn the truth of its origin. NFL Hall of Famer Mike Ditka told the Washington Post “this is so stupid it's appalling. It should never be anything but the Washington Redskins.” At Theismann’s Sports Bar in suburban D.C., opinions were split.
UNKNOWN PERSON 2: I grew up being a Redskins fan, and that's how I know my team. I don't see it as a discriminating term.
UNKNOWN PERSON 2: I think it's offensive. I mean, it clearly is something that many people have spoken out against.
MOTT: Experts say money may be the only factor that could persuade Snyder.
ABRAHAM MADKOUR: The only thing that's going to potentially impact his decision is whether or not sponsors depart the Redskins and don’t renew their deals.
MOTT: In the interim, said or unsaid, the name remains the same. Ron Mott, NBC News, Boston.
