Bob Costas rants on Redskins name (Video)

The Dallas Cowboys are hosting the Washington Redskins on Sunday Night football, and at half time Bob Costas decided to address the Redskins name debate. The name has come under fire and has been a polarizing topic among fans, some thinking it should be changed and some people thinking it is perfectly ok.

“If I were the owner of the team and I knew that the name of my team, even if they’ve had a storied history, that was offending a sizable group of people, I’d think about changing it,” President Barack Obama said during an interview with the Associated Press.

That led to the Redskins releasing a statement via their attorney on President Obama’s comments.

“As a supporter of President Obama, I am sure the President is not aware that in the highly respected independent Annenberg Institute poll (taken in 2004) with a national sample of Native Americans, 9 out of 10 Native Americans said they were not bothered by the name the ‘Washington Redskins.’ The President made these comments to the Associated Press, but he was apparently unaware that an April 2013 AP poll showed that 8 out of 10 of all Americans in a national sample don’t think the Washington Redskins’ name should be changed.

“The Redskins respect everyone. But like devoted fans of the Atlanta Braves, the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Blackhawks (from President Obama’s hometown), the fans love their team and its name and, like those fans, they do not intend to disparage or disrespect a racial or ethnic group. The name ‘Washington Redskins’ is 80 years old – its history and legacy and tradition. The Redskins’ fans sing ‘Hail to the Redskins’ every Sunday as an expression of honor, not disparagement.”

Here is Bob Costas take: