Mike Ditka would change Redskins name ‘if it offends American Indians’

After receiving tons of heat over his take on the Washington Redskins’ controversial nickname (short version: he’s okay with it), Mike Ditka offered up more comments that I guess he hoped would clarify his position and make him look less like an out-of-touch old crank.

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I’m not sure he succeeded in his purpose, but he certainly gave us some more entertaining quotes to chew on.

Ditka told the Chicago Sun-Times:

"“Let me say this right now. How long has the Washington team had that name? Eighty some years? Why didn’t it come up before then? Because we have people that sit around that have nothing to do and think, ‘maybe we can cause a stir over this.’“If an American Indian found it to be offensive, I can understand it perfectly. But for somebody who that’s their job is to stir up crap, to go out and say it’s offensive? If an American Indian says it’s offensive, that’s fine. I’m all for changing it. But I don’t want some liberal to come out and say, ‘this is wrong.’ It isn’t wrong.“I don’t think it’s derogatory. A lot of people may feel it’s derogatory, I don’t. Now, that’s only my opinion. That doesn’t make me right. But that’s my opinion, and I’m entitled to that opinion. And, I’ll stay with that opinion until I go to my grave. I don’t find it offensive, and I don’t know if the Indians do.“I just know the logo to me is classic. It’s a warrior. It’s a brave person. It signifies something noble to me. To me! That’s only me. Other people can look at it any way they want to.“Now, did I answer the question!?”"

Unfortunately for us, there is no possible way to ask any “American Indians” if they find the nickname offensive, because they still don’t have phones on their reservations out on the prairie where they hunt buffalo, do rain dances and fight with cowboys.

So I guess we’ll never know if any “American Indians” are offended by the nickname. You win, Ditka. The nickname stays.

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