Roger Goodell says Washington Redskins name change up to owner

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told a Washington D.C. radio station on Wednesday that any decision to change the Washington Redskins name would be up to the teams’ owner, Dan Snyder.

Goodell, who lived in Washington D.C. in his early age, says he was a Redskins fan and understands the “history and tradition” of the name, according to Chris Lingebach of WJFK-FM in Washington. However, he did seem to accept that some fans may offended by the name.

“I think what we have to do though is we have to listen,” Goodell said. “If one person is offended, we have to listen. Ultimately it is Dan (Synder)’s decision. But it’s something that I want all of us to go out and make sure we’re listening to our fans, listening to people of a different view, and making sure that we continue to do what’s right to make sure that team represents the strong tradition and history that it has for so many years.”

Goodell has defended the name in the past, and wrote a letter to congress back in June claiming the name represents “a unifying force that stands for strength, courage, pride and respect.” However, in this recent statement Goodell seems to be washing his hands of the matter, saying it isn’t up to the league to decide on the name.

The Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin will protest the Redskins/Packers game in Green Bay this weekend, according to the Green Bay Press Gazette. In a radio ad run in New York, one Oneida tribe member says “We do not deserve to be called redskins… We deserve to be treated as what we are — Americans.”