They have made a living with mocking satire through their cartoon show South Park. For those who have never experienced South Park, South Park follows the lives of Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick — four boys living in fictional South Park, Colorado.
Parker and Stone have taken on Dan Snyder, the native-born American of Jewish parents, billionaire and current principal owner of the NFL franchise the Washington Redskins, which Snyder refuses to change the mascot name in the face of a growing movement against him.
Tribal American advocacy groups and their political supporters have been on a political war path to pressure Snyder to change the mascot name.
In June 2014, by a two-to-one decision, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office stripped the Washington Redskins franchise from six registered U.S. trademarks, citing as authority federal law, which bans registry of offensive trademarks.
Back in May 2013, Snyder told a USA Today reporter, "We'll never change the name. It's that simple. Never. You can use caps." Fans of South Park might chuckle over Snyder's attempt to mimic Cart-man, saying, "Respect mah authoritah!"In the 21st century, Snyder looks stupid. In short, he ought to change the name. Worse, the 31 other NFL franchise owners look stupider than Snyder. They should force Snyder to change the name, if they can by their league charter. Short of that, they should denounce the name and demand Snyder change it.
Snyder has choices. Snyder could name the mascot the Warriors. Who could argue against Warriors? Warrior is an Old North French word meaning one who wages war. Such a name is perfect for a team playing as representatives of the nation's capital. Their slogan could be "Warriors, come out and play," taken from the 1979 movie, The Warriors, in which a street gang from Brooklyn must fight against other street gangs on a return trip from the Bronx.
Other warrior-like names include the Paladins, the Berserkers and the Attackers.
Snyder could choose from other names that would reflect today's America. Snyder could name the team the Big Taxers, for the excessive taxes levied against Americans by U.S. Congress. Snyder could name the team the Big Debtors for the excessive debt accumulated by the U.S. Congress. Likewise, another fitting name would be the Big Spenders in yet another hat tip to the U.S. Congress. Still other fitting names would be these: Debt Bingers, War Mongerers, Obamacare Failures, Big Banker Bailouts.
Interestingly, linguist Ives Goddard claims the name redskin comes from tribal Americans who lived in the Illinois and Missouri territories during the 1700s. To buttress his claim, Goddard cites two letters written by tribal American chiefs to an English officer at Fort de Chartres in 1769. The first letter, written by Chief Mosquito of the Piankeshaw, contains this passage: "I shall be pleased to have you come to speak to me yourself if you pity our women and our children; and, if any redskins do you harm, I shall be able to look out for you even at the peril of my life." The second letter, written by Chief Hannanas of the Piankeshaw, contains this passage: "You think that I am an orphan; but all the people of these rivers and all the redskins will learn of my death."
There is a wrong belief being circulated among some who favor a name change claiming the word redskin meant something closer to paying bounty for scalps of tribal Americans through violent scalping and murder. And while the name redskin can be found in a newspaper announcement dating to 1863 which called for killing tribal Americans, it would be beyond a stretch to claim the word redskin had been used to mean scalping from that announcement.
The Washington Redskins franchise originated in Boston in 1932, as the Boston Braves whose owner, George Preston Marshall, had a reputation as a racist owing to his refusal to have Americans of African ancestry as members of his teams. Under Marshall, the Redskins did not have any players of African ancestry until 1962.
In 1962, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall along with Robert F. Kennedy then Attorney General pressured Marshall to sign a player of African ancestry or lose his lease to play his team at D.C. Stadium, a stadium owned by the U.S. Congress.
Before 1926, the NFL stood as a shining example of America. The league featured Fritz Pollard, a star player, American of African ancestry and head coach of the Akron Pros, and Jim Thorpe, the tribal American star player and first president of the forerunner to the NFL, the American Professional Football Association.
In light of recent troubles NFL owners have suffered through NFL players beating their wives and girlfriends, NFL owners need positive news to flip public to their favor.The Washington Redskins franchise originated in Boston in 1932, as the Boston Braves whose owner, George Preston Marshall, had a reputation as a racist owing to his refusal to have Americans of African ancestry as members of his teams. Under Marshall, the Redskins did not have any players of African ancestry until 1962.
In 1962, Interior Secretary Stewart Udall along with Robert F. Kennedy then Attorney General pressured Marshall to sign a player of African ancestry or lose his lease to play his team at D.C. Stadium, a stadium owned by the U.S. Congress.
Before 1926, the NFL stood as a shining example of America. The league featured Fritz Pollard, a star player, American of African ancestry and head coach of the Akron Pros, and Jim Thorpe, the tribal American star player and first president of the forerunner to the NFL, the American Professional Football Association.Here is a soundtrack clip from the movie The Warriors featuring stellar guitarist Joe Walsh, who is a long-time fave.
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