Influence of the NFL in DC

"Hail to the Redskins, Hail Victory, Braves on the Warpath, Fight for old D.C.!"  Every time I hear that song, I get goosebumps and excited.....

Some of you may remember the glory days of this guy named Theisman who almost won the Heisman (but was beat out by some guy named Plunkett), this strange running back named "Diesel" John Riggins who wore camoflauge pants to a Super Bowl press conference, some quiet wideout named Art Monk, and these scary defensive ends named Dexter Manley and Charles Mann......let alone the famous Hogettes (guys who are my size, and wore dresses to the games to salute the famous Redskin Hogs, which was their offensive line).  Some of you may remember when the Redskins had this QB named Doug Williams, who was a bust in Tampa Bay and then put on one of the highest scoring quarters in Super Bowl history.....some of you may remember Earnest Byner who could run all over the defense, and then Gerald Riggs would come in for 1st and goal, and smash the ball into the end zone for a guaranteed 6 points every time. 

I am sure you have guessed by now I am a lifelong Redskins fan, and a remember some of the glory days...they were truly a magical team lead by the quiet Joe Gibbs....he did not talk smack, he just went out and racked up Super Bowl victories in convincing fashion.  Some of you may remember Jack Kent Cooke, the Canadian man who once owned the Lakers and Kings, and made his fortune selling encyclopedias as a kid. 

Fast forward several years, Jack Kent Cooke has passed on, and the team is now owned by outspoken Daniel Snyder (who I actually admire very much as a businessman), and Mike Shanahan is now their head coach.  I cannot tell you the names of most of the players, as the team has really done nothing much in the past several years.  Snyder is losing his patience (and I appreciate him for this too), as he demands a winner - that is why he got into the game.  Now, the part that surprised me......

While browsing ESPN this AM (as I tend to do on Saturdays), I read that President Obama had some "concerns" with the Redskins.  For the first time in recorded history (or so I thought), I was in agreement with Barack!  The Skins have been dismal, and it is time to return to their winning ways!  Damn right, I have concerns with the Redskins too!  Whatcha gonna do about it Barack?

Well, once again, I found myself at odds with the President (this seems to only happen on days which end with the letter Y).  Apparently, the President is concerned that the name Redskins may be offensive to Native Americans.....an argument which is as old as dirt itself.  Jack Kent Cooke went on the record before his passing making it abundantly clear he would NEVER change the name of his team, and Daniel Snyder has also kept the same party line (yet another reason I really am a fan of Mr. Snyder!). 

I have two concerns with the President's thoughts on this matter.....First off, I am Irish (a swashbuckling, hot-headed Mick is what I refer to myself as), and what about my being offended by Notre Dame's Fighting Irish (which I am not)?  If we are going to make a standard of not offending anyone, should this standard be universal?  Second, last time I checked, there was this government shutdown going on in Washington.....doesn't the President have anything else to be concerned about?  I mean, if he was concerned with the performance of the Redskins (which I am definitely offended by), I would be there with him and demanding that things change.  But if it is the name?  Give me a break!

I guess the moral of the story is that guys who run around on a field for 60 minutes fighting for inches has deep roots and influences in our Country.  My question as a marketer would be how do we get sponsor names on the jerseys like they do in soccer?