The Onion On Football's Redskins

The internet collectively gasped yesterday when the Onion took its latest shot at the long-running controversy over the name of the Washington Redskins.

WASHINGTON—Denying widespread claims that the franchise is being offensive or disrespectful, the Washington Redskins’ kike owner announced Monday that he remains steadfast in his refusal to change the team’s derogatory name. “The Redskins represent 81 years of great history and tradition, and it’s a source of pride for our fans,” said the hook-nosed kike, stressing that the team’s insulting moniker is “absolutely not a racial slur by any means.” “‘Washington Redskins’ is much more than just a name. It stands for strength, courage, and respect—the very values that are so intrinsic to Native American culture.” The shifty-eyed hebe went on to assure fans that he will do “everything in his power” to preserve the team’s proud heritage.

Eric Levenson writes at the Atlantic:

Those anti-Semitic words are written in satire, but still, they appear pretty shocking. Which is, of course, the point. Would Snyder really defend the Redskins name if he were Native American? This story fits into other similarly focused attacks on the name that imagine how Redskins supporters like Snyder would feel if the team name were another minority. Consider, for example, the San Francisco Chinamen or the New York Jews, as the National Congress of American Indians did in protest of the Cleveland Indians. Even so, journalists have been unsure how to discuss the story and whether it crosses the line or not, while still retweeting the story link. "The Onion, well, went there. You know, there," The Atlantic's Matt Schiavenza tweeted. "Damn," Al Jazeera America's Jared Keller wrote, without an opinion on the article's appropriateness. "Hoo-boy," responded BuzzFeed sportswriter Erik Malinowski.

The Jewish Telegraph notes that Jewish groups have long denounced the name, most recently last week when the Anti-Defamation League issued a statement.