Redskins tell fans to tweet senator who's calling for name change
What could go wrong?
In what seems like a wildly questionable public relations move, the Washington Redskins organization told its Twitter followers on Thursday to tweet Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who last week signed a letter calling on the NFL to pressure owner Dan Snyder to change the team's name.
Tweet @SenatorReid to show your #RedskinsPride and tell him what the team means to you.
— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) May 29, 2014
Not surprisingly, the strategy backfired, with people on Twitter mocking the #RedskinsPride campaign and flooding the team's timeline with snarky tweets.
Racism. #RedskinsPride @redskins @senatorreid
— Matt Binder (@MattBinder) May 29, 2014
#RacialSlurPride RT @Redskins: Tweet @SenatorReid to show your #RedskinsPride and tell him what the team means to you.
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) May 29, 2014
.@Redskins @SenatorReid 300 years of institutional racism and genocide? #RedskinsPride
— Jake Knowles-Jenssen (@Jake_Jenssen) May 29, 2014
Hey @Redskins and @HarryReid! To me #redskinspride is about normalizing overt racism in the 21st century. Did I do this right @Redskins ?
— Bart Johnston (@MBJohnston12) May 29, 2014
Embarrassed to root for a team this stupid. "@Redskins: Tweet @SenatorReid to show your #RedskinsPride.Tell him what the team means to you.”
— Walker Francis (@wwnf7) May 29, 2014
I can think of a worse PR move than #RedskinsPride, but it's "Using a racist slur as a team name in the 1st place." http://t.co/4KB6TgfpqL
— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) May 29, 2014
Dan Snyder is a scumbag. Happy? RT @Redskins: Tweet @SenatorReid to show your #RedskinsPride and tell him what the team means to you.
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) May 29, 2014
The letter, signed by Reid and 49 other Democratic senators, said the NBA's recent decision to discipline Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for his racist remarks should embolden the NFL to put pressure on Snyder.
"The despicable comments made by Mr. Sterling have opened up a national conversation about race relations," the letter addressed to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reads. "We believe this conversation is an opportunity for the NFL to take action to remove the racial slur from the name of one of its marquee franchises."
In a letter responding to Reid, Redskins President Bruce Allen argued that "the term Redskins originated as a Native American expression of solidarity" and "continues to carry a deep and purposeful meaning"; the team's logo was designed by Native Americans; and "an overwhelming majority of Americans do not find the name offensive."
