Ironic possibility in draft pick for Washington Redskins

Nov 3 2009 - 10:30pm | Keff Ciardello

There is no denying we live in a politically correct culture where, for example, saying “stewardess” or “Merry Christmas” has been deemed inappropriate and offensive.

However, the Washington Redskins have somehow managed to portray blatant racism on one of America’s biggest stages for 77 years with almost no question.

The term “redskin” is a racial slur used toward Native Americans. It was first coined by Caucasian bounty hunters who would refer to the scalps they had removed from the Native Americans (for proof of their kill) as “redskins.”

When the Boston Braves changed their name to the Redskins in 1932 (who moved to Washington in 1937), the term has been synonymous with football — not as a trophy for ethnic cleansing as it was originally intended.

There is still a majority of people who are outraged, but most are desensitized by the team name. Feeling that since the name has been around for so long, it now holds great historical meaning beyond its literal one. It is no longer meant to be offensive, therefore, it isn’t.

Sam Bradford has been the Oklahoma Sooners’ starting quarterback the past three seasons.  Among his accomplishments, his most prestigious was winning the Heisman Trophy in 2008, beating Florida’s Tim Tebow and Texas’ Colt McCoy.

Bradford is of Cherokee descent and is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He is the first Native American to start at quarterback for a Division I institution since Sonny Sixkiller ended his college career with the Washington Huskies in 1972.

But Bradford is going to do something Sixkiller never got the opportunity to do — play in the NFL.

After a season-ending shoulder injury he suffered in a loss to Texas, Bradford has opted to forgo his senior season and enter into the NFL draft to avoid further injury while in college. Despite his injuries, many consider him to be a top prospect at quarterback and potentially a top 10 choice.

If the draft were to start today, the Washington Redskins would have the No. 7 pick. With the league’s worst offense, they need a quarterback.

See where this is going? If the Washington Redskins draft Sam Bradford, it would be the most extravagant case of irony in sports history.

For 77 years, this situation has been avoided. Sure, some Native American players have gone through the NFL. In fact, the first 1,000-yard rushing season was by Beattie Feathers, a Native American who accomplished this feat while a rookie with the Chicago Bears in 1932.

But never has a Native American football player been so prolific, so highly regarded, as Bradford.

If he does drop to No. 7, would Washington actually take him?

It’s hard to pass on somebody who threw for 55 touchdowns in only 12 games during his sophomore season and Daniel Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, has never been one to shy away from controversy. Squashing name-change protests has been his forte since he bought the team in 1999.

Even if Washington does take Bradford, would he play for them?

It would be hard to imagine a man who is listed in the official tribal scrolls of the Cherokee Nation would welcome being the face of franchise that mocks the face of his ancestors. Then again, Johnny Damon did leave the Red Sox to join the Yankees. Everybody has a price.

The most important question that can be asked about this situation is, Would anybody even care?

A Peter Harris Research Poll published in Sports Illustrated in 2002 reported 83 percent of Native Americans interviewed said they didn’t believe professional teams should stop using Native American nicknames, mascots and symbols.

However, the Harris Poll has been called into question.

The poll states people interviewed 351 Native Americans, 217 living on reservations and 134 living off.

A list of who they interviewed was never released despite urges from critics and other groups of people who wanted to see the facts.

A definition of who was constituted as a Native American was asked for and never released.

However, the poll’s main flaw is an accurate sampling of an amorphous population is next to impossible because of the size of the group and the wide range in which the group resides. It’s hard to believe Harris had more resources than the U.S. government to conduct this poll.

Maybe the poll has done nothing but remind us most people, including Native Americans, generally find political correctness unnecessary — a cultural cue to make everybody feel warm inside.

Regardless, the Washington Redskins have gotten away with cultural blasphemy for years while others have had to walk on eggshells to not offend flight attendants.

Whether or not Bradford is a paycheck over principle type of guy has yet to be determined. Time will tell the rest of this story but, for now, it’s just a thought.

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