In halftime comments for NBC's Sunday Night Football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, NBC sportscaster Bob Costas weighed in on the Redskins name controversy saying that it is unavoidable "an insult [and] a slur."
Aomng those who have called on the team to change its name is a group of former FCC officials including one-time chairman Reed Hundt and National Broadband Plan architect Blair Levin. They sent a letter to the FCC last week asking it to host a broadcaster conference to discuss the issue.
Costas suggested Sunday that "Redskins" was like similar slurs directed toward African Americans, Hispanics or Asians.
Viewed that way, he said, "Redskins" can't possibly honor a heritage, or noble character trait, nor can it possibly be considered a neutral term."
Some sports writers have pledged not to use the name in their copy, but team owner Daniel Snyder has defended its use and signaled he had no plans to change it, even after President Obama weighed in lsat week suggesting that if he owned the team he would consider a change.
Costas said there was no reason to believe Snyder or any official or player on the team meant any offense, but that it was also clear how offense might legitimately be taken.
