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| Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid |
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says it's time for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to follow NBA counterpart Adam Silver's lead and rid his "league of bigotry and racism" by forcing the Washington Redskins to change their nickname.
Reid, who has been a vocal opponent of the nickname, congratulated the NBA on Wednesday for banning Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life. Sterling was caught in an audio recording making racist comments about blacks.
On Tuesday, Silver banned the 80-year-old Sterling for life, fined him $2.5 million (the maximum allowed by the NBA's constitution) and pressed other team owners to support his desire to make Sterling sell the Clippers. If three-fourths of the other 29 owners agree to Silver's recommendation, Sterling will be forced to sell the team he has owned since 1981. Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive said Wednesday on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike" that he expects the vote to be unanimous (29-0) to remove Sterling.
"Commissioner Silver and the NBA leadership have set the standard for how professional sports organization should act in the face of racism," Reid said, according to ABC News. "How long will the NFL continue to do nothing, zero, as one of its teams bears the name that inflicts so much pain for Native Americans."
Reid called on Goodell to "follow the NBA's example" and "remove this hateful term from your league's vocabulary."
In March, Reid told The Washington Post that he thinks the Redskins will change the name within three years. The Nevada Democrat, who said his state has 22 tribes, accused Redskins owner Daniel Snyder of hiding behind tradition in retaining his team's name.
"It is untoward of Daniel Snyder to try to hide behind tradition," Reid said. "Tradition? That's what he says in refusing to change the name of the team. Tradition? What tradition? A tradition of racism is all that name leaves in its wake. Mr. Snyder knows that in sports the only tradition that matters is winning, so I urge Daniel Snyder to do what's morally right and remove this degrading term from the league by changing his team's name."
AP PhotoSenate Majority Leader Harry Reid called on the NFL to follow the NBA's lead to end racism and bigotry in its league by changing the Redskins' nickname.
Snyder has insisted he will not change the team's name, calling it a "badge of honor.''
Read the full story: www.espn.go.com
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