Tuesday, June 9, 2015 | 3:49 p.m.
Harry Reid
Continuing a long string of criticism against the NFL, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid today blasted the league for not changing the name of the Washington Redskins, a moniker some consider offensive.
Reid’s latest attack came after the NFL forced the cancellation of the inaugural National Fantasy Football Convention at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas that some players were scheduled to attend. Under league rules, players cannot make appearances at events held at or sponsored by casinos.
Reid used the opportunity to defend Nevada and take a jab at the NFL, saying league Commissioner Roger Goodell has “left many shaking their heads.”
“It is a sad state of affairs for the NFL that they care more about cancelling a fantasy football convention than a racist franchise name,” Reid said in a statement. “Unfortunately, I am not surprised. As he has in previous instances, Commissioner Goodell handled this situation poorly.”
Reid and some activist groups say the Redskins name is racially charged.
Reid’s censure is nothing new. He has crusaded against the NFL to change the name for more than a year.
His last rebuke came in May when the league and media were flooding the headlines with news about Patriots quarterback Tom Brady using deflated footballs in the playoffs.
“I find it stunning that the National Football League is more concerned about how much air is in a football than with a racist franchise name that denigrates Native Americans across the country,” he said in that instance.
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