MIKE DITKA CALLS REDSKINS NAME CRITICS ‘STUPID AND ASININE’
We all know that former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka has never had a problem with expressing how he feels about anything. And on Tuesday he didn’t hold back his thoughts about the controversy over the Washington Redskins name.
The team has come under fire recently for the Redskins name with some claiming it’s insensitive to American Indians. On Monday CBS Sports broadcaster Phil Simms said he is considering not using the Redskins name when he calls the “Thursday Night Football” Redskins-Giants game on Sept. 25.
But Ditka – who is now an NFL analyst for ESPN – said during an interview with RedskinsHistorian.com that he doesn’t understand why this has become such a big issue.
“What’s all the stink over the Redskin name?” Ditka said. “It’s so much… it’s incredible. We’re going to let the liberals of the world run this world.
"It was said out of reverence, out of pride to the American Indian. Even though it was called a Redskin, what are you going to call them, a Brownskin? This is so stupid it’s appalling, and I hope that owner keeps fighting for it. It’s been the name of the team since the beginning of football. It has nothing to do with something that happened lately, or something that somebody dreamed up. This was the name, period. Leave it alone. These people are silly - asinine, actually, in my opinion.”
Ditka also weighed in when it was suggested that it was non-Redskins fans and people outside the D.C. area who are driving the controversy.
“It’s all the political correct idiots in America, that’s all it is,” he said. “It’s got nothing to do with anything else. We’re going to change something because we can. Hey listen, I went through it in the ’60s, too. I mean, come on.
"It’s fine to protest. That’s your right. If you don’t like it, protest. You have a right to do that, but to change the name, that’s ridiculous. Change the Constitution - we’ve got people trying to do that, too, and they’re doing a pretty good job.”
Ditka went on to say that he admired the efforts of owner Dan Snyder to defend his teams’ name.
“Really, I think it’s tradition, it’s history, it’s part of the National Football League,” he said. “It was about Sammy Baugh and all the guys who were Redskins way back then.
"I didn’t think that Lombardi and Halas ever had a problem with it. Why would all these other idiots have a problem with the name? I’m sorry. I’m not very tolerant when it comes to the liberals who complain about everything.” (Photo: Matt Slocum/Associated Press)
(via kickoffcoverage)
