Daniel Snyder.
A messaging firm run by a Republican strategist will hold a focus group tomorrow in Alexandria to get opinions on the name of the Washington football team, Think Progress reports. Luntz Global is run by Frank Luntz, the man credited with telling the Bush Administration to use the term “climate change” instead of “global warming”
Think Progress has the details:
An email survey meant to judge the interest and eligibility of potential participants includes multiple questions about the NFL generally, including how many games they watch and attend. It also asks about their “overall opinion of the NFL right now,” their “overall opinion of the NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell,” and what they perceive as the “greatest problem or challenge facing the NFL today.”
Five questions in the survey ask directly about the [Washington football team]. “Which of the following best reflects your opinion of the NFL team name ‘Washington [Name Omitted]’?” the 20th question asks, offering “I find the name offensive and they should change it” or “I don’t find the name offensive and they should keep it as is” as the possible answers. The next question asks respondents, “In a word or phrase, please describe the ownership of the [Washington football team].”
It’s not known if Washington football team owner Dan Snyder commissioned the focus group, as he did not return Think Progress’s request for comment. Synder has previously pledged to “NEVER” change the team’s name. A May Associated Press poll found that many back Snyder, with 79 percent of respondents saying the team should keep its offensive name.
Ten lawmakers recently sent Synder and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a letter urging them to change the Washington football team name, which DCist proudly omits, as it is “derogatory, demeaning and offensive.”
In response to the lawmakers’ complaint,Goodell released a statement defending the name: “[The Washington football team] name has thus from its origin represented a positive meaning distinct from any disparagement that could be viewed in some other context. For the team’s millions of fans and customers, who represent one of America’s most ethnically and geographically diverse fan bases, the name is a unifying force that stands for strength, courage, pride and respect.”
