(Win McNamee/Getty Images News)

(Win McNamee/Getty Images News)

Before last night’s disappointing game between the Washington football team and the Philadelphia Eagles got underway, two D.C. Councilmembers tweeted out their well-wishes with a noticeable word missing: The local team’s actual name.

Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) said he was “predicting a BIG win from our Washington home team tonight!” while Councilmember Anita Bonds (D-At Large) tweeted “Good luck to our Washington Football Team!”

So does this mean Barry and Bonds have joined the many outlets who won’t use the offensive name?

Latoya Foster, who serves as Barry’s communications director, told DCist that “out of respect” the mayor-for-life refers to the team as the “Washington home team.”

Bonds’ communications director David Meadows said the Councilmember doesn’t have a set policy about not using the team’s actual name, but is doing her best not to use it. Meadows said Bonds usually refers to the team as the “Skins” and noted that one of Bonds’ grandmothers was “part Native American.”

Councilmember David Grosso (I-At Large) said in April he planned to introduce a non-binding resolution that would call on the team to change their name to the Redtails. Grosso told DCist the resolution was introduced – with co-sponsors Bonds, Barry, David Catania (I-At Large), Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) and Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) – but it is still waiting on passage.

Meanwhile, this is happening.

Filed Under: anita bonds, marion barry, washington football team,