Raven Ziegler from Minneapolis protests the name nickname of the Washington team. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

This week, Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling came under heavy fire and was rightfully punished after recordings of him making horribly racist remarks surfaced. As a result, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver punished the 80-year-old team owner by fining him $2.5 million and banning him from the NBA for life.

Now, D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is calling on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to follow suit and take action in urging Washington football team owner Dan Snyder to change the team’s racist name. Norton released the following statement:

“Native people, organizations that represent them, allies of every background, and Members of Congress have for years protested and demanded a change in the disparaging and racist Washington football team name, but have made no progress with the National Football League or with team owner Daniel Snyder. A pending legal action holds real promise, but it should never come to that. When Adam Silver saw racism, he acted without hesitation to the acclaim of the nation. The increasing controversy and activism surrounding the name of our hometown football team are in search of a similar national sports leader. Roger Goodell, as the commissioner of his league, is inevitably that leader and stands at the crossroad of either leading the NFL to take the morally required action or condoning the current name of Washington’s football team. While the team’s attempts to trademark the team name have been turned back four times on grounds of disparagement by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and a new ruling that could result in a name change is expected soon, Commissioner Goodell must not allow the NFL to be seen kicking and screaming to rid the league of a team name that carries racist and demeaning connotations from a bygone era.”

Of course, this isn’t new territory for Norton. Last May, Norton, along with nine other members of Congress sent letters to the NFL and team owners urging them to do something to change the team’s name. And earlier this year, Norton cosponsored a bill to cancel trademark registrations that use the team’s name.

And Norton isn’t alone. The Post reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) also thinks Goodell should see the Sterling situation as an example to take action against the Washington football team’s name. “How long will the NFL continue to do nothing—zero—as one of its teams bears a name that inflicts so much pain on Native Americans?” Reid asked. Reid continued, saying that the team name has a “tradition of racism” and that’s all the 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 is morally right and remove this degrading term from the league by changing his team’s name,” Reid said.