Lewis Black Says Redskins Should Change Their Name

Washington’s NFL team can add the irascible comedian Lewis Black to the list of high-profile fans who think the organization should change its name. Black, who grew up in Silver Spring, was at the National Press Club on Monday and was asked by club president Myron Belkind about the ongoing debate about the team’s name, which is defined by dictionaries as a racial slur against Native Americans.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I think they should,” Black said.

The Daily Show contributor elaborated, saying that if the team’s name was visibly offensive to any other ethnic group, it would not last for long.

“It really means nothing to me,” he said. “It’s just a name. But in terms of the reality of things, everybody in the room knows if it was the Washington Jewy Jews, people would say, ‘Well, I think maybe, we’re gonna have to change that.’”

And it should come as no surprise that when it comes to the team’s owner, Black is an especially cranky fan.

“I don’t like what Dan Snyder has done with the team, on any level whatsoever and it’s one of the most irritating years that I have watched in sports,” Black said while gesticulating wildly.

He added that Snyder’s public insistence on not changing his team’s name from “Redskins” is one more strike against the term. “Since that’s what he wants, I’m dead set against it,” Black said.

Watch Black’s appearance at the National Press Club. The football commentary begins about 44 minutes, 50 seconds in.

Benjamin Freed

Staff Writer

Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.