Charlotte Observer will no longer refer to NFL team as 'Redskins'

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 7 (UPI) -- "Starting with Sunday's newspaper, The [Charlotte] Observer will generally avoid references to the Redskins nickname for Washington's NFL team. Exceptions will include stories that address the controversy," read the article in The Charlotte Observer announcing their change in editorial policy. With Native Americans protesting the Redskins' game in Houston on Sunday, the controversy over the racist connotations of the Redskins game is rising.

Other newspapers around the country, including the Seattle Times, Detroit News, the Salt Lake City Tribune and the Kansas City Star, have already taken the same action. Although organizations like the Associated Press are still using the name, the Charlotte Observer is adding onto the list of publications and commentators unwilling to refer to the team by its current name.

Daniel Snyder, the owner of the Redskins, claims he will never rename the team. Snyder told ESPN that "the name of our team is the name of our team and it represents honor, it represents pride and it represents respect." A recent ESPN poll found that 71 percent of American want the team to keep their name as it is.