Goodbye Washington 'Redskins.'

PC and "dignity" rules the day.

A judge ruled in favor of opponents of the Washington NFL team's "Redskins" name Wednesday after hearing arguments from both sides in District Court this week, according to the Washington Post. Washington filed a lawsuit in August to contest the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office decision to remove the trademark registration on the team's name.

The case may have turned, in part, on a recent Supreme Court decision that ruled in favor of the State of Texas' right to ban specialty license plates bearing the Confederate flag. The Supreme Court ruled that Texas was not violating the First Amendment rights of the group that proposed the plate's design. The defendants argued that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office removed the "Redskins" trademark on the same basis.

The defendants, five Native Americans led by Amanda Blackhorse, sued the team and won a decision in June of last year that was hailed by their legal team as "a milestone victory." While the decision did not prevent Washington from using "Redskins," it threatened to significantly hamper the team's profitability by allowing others to use the name for their financial gain.
Washington owner Dan Snyder mounted a stalwart defense of the name, vowing to never change it. He'll may have to strongly reconsider that position now. He could face pressure from the NFL's 31 other franchises, who may also take a financial hit due to the league's revenue sharing system.

Snyder could still appeal to a higher court. Given his proclivity to fight, this seems like a likely outcome. Washington may still have a chance to win its trademark back, too. Washington lost its trademark in a 1999 decision, only to win it back in District Court.
The Blackhorse team have already move past that step, however, so there's no question that it has scored a significant victory.

The silver lining in this is that the original name for the Redskins was the Boston Braves. If the organization chooses to go back to the original name then at least it isn't an outright pathetic new name like Syracuse Orangemen. Another possible name once the the word Redskin is discontinued is Red Cloud.

After the Washing Redskins, which professional team is next? The Chicago Blackhawks?