Group asks Supreme Court to look at 'Redskins'

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4474771 ^

[mainepatsfan]

American Indians look to high court

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- A group of American Indians who find the Washington Redskins' name offensive wants the Supreme Court to take up the matter.

The group late Monday asked the justices to review a lower court decision that favored the NFL team on a legal technicality.

The seven Native Americans have been working through the court system since 1992 to have the Redskins trademarks declared invalid. A U.S. Patent and Trademark Office panel ruled in their favor in 1999, but they've since suffered a series of defeats from judges who ruled that the plaintiffs waited too long to bring their suit in the first place.

A lawyer for the group says he'd like to see the court decide once and for all whether the Redskins name defames Native Americans.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

[mainepatsfan]

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[La Lydia]

When are the Texas Rangers going to be sued by the, uh, Texas Rangers for defaming them?

[kabar]

I hope they force them to change the name. It will be a little Schadenfreude for DC and their beloved Redskins.

[Jack Wilson]

They’ve been working on this since 1992? Who was running their casinos while they were doing this?

[Jane Austen]

Then there are the Minnesota Vikings and Notre Dame's Fighting Irish. And what about the Raves? Who will stand up for the poor, voiceless birds?

[muawiyah]

These guys don't have a clue. To the fans the team is known as "The Skins".

All sportsmen and sportswomen know that in men's sports there are always two sides in training or in pickup games ~ "The Shirts" and "The Skins".

We think it's really something that over a period of time our football team is half the game everywhere.

[BJClinton]

When are the Texas Rangers going to be sued by the, uh, Texas Rangers for defaming them?

When they choke in the playoffs.

[La Lydia]

Snort!

[mainepatsfan]

When are the Texas Rangers going to be sued by the, uh, Texas Rangers for defaming them? When they choke in the playoffs.

That process has already started.

[Seeking the truth]

Actually, as a from conception New York Giant fan, I refer to them as the “Foreskins”.

[A message]

I find Raiders, Buccaneers and Vikings offensive. At some point in history I’m sure these murderous thieves caused harm to my ancestors.

And to think Clarence Thomas was on my SF to Washington flight yesterday. I should have stormed into first class and demanded he do something about these unjust football team names /s

[newnhdad]

Yeah, they’ll look at them every Sunday for the next few months and come to the decision that they need a new QB and new head coach.

[Zack Attack]

And what about the Raves? Who will stand up for the poor, voiceless birds?

Cass Sunstein of course.

[greenhornet68]

Screw them! Just change the mascot to the fierce “redskin” potato.

[RetSignman]

They SHOULD change the name, they should change it to the “Washington Commissars”

[Bender2]

Re: ...are the Texas Rangers going to be sued by the, uh, Texas Rangers for defaming them?

That's a case even the Texas Supreme Court would agree with this and most of the past seasons!

Now, I've never called the Redskins... 'Redskins,' ya know.

And calling them Deadskins... only defames Democrat voters.

[La Lydia]

I’ve been thinking that the “Washington Weasels” would be appropriate. It honors Congress, the executive branch, and Dan Snyder.

[Uncle Ivan]

Not to mention most of their fanbase. As a Cowboys fan, I’d love to see the Foreskins be forced to change it.

[The Pack Knight]

The group late Monday asked the justices to review a lower court decision that favored the NFL team on a legal technicality.

If I remember correctly, the "legal technicality" was the equitable defense of laches. The doctrine of laches says that when a party knows its rights and fails to assert them against another party in a timely manner and the delay is to the detriment of the other party, then the party forfeits those rights. In other words, if you know something someone else is doing is wrongfully harming you, you can't just sit around and let him keep doing it for years and then go out and sue him. It's an equitable defense, though, and can generally only be used as a defense against equitable remedies, such as the injunctive relief sought in this case.

This wasn't a "technicality." The court decided that it would be unjust to order the Redskins to stop using that name the plaintiffs had sat around and let them use it for years.