Rob Ford, the beleaguered mayor of Toronto, believes it would be "ridiculous" to change the Washington Redskins name.
"To me, that's ridiculous," Ford said at City Hall on Wednesday, according to the National Post. "What are we going to call the Cleveland Indians? The Cleveland Aboriginals next? The Skins are the Skins and I stick with the Washington Redskins."
Ford, an admitted Redskins fan, maintained his position on Thursday during an interview with 106.7 The Fan.
"(The Redskins name has) been around for years and years and years," Ford said, via the Washington Post. "(Those offended) should have come out when the name was first initiated... How long have the Skins had the name for? How long have the Chiefs had the name for? How long have the Cleveland Indians had the name for? Years and years and years, and all of a sudden people have to come out now?
"I think everything's fine and I'd just stick with the name."
While Ford expressed his support for the Redskins name to remain unchanged, others have stepped forward to condemn what some consider a racist moniker. A group of religious leaders in D.C. - including figures from Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Jewish and Muslim faith groups - published a letter speaking out against the controversial name, Pro Football Talk reports.
"As faith leaders in our nation's capital, we feel we must take a stand on an important moral issue at the forefront of local and national consciousness: the offensive and inappropriate name of Washington's NFL team," the letter states, via PFT. "The derogatory term 'redskin' offends many Native Americans and others in this country. This word, defined in the dictionary as a slur, should not be publicly marketed and celebrated in America, which is built on the ideals of respect and inclusion."
Redskins owner Dan Snyder has repeatedly said he would "never" change the franchise's name.
