Washington Redskins ‘racist’ logo should change to RedTails: councilman

If David Grosso owned an NFL team in Washington, he'd call them the RedTails instead of the "racist and derogatory" current name, the Redskins.

The at-large member of Washington's council made the suggestion recently and said he has support from his fellow politicians, the Washington Times said.

The Redskins have long fended off accusations the Native American-themed logo and nickname is racist.

A group of Native Americans recently took the issue to court, trying to deny Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder copyright protection, the Times said.

"We have to change it, and I'm calling on Dan Snyder and the NFL to step up and do the right thing," Grosso said, according to the Washington Examiner.

"I just don't want it to be the racist, derogatory name that they've been using for all this time."

Grosso said he has eight other council members on his side, and even suggested an alternative: the RedTails.

"It's just a suggestion," Grosso told the Examiner. "I just don't want it to be offensive, and at the end, what I'd love to call them is world champions."

RedTails was the nickname of the Tuskegee Airmen during the Second World War. It's also a common breed of hawk.

The city council has very little input on the final decision, however, and its resolution is non-binding.

Washington Mayor Vincent Gray told the Examiner he is reviewing the proposal.

Grosso is still working on the final resolution, the Washington Post said.