WASHINGTON (AP) — Political leaders in the nation’s capital are praising a decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the trademark for the Washington Redskins’ nickname.
District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray said Wednesday that he’s a “huge fan” of the team and a “huge fan” of changing its name. The Democratic mayor calls the ruling “yet another step in that direction.”
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat who represents the District in Congress, says the ruling that the name “Redskins” is disparaging “was close to inevitable” given a similar previous ruling by the patent office that was overturned on a technicality. She says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should urge the team not to appeal the decision and “put this issue to rest.”
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