Oct 10

Rick Reilly’s Father-In-Law Says He Was Misquoted In ESPN Column Defending Redskins Name

Posted in: Today's Chili

In his recent column defending the name of the Washington Redskins, ESPN columnist Rick Reilly highlighted the opinion of his father-in-law. As portrayed by Reilly, his wife’s father, Bob Burns, was a bundle holder in the Blackfeet Tribe who didn’t find the nickname of Dan Snyder’s football team offensive. Rather, he found, according to Reilly, the entire controversy swirling around the moniker to be “silly.” Less than a month later, Burns set the record straight, claiming that he’d been misquoted and making it clear that he would like to see the team’s “damaging and racist” name changed.

“Let me be clear: The racial slur “redskins” is not okay with me,” Burns, who is a Blackfeet elder, wrote in a response published by Indian Country Today Media Network on Oct. 10. “It’s never going to be okay with me. It’s inappropriate, damaging and racist.”

Such a stance is at odds with the way that the 11-time National Sportswriter of the Year portrayed Burns in his ESPN.com column dated Sept. 18.

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