Ben Tribbett doesn’t want to be a distraction to the Washington Redskins, Dan Snyder’s controversially named NFL franchise that can’t seem to win on the field or in the public opinion polls. Tribbett is an experienced inside-the-beltway political guy who knows his way around Twitter, but the job promoting (defending?) the Redskins proved too hot to handle. In tweets Tribbett said the attacks on him for joining the Redskins grew too “personal”–essentially saying he didn’t want to fight the fight.
The Redskins name issue is nowhere near as clear cut as many in the media make it seem. Despite calls from members of Congress and various pundits that Snyder change the name–considered by many to be offensive and racist toward native Americans–a large cohort of fans (and Native Americans, too) want the name to persist. Tribbett counted himself among them–and still does: “Hail Redskins” he tweeted after tweeting that he’d resign. He’s got a lot of company in supporting the name. One comment on a 2paragraphs article about the Redskins name controversy begins like this: “I’m Cherokee in Oklahoma & disagree 100% WE came up with that name & it was never meant to be a slur. Only Activist groups and politicians that don’t care about us average natives are using this as attention.” Mr. Snyder will no doubt find another Ben Tribbett. Mr. Tribbett may even change his mind.
