Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Some of the most prominent people in Washington — the president and at least half of the U.S. Senate — want Daniel Snyder to change the team name of his Washington NFL club. But fans in the Washington region do not agree, according to a poll released Wednesday.
The poll by Vox Populi says 65% of area NFL fans don’t think the name should change, and when you include only fans of the team, that number rises to 77%. Moreover, 56% say they would not buy new merchandise should the name change, which Snyder has said will “never” happen.
Vox Populi is a polling firm launched this year by Republican strategists, including Mary Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. The company said it polled 701 “self-declared” NFL fans, including 352 who said the Washington team is their favorite.
Asked if the name is offensive, 71% of the local NFL fans, including 83% of the team’s fans, said it is not. The Oneida Indian Nation, which opposes the team name, commissioned a public opinion survey last fall that showed 59% in the Washington region believe American Indians have a right to feel offended by the name.
