Minneapolis mayor R. T. Rybak is the latest politician calling for the Washington Redskins to change their “derogatory” name as the team comes to town to take on the Minnesota Vikings. In a statement expressing his opposition to the name, he warned his son to not root for the team if he wants any more NFL merchandise from his dad.
“I have a son who lives in Washington who, thankfully, remains a Viking fan, but if he ever changes allegiance, he should not count on his dad buying him anything that uses their derogatory name and logo,” Rybak threatened. The younger Rybak, Charlie, works at Bully Pulpit Interactive, a Washington-based digital marketing company. According to the son’s Twitter account though, Charlie’s just a chip off the old block:
There is one team in the NFL whose name is also a racial slur, and we get to play them today. Go Vikings.
— Charlie Rybak (@charlierybak) November 7, 2013
Rybak joins other Minnesota politicians who have called for the team to change its name, including Governor Mark Dayton and members of both the Minneapolis and Saint Paul city councils.