How long until the networks blur over the midfield logo of the Washington Censoreds?
Phil Simms announced that he will opt to not say Washington’s team name while broadcasting their games this NFL season. ”My very first thought is it will be Washington the whole game,” the former New York Giants quarterback told the AP’s Barry Wilner, who reports that NBC studio analyst Tony Dungy will look to avoid saying the name, too. Simms provides color commentary for the September 25, Thursday game between his former team and Washington on CBS. His broadcast-booth partner Jim Nantz says it’s not his job to pick sides in this fight.
CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus revealed a do-your-own-thing policy on the team name for announcers last month. “Generally speaking, we do not tell our announcers what to say or not say,” legendary sportscaster Jim McKay’s son said last month. “Up to this point, it has not been a big issue for us. Last year, it was simmering; now it’s reaching a hotter level. But we probably will not end up dictating to our announcers whether they say Redskins or don’t say Redskins. We leave that up to them and our production team.”
Along with the network’s A-game color commentator, Jim Brown, the host of The NFL on CBS, argued earlier this summer that Washington should change its nickname.
Fox, which airs most of Washington’s games this season similarly has allowed flexibility among announcers regarding saying or not saying the name. Nevertheless, Simms’s Fox counterpart, Troy Aikman, intends to say what Simms won’t.
”As long as their nickname is the Redskins,” Aikman, whose career ended on a hit by a linebacker for the Washington Censoreds, tells the AP, “[I will] continue to call them the Redskins.”
At least he will until that schoolmarmish wormser with the bleep button has heard enough.
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