Ever since I was seven years old, when I " discovered" the NFL, the Washington Redskins have been my favorite team.  Long live John Riggins, Joe Thiesmann, Art Monk, Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders, Doug Williams, Mark Rypien, Dexter Manley, Mark Moseley, Joe Gibbs (the first time around), and, let us not forget, Chip Lohmiller.

I grew up in Southern Illinois.  The nearest NFL team was the St. Louis Cardinals.  Yes, they were still in St. Louis when I was a youngster.  It seemed like every year they would start out 1-7 then finish strong, just missing the playoffs.  I wanted none of that.

The first game I remember watching was the 1983 Super Bowl, when John Riggins stomped to victory of the Miami Dolphins.

For just about as long as I could remember, they've been my favorite team.

For just about as long as I could remember, I've been horribly embarrassed by their team name.

I believe in tradition, sure, but I don't believe that a team name should be an outdated epithet.  I hope I don't offend any Irish Americans out there, but can you imagine if Boston had an NFL team and they were called the Boston Micks?  Well, because of America's heinous treatment of Native Americans, the term " Redskin" is considered much more dubious by the PC Police.

If Washington's NFL team were to change its name, what could it be?  Post some suggestions in the comment box if you feel like it.  I'll suggest a few at the end of this entry.

Currently, I live in Oklahoma.  We got our first substantial professional sports team, formerly known as the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics.  Well, now they're called the Oklahoma City Thunder.  This name is not offensive, but it is pretty lame.  The Oklahoma City Tornadoes would have been much better.  As it is, it sounds like the NBA has just acquired a single-A minor league baseball team.

Okay.  Enough of that.  Here are my top 5 suggestions for renaming my beloved Washington's NFL franchise: 1) Washington Generals (it worked for the ABA); 2) Washington Huskies (it works for the NCAA); 3) Washington Cosmopolitans (for the up-scale client/fan); 4) Washington Metro (for those who live there, they will attest to the vitality of its Metro subway system); and, 5) DC/AC (this one is aimed squarely at several demographics--electricians, fans of the veteran Australian rock group who brought us " You Shook Me All Night Long," and bi-sexual football fans!).

Am I a heretic for thinking my team's name should be changed?  Let me know.