The NFLPA is "willing to take joint legal action" with the Redskins against the NFL, "aimed at retrieving some of the salary cap space that the team lost last year," according to sources cited by Maske & Jones of the WASHINGTON POST. But the sources added that the union and the Redskins "have not discussed such an effort." A source said that the Redskins "are not interested in such joint legal action because they do not support the union’s allegation that the league and teams improperly colluded to restrict players’ salaries in the sport’s season without a salary cap" in '10. The source added that legal action by the team "without the union, remains a possibility." The unrestricted free agent market opens at 4:00pm ET tomorrow, and the Redskins "must be under the salary cap by then." A source said that the NFLPA "would continue to welcome a joint legal effort with the Redskins on the salary cap case." The source added that there had been "no dialogue between the union and the team on the subject but the Redskins still could join the union’s appeal of its collusion case against the league and teams." A source confirmed that the union "would be interested in joint legal action with the team but said the Redskins haven’t given that serious consideration because they 'don’t think there was collusion'" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/9).
WHAT'S IN A NAME? In DC, Mike Wise writes Redskins Owner Dan Snyder should be "proactive before the courts" regarding the team's controversial nickname, before NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell "takes it out" of his hands." Snyder should act "before the National Congress of American Indians aligns with another powerful political minority lobby to launch a boycott" of the team's sponsors and "starts taking money out" of his pocket. Wise writes if he were in Snyder's position, "I name them the Washington Warriors. I do away with the spears, the logo and all native peoples' imagery. I honorably retire the old name in a ceremony to include tribal chiefs and I dedicate the new name to the Wounded Warriors and every soldier who has served our country." With momentum for change "growing, the owner will continue to come across as a petty, little man on the wrong side of history" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/11).
