Montana Senator Steve Daines will NOT be voting in favor of the bill to give the RFK land back to DC when that comes up on Wednesday – because as he told Grant & Danny on Monday evening, if it ain’t the old logo, it ain’t the old site.
“As part of that hearing, I'm gonna be bringing up the story of Blackie Wetzel, and the story of the logo that the Washington Commanders, formerly the Redskins, used to have, that I know the fans love,” Daines said. “We love it out here in Montana, but most importantly is the Blackfeet nation, one of my tribes I represent. It’s a great story behind that logo, and that this is what I'm gonna be bringing up during the hearing is that this issue gets dealt with as part of extending this lease for 99 years.”
Daines and Sen. Angus King (I, Maine) co-chair the National Parks Subcommittee, which will hear the bill because the RFK grounds are part of the National Parks Service, so he has the power to do so. Wetzel was a Blackfeet tribe member who designed the now-defunct Redskins logo of Chief Two Guns White Calf, and as a Montana Senator, Daines wants to make sure Wetzel is honored for his contributions – a cause also championed by Wetzel’s son, Don.
WUSA’s Eric Flack Tweeted after Daines’ appearance that “on the Senator's effort to bring back old logo as part of RFK land approval, Commanders spokesperson said ‘We have spoken directly with the Wetzel family...to recognize Blackie Wetzel for his contributions in creating our former logo.’”
Which, apparently, is paramount to getting Daines on board, as his lack of support could kill the bill?
“We have something here where we can be an opportunity to do something historic for Indian country in Montana, and across our great country, as well as the fan base in Washington and for the Washington Commanders,” Daines said. “My goal is for the Washington Commanders to honor the pride, the history, the heritage of the Blackfeet tribe, who are my constituents, and for their contributions to the team's legacy. That logo is a tribute to honor Native Americans; it's not a character, it's a depiction of Chief Two Guns White Calf, a depiction of pride, strength, courage, and honor – and that logo remains a point of pride for many in Indian country out here in Montana. However, the failure to properly honor that must be made right by the both the new team ownership and the NFL.”
Because yeah, if not…
“I'm not gonna proceed with supporting that bill and allow that to go through until the new owners and the NFL meet with the Wetzels and come to some kind of a mutual agreement that is satisfactory for both sides,” Daines said. “I understand there has to be a back and forth on this, but this is about making things right for everybody involved for the Indian country in Montana. I'm not calling for the team to bring back the old name, but I do wanna see them honor their heritage as a franchise at a minimum, and the history of Blacky Wetzel and the Blackfeet tribe and their role in designing the logo needs to be told. I'm not going to support the RFK bill until I see meaningful action taken by the team to honor the proud legacy we have here in Montana.”
As we get ready for that huge vote, take a listen above to Daines’ entire segment above.
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