NBC host Bob Costas: Washington Redskins nickname ‘an insult, a slur’

Bob Costas of NBC Sports waded into the controversy over the Washington Redskins nickname Sunday night, devoting a commentary to the topic at halftime of the nationally televised game between the Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys.

“It is an insult, a slur, no matter now benign the present-day intent,” Costas said.

The full transcript of what Costas said can be found here via The Washington Post.

A video replay of Costas essay can be seen here via Yahoo.

The Redskins were playing for the first time since President Barack Obama told the Associated Press in an interview last weekend that he would “think about” changing the name if he owned the team. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, who has previously vowed never to change the name, responded by sending a letter to season ticket holders claiming that the name was “never a label. It was, and continues to be, a badge of honor.”

The Redskins franchise has had the nickname since 1933, when their named was changed from the “Boston Braves.” The team moved to Washington in 1937.

Costas offered the dedicated NBC Redskins page for viewers.More From NBC: