Washington Redskins offer name change rebuttal

The Washington Redskins have once again defended the name of their franchise amid growing concerns that it is offensive to Native Americans.

Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid and 49 other senators sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell imploring him to force a change of the team's name, asking him to "remove the racial slur".

However, Redskins general manager Bruce Allen has responded with a letter of his own in which he goes into detail about previous studies and past association with Native Americans in regards to the name and logo, which he insists are both "something to be proud of".

One line of the letter reads: "The Redskins team name continues to carry a deep and purposeful meaning."

The incident is the latest in a long line of back-and-forth between the two parties over the controversial name, with neither side seemingly willing to give an inch.