CBS announcer Greg Gumbel hasn't used 'Redskins' on air in three years

CBS NFL announcer Greg Gumbel says he hasn't said the word “Redskins” on the air for three years. Controversy surrounding the nickname has increased rapidly

CBS NFL announcer Greg Gumbel says he hasn't said the word “Redskins” on the air for three years.

Controversy surrounding the nickname has increased rapidly over the past year. Notably, the U.S. Patent Office canceling the trademark registrations for NFL's Washington Redskins, while Redskins owner Daniel Snyder continues to say he will never change the nickname. 

Critics of the team's nickname have said the 'Redskins' is racist and offensive toward Native Americans, while defenders have claimed the name honors Native Americans as well as the team's history. 

Gumbel, who was the first African-American to ever call a Super Bowl, has been with CBS Sports for more than two decades. 

“I was just telling someone the other day, and I told our PR department, I haven’t said the name on the air in three years,” Gumbel said, according to the Washington Post. 

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CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said last month he will not tell his announcers whether they can use the word Redskins on not. Gumbel says he didn’t feel he needed to call a press conference to announce his decision. 

“Just my personal choice. And would I feel any differently if I owned the team? I don’t know," Gumbel said. "But I do think that they have a PR gap to jump, and whether they will make that jump or not remains to be seen."

Recently, former NFL official Mike Carey said he hadn't worked Washington games since 2006 due to his discomfort with the team's name. 

Washington Post editorials will no longer use 'Redskins'

- Scooby Axson