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The National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media (NCRSM). Congratulates Mr. Abe Pollin, owner of the Washington Bullets Basketball Franchise on his decision this month to change the team name.

Vernon Bellecourt, President of NCRSM, today stated "We congratulate Mr. Pollin's decision to change the team name in doing so he is providing the moral leadership on the issue of derogatory team names and mascots. This leadership should have been provided by Ted Turner and Richard Jacobs of the Atlanta and Cleveland baseball franchises and Jack Kent Cooke and Lamar Hunt of the Washington and Kansas City football teams, along with the Chancellors of the University of Illinois and Florida State University.

As we indigenous people have a more powerful and morally correct reasons for the Big 6 to change Indian names and derogatory mascots. We hope that they will follow the lead of Washington Bullets owner Abe Pollin."

This month Mr. Abe Pollin was quoted as saying "The franchise will have a new name when it moves to a new stadium, MCI Arena in downtown Washington D.C. for the 1997-8 Season"

After attending the recent funeral of slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin convinced Mr. Pollin to make the change.

He added, " Priorities have to take precedent! My friend Rabin was shot in the back. The word 'Bullets' is inappropriate now, and I think that is more important than the history of the franchise."

Mr. Pollin went on to say, "I realized this some time ago when I picked up the newspaper and saw the word 'Bullet' in the headline and thought for an instant that the article was about my basketball team."

Mr. Pollin said, "Unfortunately far to often these days 'Bullets' in the news does not have anything to do with basketball."

According to Ray Richardson, staff writer for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press in an article published on 11-12-95 said "Mr. Pollins honorable move has even more significance because of Washington's well documented crime problem." Mr. Richardson went on to say, "It is rare when money, the driving force behind professional sports, these days take a back seat to principle. Whatever grief Bullets owner Abe Pollin will take for changing his club's nickname, he is willing to put up with it" Mr. Richardson concluded by saying, "Pollin deserves praise for his social consciousness."

Whereas; The National Congress of American Indians, The National Indian Education Association, The United Indian Nations of Oklahoma, The Petition and Proclamation of the 1843-1993 International Indian Council assembled in the Cherokee Nation September 13-15, 1993 and Unity '94 Journalist of Color of the African, Asian, Latino and Native American Journalist Associations. The General Synod of the United Church of Christ along with many other Indian, Religious and Civil Rights Organizations have denounced the use of Indian names and symbols for teams and mascots. We call on the owners of the four professional sports teams and the chancellors of the University of Illinois and Florida State University to announce their intentions to change their names.