What player nicknamed "Roger the Dodger" helped to keep the 1979 Washington Redskins from getting the final wild-card slot?
1979 Washington Redskins season The 1979 season of the Washington Redskins in American professional football began with the team trying to improve on their 8–8 record from 1978. While the Redskins were able to improve their record; finishing 10–6, the Redskins were eliminated from playoff contention on the final week of the season when, facing the Dallas Cowboys with the NFC East title on the line, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach led a last-minute comeback to defeat Washington 35–34 to win the division; which combined with the Chicago Bears defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 42–6, resulted in the Redskins losing a points tiebreaker for the final wild-card slot.
Washington Redskins trademark dispute The Washington Redskins trademark dispute was a legal effort by Native Americans who consider the term "redskin" to be an offensive and disparaging racial slur to prevent the owners of the Washington Redskins football team from being able to maintain federal trademark protection for this name. These efforts have primarily been carried forward in two cases brought before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). While prevailing in the most recent case in which the trademarks were cancelled, petitioners have withdrawn for further litigation now that the legal issue has become moot due to a decision in another case which found the relevant portion of the trademark law to be an unconstitutional infringement on freedom of speech.