Indians ask Supreme Court if ‘Redskins’ offends
WASHINGTON – A group of American Indians who find the Washington Redskins name offensive wants the Supreme Court to take up the matter.
The group on Monday asked the justices to review a lower court decision that favored the NFL team on a legal technicality.
Seven Native Americans have been working through the court system since 1992 to have the Redskins trademarks declared invalid. A U.S. Patent and Trademark Office panel ruled in their favor in 1999. But they’ve been handed a series of defeats from judges who ruled that the plaintiffs waited too long to bring their suit in the first place.
A lawyer for the group says he’d like to see the highest court decide whether the Redskins name defames Native Americans.
Eagles add Vick to 53-man roster; Baskett released
PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles have elevated Michael Vick to the team’s 53-man roster.
The Eagles released receiver Hank Baskett to make room for Vick, who is eligible to play on Sept. 27 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The team said on its Web site that Vick, who had been on the exempt list, will begin practicing with the team on Wednesday, though he cannot play in Sunday’s home opener against the New Orleans Saints.
Baskett was one of seven receivers the Eagles carried on their 53-man roster through Week 1. He became expendable after Philadelphia selected Jeremy Maclin in the first round of April’s draft and added Brandon Gibson in the sixth round.
Vick was suspended for the first two regular-season games as the final league penalty for his role in running a dogfighting ring.
Chiefs sign WR Bobby Wade, release McBride
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs signed free agent wide receiver Bobby Wade on Tuesday and waived linebacker Turk McBride.
Since 2003, Wade has appeared in 90 games, including 44 starts with the Chicago Bears. He was with Tennessee from 2005-06 and Minnesota 2007-08.
Wade has caught 208 passes for 2,491 yards with seven touchdowns during his NFL career. He has also made 50 kickoff returns for an average of almost 24 yards and returned 57 punts for an average of 8.8 yards. At the University of Arizona, his 4,785 all-purpose yards were fourth in school history.
McBride played in 25 games for the Chiefs from 2007-08 and this year was converted from defensive end to linebacker.
McNair estate inventory lists $19.6M in assets
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – An inventory of former Titans quarterback Steve McNair’s estate lists about $19.6 million in assets, the majority in stocks and bonds.
The Tennessean reports McNair’s widow, Mechelle McNair, filed the inventory last week. McNair did not leave a will and it is unclear from the inventory whether he had a life insurance policy.
McNair had about $16.9 million in stocks and bonds. He was president of a Texas-based for-profit company called Air McNair Inc. that was worth about $120,000 and he was the sole stockholder of a cattle farm in Mississippi worth about $1.2 million.
McNair was shot and killed on July 4 by mistress Sahel Kazemi, who then turned the gun on herself.
So far, about $50,000 in claims have been filed against the estate from creditors.
McNair had two sons with wife Mechelle McNair and two with other women. The mothers of his oldest sons have not filed claims.
Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com
