Jason Hatcher thinks refs are penalizing Redskins over controversial nickname
Washington’s Jason Hatcher sits on the bench late in the Redskins’ 44-16 loss to Carolina on Sunday.
Jason Hatcher is frustrated.
Not necessarily with the fact that his Washington Redskins lost to the Carolina Panthers, 44-6, although chances are he’s pretty upset about that too.
But what had Hatcher worked up after Sunday’s game was an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit penalty against him that negated a 74-yard interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Chris Culliver.
In particular, Hatcher was unhappy with what he felt was the reason he and his teammates get flagged on plays like that one.
“We’re fighting against teams and referees,” Hatcher said. “I don’t know if it’s about the name or what, but, you know, at the same time, we play football, too. We work our butt off, too. Don’t single us out.”
Hatcher is referring to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Redskins’ name, which many people feel is offensive to Native Americans. Despite a lot of pressure to change the name, team owner Daniel Snyder has repeatedly refused to do so, saying it is actually meant to honor Native Americans.
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And now, Hatcher apparently feels, the situation has spilled over onto the field.
“At the end of the day it’s the name,” Hatcher said. “Don’t worry about the name. We’re players and we work our butts off, too. So I’m just frustrated with it.”
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