WASHINGTON -- Washington Redskins president Bruce Allen said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Saturday that the pro football teams nickname is "respectful" toward Native Americans. On Thursday, half the U.S. Senate urged National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell to change the Washington clubs name, saying it is a racist slur and it is time to replace it. The franchise responded by releasing Allens letter. "Our use of Redskins as the name of our football team for more than 80 years has always been respectful of and shown reverence toward the proud legacy and traditions of Native Americans," he wrote. The letter references research that "the term Redskins originated as a Native American expression of solidarity." It notes that the teams logo was designed by Native American leaders and cites surveys that Native Americans and Americans as a whole support the name. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has refused to change the name, citing tradition, but there has been growing pressure including statements in recent months from President Barack Obama, lawmakers of both parties and civil rights groups. Last month, Reid took to the Senate floor to say Snyder should "do what is morally right" and change the name. In a letter Thursday, 49 senators mentioned the National Basketball Associations quick action recently to ban Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life after he was heard on an audio recording making offensive comments about blacks. They said Goodell should formally push to rename the Redskins. "We urge you and the National Football League to send the same clear message as the NBA did: that racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports," read the letter, which did not use the word "Redskins." Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida wrote his own letter saying he doesnt believe that retaining the Redskin name "is appropriate in this day and age." In a written response Thursday, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said "the intent of the teams name has always been to present a strong, positive and respectful image." Reid and Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state led the letter-writing effort. All senators on the letter are Democrats. Cantwell spokesman Jared Leopold said Republicans were not asked to participate. The senators noted that tribal organizations representing more than two million Native Americans across the U.S. have said they want the Redskins name dropped. Despite federal laws protecting their identity, "Every Sunday during football season, the Washington, D.C., football team mocks their culture," they wrote. "The NFL can no longer ignore this and perpetuate the use of this name as anything but what it is: a racial slur." 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Fake Shoes Australia .ca NHL Power Rankings, finally overtaking the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks, who rank second and third this week.LAS VEGAS -- O.J. Simpsons lawyers submitted a supersized appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court, seeking the former football stars release from prison and a new trial in his 2007 Las Vegas armed-robbery case. The lawyers met a midnight Wednesday deadline to submit a request for the court to review Simpsons claim that 2008 trial in Las Vegas was tainted by his fame and notoriety following his 1995 acquittal in Los Angeles in the deaths of his ex-wife and her friend. However, the document totalled 19,993 words, court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer said Thursday. That was some 43 per cent longer than the 14,000-word limit the court had set. It will be up to the seven justices to decide whether to accept it for filing and consideration. Until that time, the document hasnt been made public. The court hasnt decided whether to hear oral arguments. Simpson, 66, is serving nine to 33 years in a northern Nevada prison after being found guilty of leading a group of armed men in a September 2007 confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers at a Las Vegas casino hotel. He was convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery and other charges. Hes not eligible for parole until late 2017. The appeal stems from arguments rejected last year by Clark County District Judge Linda Marie Bell that Simpsons trial attorney botched Simpsons trial and first appeal to the state Supreme Court, the only appeals court in Nevada. Simpson attorney Patricia Palm said the apppeal ran long because she and attorneys Ozzie Fumo and Tom Pitaro were responding in detail to the judges Nov.dddddddddddd. 26 ruling, which totalled 101 pages. Palm said the state high court routinely accepts oversized filings in complex cases. She also submitted 36 appendices to the appeal brief. Bells ruling came after she held five days of hearings in Las Vegas on a 94-page petition that Palm filed in May 2012 seeking a new trial on 22 possible grounds. The judge said she reviewed the entire Simpson court record and determined that evidence was overwhelming that Simpson orchestrated the armed kidnapping and robbery, and that Simpsons current attorneys failed to demonstrate how his former lawyers actions changed the outcome of the case. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said he was confident that Bells ruling would be upheld. Wolfsons wife, former Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass, presided over Simpsons 2008 trial and sentencing. Simpson claimed he was trying to retrieve from the memorabilia dealers items that had been stolen from him after his Los Angeles trial and a 1997 civil court a wrongful-death judgment that put him on the hook for $33.5 million to the estates his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. The NFL hall of famer testified last year that he thought he had a right to get his own belongings back, and he never knew any of the men with him were carrying guns. ' ' '