MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Six members of the Minneapolis City Council have joined those calling on the Washington Redskins to change their name.

Council members sent a letter to the team's owner and the NFL commissioner, describing the team's name and mascot as racist.

The action comes amid a national debate about the name, which some consider offensive to Native Americans. President Barack Obama recently said he would "think about changing" the name if he owned the team.

The Redskins play the Vikings in Minneapolis on Thursday night.

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