The man who killed four people in the New York City skyscraper that is home to NFL headquarters carried a note blaming the league for his mental health problems. Shane Tamura played football in high school. He said in the three-page note found in his wallet that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that can’t be diagnosed until death, and implored those who found him to study his brain. CTE has been linked to concussions in contact sports. The disease has been diagnosed in more than 100 former NFL players and arisen as an existential threat to the United States’ most powerful pro sports league.

President Donald Trump has threatened to block a new stadium deal unless Washington’s NFL team reverts its name to a racial slur. Experts say Native American mascots have long been linked to negative mental health outcomes, especially for children. Advocates have been calling for their removal for generations, and researchers say Native mascots reinforce racial bias. The Washington Redskins changed to the Commanders in 2020. Trump's spokesperson says "He likes to see results on behalf of the American people” and that sports fans would agree with him about restoring the old name. More than 1,500 grade schools across the country still use Native mascots.

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FILE - Native American leaders protest against the Redskins team name and logo outside U.S. Bank Stadium before an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins in Minneapolis on Oct. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn, File)