WASHINGTON — The Washington Redskins’ nickname has long been controversial, but a recent case in Maryland federal court has thrown the team’s name back into the spotlight.

U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte — a federal judge in Maryland — issued a ruling last week in a Redskins-related lawsuit that purposely didn’t include the team’s name, according to The Washington Post.

A footnote on the first page of the ruling explained the elimination of the team’s nickname:

“Pro Football’s team is popularly known as the Washington