• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

Another PC debate...sports mascots & names

Motokid

Motokid

New Member
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...bc.fl.floridast.seminol.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

Washington Redskins
Atlanta Braves

numerous college and high school teams and mascots....

Is it just PC rediculousness to question this kind of thing, or can tradition for tradition's sake rule the day?

I'm pretty sure if I was a Native American Indian I would not give a flyin' rats ass about a football team called the Redskins...but that's just me.

What if we had teams called the storm troopers, the wetbacks, the honky's, the dumb blondes, the slant eyes, the towel heads, the spear chuckers...?????

Why is it ok to use Native American Indian (NAI) slang names? Is it simply a numbers thing? There's too many African American's to use the spear chuckers name and mascot?

There's too much tradition at stake to change the Washington Redskins to some other name? It would still be the same damn team right?

I can see both sides of the issue here. It seems like stupid liberal idiocy to harp on a sports team name that's been around for 50+ years. On the other hand why is the NAI free game and no other race/creed touchable? Aren't there enough animals to go around as names and mascots? Or forces of nature?
 
What I think is that people love their teams, they're proud of their local teams, and the naming of them recognizes something local that they relate to or respect or associate with something cool and winning. Why would anyone take offense at that?

NY Knicks comes from Knickerbockers, which are descendents of the Dutch settlers in NY. Are the Dutch Americans mad about that?

What about the Vikings? The Saints? I mean, isn't that bringing religion into it? The Celtics? What are they saying about the celtic races? Are all the Brewers drunk? Were the Expos all flashers? Isn't Yankee a slur at some level? I think the Yankees should be called the Fucking Assholes, but that's just me.

There should be a Rule: all teams should be named only after animals, especially mammals and birds and reptiles, not insects. Well, maybe the Poughkeepsie Dragonflies sounds pretty cool. The Trenton Skunks. :p
 
Certainly, I'm sure, that any new teams will be as PC correct as the times demand, but what about the older teams? Should they be required to change the names and images?

It's just sports. It's easy to ignore.

Maybe not so easy if you are the one offended and you live in that particular area where it's hard to escape the flags and news and fever of the fans....
 
Motokid said:
Certainly, I'm sure, that any new teams will be as PC correct as the times demand, but what about the older teams? Should they be required to change the names and images?

...
Click to expand...

No way. My grandpa played for the Reds. I would hate to see them change their name for such a lame reason.
 
Reds? As in Cincinati (spelling?)...that was my grandfathers favorite team..I remember Pete Rose, Johnny bench.....the big red machine....I don't recall them being Native American Indian related.....They just have the Red "C"....what am I missing?


edit: I was thinking "Red Legs" but this off the official Reds web site:

"May 4: The 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first all-professional nine, kick off their first regular season with a 45-9 win over the Great Westerns of Cincinnati."
 
Please don't change the name of the Redskins!

Not being a full-blooded Native American, I can't say that I wouldn't be offended, but I don't think I would be offended by a team called the "Charleston Crackers" or the "Ohio Farmboys" or the "Hampton Honkies". Even the "Tupelo Trailer Trash" would be more funny than offensive.

I really think that we, as a nation, need to take the mother-of-all chill pills. We are so quickly offended that we have lost our sense of humor. We seem to be looking for something to be offended by. Look hard enough, and you will certainly find it.

If you want some moderate entertainment, though, you should check out the names of some minor league baseball teams! That industry seems to have cornered the market in team names!

I grew up in Ohio in the 70s, when the Cincinnati Reds were gods. I think their name was shortened from "red legs" or "red stockings" or something like that. Not offensive, but I cannot imagine changing that name, even if they do suck now.

I think the teams with Native American nicknames tend to respect the name and use it to 'fire up' their teams... (i.e. the tomahawk chop used by Braves and Seminoles fans).

And I agree, Novella, the Yankees should change their name to the fucking assholes!

(Go Nats!)
 
Motokid said:
Reds? As in Cincinati (spelling?)...that was my grandfathers favorite team..I remember Pete Rose, Johnny bench.....the big red machine....I don't recall them being Native American Indian related.....They just have the Red "C"....what am I missing?


edit: I was thinking "Red Legs" but this off the official Reds web site:

"May 4: The 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first all-professional nine, kick off their first regular season with a 45-9 win over the Great Westerns of Cincinnati."
Click to expand...

And, FYI, Novella, the Montreal Expos (now Washington Nationals) got their name from the Montreal World's Fair. I thought that was kind of a short-sighted way to name a team, but they are ours, now!
 
It's not something that we really come across here in Britain. Football teams are pretty much City, Town or United with a few others thrown in the mix including the bizarre Wednesday.

Only recently has Rugby Leauge taken up using Rhinos, Bears or Warriors etc.

On the PC side I agree it's bloody nonsense. All I can think of is the Quantum Leap episode where Sam helps the old Indian back to the reservation to die. The old Indian supports the Redskins because they're the Redskins.

Being a Brit I might be a bit not in the know on this but aren't American Indians proud of their heritage including the name Redskins. I know they weren't called that until Europeans arrived but haven't they adopted it as their own in much the same way that African Americans have adopted Nigger in a sense? Although for a white man to use the word is still offensive the use of it from a black person to a black person isn't as bad. Even though to my mind it still sounds awful. (Sam Beckett hates the word too, more Quantum Leap for you)
 
The head of the Seminole nation wrote an editorial recently saying that this PC crap is just another instance of the white man deciding what the Indians need and want, when in fact they like the Indian-related names of teams. They like the name Redskins and want the team to keep it.

I'll see if I can dig that up.

BTW leck, I was joking about the Montreal flashers. :rolleyes:
 
novella said:
The head of the Seminole nation wrote an editorial recently saying that this PC crap is just another instance of the white man deciding what the Indians need and want, when in fact they like the Indian-related names of teams. They like the name Redskins and want the team to keep it.

I'll see if I can dig that up.

BTW leck, I was joking about the Montreal flashers. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


I believe that. PC Sucks!
 
novella said:
The head of the Seminole nation wrote an editorial recently saying that this PC crap is just another instance of the white man deciding what the Indians need and want, when in fact they like the Indian-related names of teams. They like the name Redskins and want the team to keep it.

I'll see if I can dig that up.

BTW leck, I was joking about the Montreal flashers. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I know, and it was funny! I was just trying to show how smart I was, and how much I knew about our new team. I can be annoying that way.

:D
 
novella said:
BTW leck, I was joking about the Montreal flashers. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I read my "FYI.." again, and realize it came off as obtuse and condescending.

sorry. :eek:

I'm really excited to have a NL team in DC this year, and I pounce on any opportunity to yap about them.

(and, really, the "flashers" joke was funny! :rolleyes: )
 
Dolphins ARE dolphins.

Vikings ARE Vikings.

Celtics ARE Celtics.

Native Americans are NOT redskins, nor are they braves.

Perhaps in order to be offended by something you first have to be conquered by the person using the term.

African Americans use terms amongst themselves that are offensive when used by anyone else - I don't claim to understand but they feel that it's a way to reclaim power.

I don't see the point in getting bent every time someone finds offense in something and asks that it be changed. Personally I don't understand why we needed to change mailman to mail carrier but apparently someone else thought it very important. If it makes some feel better to be called a mail carrier though I guess it's no skin off my nose. Mail carrier it is. Changing the name didn't hurt me one bit either. Other than the word nothing else seemed to change. The service is still the same and the "mail carrier" still behaves as they always did. They're happy, I'm happy. So what's there to bitch about? Nothing.

If Native Americans don't like being thought of and referred to as Redskins in a world full of racists, why not accomodate them and make a change? No one will be hurt in the process.
 
Renee said:
No one will be hurt in the process.
Click to expand...

If anything...I would think it would be a huge marketing bonanza. Every fan would have to buy new garb...the old garb would become collectors items. The press that would happen over the change of a team name like the Washington Redskins would be huge. The Redskins couldn't buy that kind of advertising...I think a Donald Trump type owner could capitalize on something like this....
 
But you can't please everyone. In fact, you can't even please half the people, half of the time. There are people who delight in being shit disturbers. There comes a point when all you can do is shake your head and wonder when common sense went out of style.

I've never understood feminists who will jump down your throat if you dare call them waitresses or actresses. If they're really so proud of being women (oops, I mean womyn!) why is it a problem to admit that they're female. I'm a woman too, and it bothers me when people try to pretend I'm just some sexless thing.

Back on topic, however, I do see how the name Redskins might seem offensive. But on the other hand, it's just a group of guys playing sports. Wouldn't it be worse if a gang called themselves Redskins? Or a crime ring?

I couldn't help but notice that in the article Moto provided, there's no mention of any Native Americans wanting the names changed. I wonder what the Seminole Indian tribe think about this.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top