Sports Teams / Name change

[Panda Bear]

I mentioned this before and said I do not think sports team need to change their names. From memory there is an American Indian on this forum who might want to weight in , but speaking only of rmyself and being a Canadian Indian, I do not see the need to change the names of teams who have names like the Washington Redskins or Edmonton Eskimos

I was told but did not read the story that the Washington Redskins can can move to a new stadium unless they change their name.

Canada has argued about the name of the Edmonton Eskimos ( and others ) for years now, actually every year it seems. Something like 60 to 65 percent of the populace are o.k. with the name, plus they ( Team and Govt ) ask us ( First Nation ) and we also had no problem with the name. I forget the percentage of us that didn't think it needed to be changed or was offensive but it was something like 70% I believe that said, dont change it.

As an aside and also from memory. The younger generation wanted it changed like 60% in favor of changing it, while the middle age and older generation was 60% against changing it ( approx percentages )

Do you feel the Washington Redskins should change their name ?

 

[rwc101]

I wouldn't mind seeing it change, but it's a question I'll punt to the Native American community. I grew up a Cleveland Indians fan, and I choose to no longer wear any apparel with the Chief Wahoo mascot on it.

 

[EYJONAS!]

It doesn't offend me I guess but I'm not N.A. I understand some are but there's too many people in this world looking for something to offend them so they can "be heard." I think it'll be a domino effect if it happens. It's a pretty sad deal to see the state of affairs across the entire sports world. Professional, college, even H.S. and youth sports.

 

[MNElkNut]

If any team wants to name their team after me, I am all for it! I totally think it is an honor to name a team after some group.

Panda, I have never gotten the slightest inkling that there is a negative connotation to the term Eskimo. But not living in Canada or actually knowing one, maybe there is? To be honest, I have always kinda admired those that can live and prosper in that environment so when I hear the term Eskimo I always have an additional layer of respect and admiration for those people.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

Just to add to the discussion. It always interested me the Florida State is the Seminoles and have the approval of the Seminole tribe. Yet, there are still those that want the name changed.

I think the Cleveland Indians tended to offend because of chief Wahoo but not sure if there is similar offenses by the Redskins.

I guess I'm indifferent and I have started to lose the will to argue with those that are offended. Even though I'm a southernor and civil war buff I can't disagree with removing some of the statues and banning the flag at Nascar. I do have a problem with removing statues and not having the flag at battlefields. To me that is re writing history.
So back to the point, what I'm trying to say is this should not be a blanket kind of movement there are places and reason for or against certain things. I think most would agree Chief wahoo was offensive so I agree, change it. But then you have an example like FSU where the Seminole tribe seems to be proud of the representation.

 

[406dn]

While I don't think about it all that much,,,I say change it and be done with it.

There are many things named, that in hindsight, are pretty offensive. In the Madison range, there is Squaw creek and Papoose creek. Over by Gardiner the unofficial name to a black rocky topped mountain is N***erhead.

It won't be the end of the world either way, but the high road is normally better than the low road.

 

[VikingsGuy]

I view this in 3 buckets. Non-pejorative names such as Seminoles, Chiefs, Vikings etc; Pejorative names such as "Redskins"; and disrespectful mascots/logos/marketing, such as Chief Wahoo, etc.

I think the first case it appears that reasonable people can disagree, including within the relevant effected group. I think these should be left to the "owner" and the most immediately effected local group to decide. I don't think responding to the generalized objections from various special interest groups is the right answer here.

I think the second two buckets are not ok in 2020 and our society should have higher standards for itself. Redskins, Chief Wahoo and the like have no place in a respectful society.

 

[VikingsGuy]

If any team wants to name their team after me, I am all for it! I totally think it is an honor to name a team after some group.

I think in some cases it is attempted in a respectful manner, but not always. What if they named the team the MN Fools and said it was in your honor would it still seem OK?

[Before we have a HT melt down moment - I am NOT calling MNElkNut a fool. He is NOT a fool for this post or other posts. It is just a way to make the point by way of example.]

 

[MNElkNut]

I am sure there are plenty of people out there who think I am a fool! I just try and not say too much so I don't remove all doubt!

I have not ever heard that any group has said "that" particular word bothers us can you change it to "this" word that still describes us as a group. If they really felt that way, I think it would be a fairly easy compromise, would come up often, and would be well publicized. The only one that I could think of that would fall into this category would be the Redskins. Unfortunately, what happens, is that the name is changed to something so bland and uninspiring that you could just forget about the nickname altogether (Ahem, the UND Fighting Hawks?!)

 

[Randi]

I have been involved in a few discussions about names of Mascots and found most of them to be ridiculous.

Chinook. yes there is a tribe in Oregon, but the name could also be a dog or fish

When I was deciding on what college to attend , I visited Oregon and found a group of females there who wanted the name "Beavers" changed because it was a derogatory name for part of a female. My response was only if your mind is in the gutter because it is also an animal.

Vaspeedgoat has already mentioned the Seminoles. They gave their approval in Florida, the Eskimos did the same for Edmonton. Who decides for Washington ?

And speaking of people with too much time on their hands. After Bevo tried to kill the Georgia Bulldog there were animal activists asking Texas to change their Longhorn name to something else.

I can think of a lot of other things more important to worry about, so I will defer to the "Indians" and let them respond to Washington

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I wouldn't mind seeing it change, but it's a question I'll punt to the Native American community. I grew up a Cleveland Indians fan, and I choose to no longer wear any apparel with the Chief Wahoo mascot on it.

LISTEN | All My Relations

www.allmyrelationspodcast.com

 

[TheNorthStar]

There are a lot of white folks out there offended on behalf of other groups without asking those groups how they feel about it.

Reintroduce wolves to the suburbs, I say. Most people don't have enough to worry about in their comfortable lives so they spend their time searching for or manufacturing issues. Having to run away from a pack of wolves from time to time would do wonders for our society.

 

[Panda Bear]

There are a lot of white folks out there offended on behalf of other groups without asking those groups how they feel about it.

Reintroduce wolves to the suburbs, I say. Most people don't have enough to worry about in their comfortable lives so they spend their time searching for or manufacturing issues. Having to run away from a pack of wolves from time to time would do wonders for our society.

This may have some merit to it

Thanks guys. Good and interesting information/thoughts./links
Randi. Oregon, ------a, o.k.

I do not have a problem with it. As mentioned on a different thread I thought it was stupid to change the name of the ice cream bar ( Eskimo Pie ).

I voted for Edmonton to keep the name, just as the Seminoles did in Florida.

406DN You make a good point, however I dont have a problem with landmarks having indian names . Some of those names are only derogatory names when used in a derogatory manner. or phrase .

I also use names like Agloolik and Seqinek for my dogs., which is maybe why I can't win a dog sled race, the Gods are mad at me.

Thanks for the posts, interesting

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

Once the clowns are done protesting and run out of monuments to deface or destroy they'll mob back to sports teams.

I really believe that this will be the end of the Tulsa Drillers, the AA affiliate of the Dodgers. Not only is the name full of sexual inuendoes, it's just offensive to all the oil field workers, roughnecks, working class and wildcatters out there. Recently, there were so many people lined up to protest their name and mascot that the local news outlets mistook it for a Biden rally.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Maybe if folks my age and younger had to worry about let's say being drafted to fight in an unwinnable war like Vietnam we would stop manufacturing stupid crap like this to worry about.
I was talking with some older friends last night after golf league that graduated together about the draft and how they were sitting with a keg in a buddies house trying to lighten the mood watching the draft praying they didnt get pulled. 30 men graduated with them 18 of them went to Vietnam thru the draft. That's a concern and life altering problem. The washington Redskins, chief wahoo, or the braves tomahawk chop chant are not life altering problems.
We have a cake life...go enjoy it, stop being offended or offended for others and stop with the PC crap.
I appreciate your posts very much but this deserves about as much discussion as the different smells of animal poop. That's what I say...lol

 

[Deleted member 28227]

This may have some merit to it

Thanks guys. Good and interesting information/thoughts./links
Randi. Oregon, ------a, o.k.

I do not have a problem with it. As mentioned on a different thread I thought it was stupid to change the name of the ice cream bar ( Eskimo Pie ).

I voted for Edmonton to keep the name, just as the Seminoles did in Florida.

406DN You make a good point, however I dont have a problem with landmarks having indian names . Some of those names are only derogatory names when used in a derogatory manner. or phrase .

I also use names like Agloolik and Seqinek for my dogs., which is maybe why I can't win a dog sled race, the Gods are mad at me.

Thanks for the posts, interesting

I'm going to double down on that podcast recommendation.

The podcast about team names has Amanda Blackhorse on, who was the lead plaintiff in Blackhorse v. Pro-Football, Inc (the case in question)

I also very much enjoyed Dr. Kim TallBear on several other episodes.

 

[VikingsGuy]

We have a cake life...go enjoy it, stop being offended or offended for others and stop with the PC crap.

I think it goes both ways. Why is a white kid in MN offended at the mascot name of a college sports team in Oklahoma he had never heard of? Good point. But in turn, why is a middle aged white guy in Idaho offended if somebody removes a statue of a 160 year old traitor that was erected in 1950 to re-affirm social support for segregation in a town he has never been to?

Unnecessary and unproductive offensive and outrage are not owned by one group - it is the order of the day for all it appears.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

I think it goes both ways. Why is a white kid in MN offended at the mascot name of a college sports team in Oklahoma he had never heard of? Good point. But in turn, why is a middle aged white guy in Idaho offended if somebody removes a statue of a 160 year old traitor that was erected in 1950 to re-affirm social support for segregation in a town he has never been to?

Unnecessary and unproductive offensive and outrage are not owned by one group - it is the order of the day for all it appears.

There isnt any "groups" it's all PC manufactured crap in my opinion. If team names, statues, the color of skin portrayed in Jesus pictures, etc...keeps someone up at night or drives them to protest then I feel that someone should look deep inside themselves and find out what's missing in their life that these things bother them so much or why the mainstream can so easily dictate their emotions. Get a hobby!

 

[406dn]

There isnt any "groups" it's all PC manufactured crap in my opinion. If team names, statues, the color of skin portrayed in Jesus pictures, etc...keeps someone up at night or drives them to protest then I feel that someone should look deep inside themselves and find out what's missing in their life that these things bother them so much or why the mainstream can so easily dictate their emotions. Get a hobby!

It sure comes across like you are getting wound up about other people getting wound up.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

There isnt any "groups" it's all PC manufactured crap in my opinion. If team names, statues, the color of skin portrayed in Jesus pictures, etc...keeps someone up at night or drives them to protest then I feel that someone should look deep inside themselves and find out what's missing in their life that these things bother them so much or why the mainstream can so easily dictate their emotions. Get a hobby!

Two types of folks in this world, your people and the assholes.

I feel that someone should look deep inside themselves and find out what's missing in their life that these things bother them so much,

right I mean seriously do you have to go out and kill little animals
right I mean seriously do you have to own guns that kill people
right I mean trucks are polluting the planet can't you just get on board with electric cars
etc. etc. etc.

Well all care about different stuff, personally you and I probably care a lot of the same stuff, I acknowledge that my stuff, is shit to someone else and vice versa.

I think if we try to acknowledge ^ this fact we all will be better off and more understanding of those around us.