No Name Is Unproblematic
This is an email sent to Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune after an article he published concerning a name change for the Washington Redskins.
This below is the dirtier version, not the edited version published in the paper -- examples here and here. Real? Fake? Heavily fucked with? I don't care -- there's a beaver joke.
Dear Mr. Page:I agree with our Native American population. I am highly triggered by the racially charged name of the Washington Redskins. One might argue that to name a professional football team after Native Americans would exalt them as fine warriors, but nay, nay. We must be careful not to offend, and in the spirit of political correctness and courtesy, we must move forward.
Let's ditch the Kansas City Chiefs, the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians. If your shorts are in a wad because of the reference to skin color in the name Redskins, then we need to get rid of the Cleveland Browns as well.
The Carolina Panthers were obviously named to keep the memory of militant Blacks from the 60's alive. Gone. It's offensive to us white folk.
The New York Yankees offend the Southern population. Do you see a team named for the Confederacy? No! There is no room for any reference to that tragic war that cost this country so many young men's lives. I am also offended by the blatant references to the Catholic religion among our sports team names. Totally inappropriate to have the New Orleans Saints, the Los Angeles Angels or the San Diego Padres.
Then there are the team names that glorify criminals who raped and pillaged. We are talking about the horribly-named Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Pirates!
Now, let us address those teams that clearly send the wrong message to our children. The San Diego Chargers promote irresponsible fighting or even spending habits. Wrong message to our children.
The New York Giants and the San Francisco Giants promote obesity, a growing childhood epidemic. Wrong message to our children. The Cincinnati Reds promote downers/barbiturates. Wrong message to our children.
The Milwaukee Brewers. Well that goes without saying. Wrong message to our children.
So, there you go. We need to support any legislation that comes out to rectify this travesty, because the government will likely become involved with this issue, as they should. Just the kind of thing the do-nothing Congress loves.As a die-hard Oregon State fan, my wife and I, with all of this in mind, suggest it might also make some sense to change the name of the Oregon State women's athletic teams to something other than the Beavers, especially when they play Southern California. Do we really want the Trojans sticking it to the Beavers? (As for the University of Oregon's athletic team moniker, it is a name one always Ducks.) Enough said.
I always love your articles and I generally agree with them. As for the Redskins, I would suggest they change the name to the "Foreskins" to better represent their community by paying tribute to the dick-heads in Washington DC.
Yours faithfully,
Earl Brewer
Obviously the email writer is not a hockey fan as he left out the Chicago Blackhawks (Native Americans), the St. Louis Blues (an insult to the chronically depressed), the Vancouver Canucks (a pejorative for Canadians), the Florida Panthers (again with the Black Panthers), the San Jose Sharks (glorifying usury and predatory lending), the New York Rangers (isn't the Texas Rangers' name problematic, so best not to take any chances), the Nashville Predators (glorifying aggression and predation), the Arizona Coyotes (glorifying human trafficking), and the Calgary Flames (glorifying arson).
Conan the Grammarian at July 27, 2020 4:07 AM
Haw-haw, laugh now, then think about the Minnesota Vikings. Recognizes the Olsens, Lundquists, and Lindstromms who settled that part of the country, right? Blond-haired, blue-eyed brute, right? White supremacist paradigm?
Old RPM Daddy (OldRPMDaddy at GMail dot com) at July 27, 2020 5:57 AM
As I have pointed out before, one doesn't name one's sports team after something you loathe (the Atlanta morning sickness, The Boston cockroaches) but something you admire. Indian team names reflected admiration for Indian qualities. To call them racist is backwards.
cc at July 27, 2020 8:19 AM
Come on. Redskins is a racial slur. They've been asking us to change for decades.
NicoleK at July 27, 2020 8:25 AM
One doesn't name them after serious organizations either, though. There's no "The Buffalo French Foreign Legion" or "The Syracuse US Marines" or the "Green Bay Green Berets" even though that last one has a nice ring to it.
NicoleK at July 27, 2020 8:27 AM
Native Americans have not been asking anyone to change the names. Every few years this name change comes up, polls are done and the far majority of Native Americans are fine with it, if not in favor of the name.
Joe j at July 27, 2020 8:45 AM
I'm in favor of naming all Cleveland sprotsteams the "Steamers". Mostly for what they do to their fans.
And what of the Baltimore Ravens? never more!
I R A Darth Aggie at July 27, 2020 10:56 AM
Personally, instead of Poe, I think the Ravens should have named their mascot Quoth. Quoth the Raven. Why yes, I am a Terry Pratchett fan.
Conan the Grammarian at July 27, 2020 11:26 AM
I am not really sure about the Baltimore Ravens name change. If you remember your (not so ancient) history, you will recall that, because of the extremely negative connotative image, the Baltimore Bullets changed their name to the Washington Wizards! I am not convinced that Washington was really a better choice for the team name.
JR at July 27, 2020 3:38 PM
I am not really sure about the Baltimore Ravens name change. If you remember your (not so ancient) history, you will recall that, because of the extremely negative connotative image, the Baltimore Bullets changed their name to the Washington Wizards! I am not convinced that Washington was really a better choice for the team name.
JR at July 27, 2020 3:39 PM
An almost random change in team name is nothing new for the Wizards/Bullets/Zephyrs/Packers.
The Washington Wizards started their life in 1961 as the Chicago Packers. The next year, they became the Chicago Zephyrs.
After two years in Chicago (one as the Packers and one as the Zephyrs), the team moved to Baltimore in 1963 and appropriated the name of a defunct local team, the Bullets.
In 1973, the team moved to Landover, MD, a DC suburb, and changed its name to the Capital Bullets. The next year, the team adopted a more geographically-specific name, the Washington Bullets.
In 1995, the team owner decided that "bullets" had a negative connotation and changed the team name again; this time to the Washington Wizards.
Today, a name change is again under consideration at "wizard" is a title used in the Ku Klux Klan, a concern first raised and dismissed in 1995.
Conan the Grammarian at July 27, 2020 4:12 PM
> They've been asking us to
> change for decades.
Oh, Dear Woman…
Who is "they," and what exactly did "they" "ask"?
And more importantly, who is this "us" you speak of?
I'm in my seventh decade of life, and have never heard an American Indian described as a "redskin." Even in fiction or film, no such instance comes to mind.
Crid at July 27, 2020 4:13 PM
Also, the Association should insist that the Indianapolis Racers change the name of their hockey team, because it almost sounds like "racist," and we shouldn't be taking chances.
Also, they folded forty-two years ago. But still.
Crid at July 27, 2020 4:17 PM
Some militant reactionary groups have demanded a change in names, logos, and celebratory gestures (tomahawk chop, war whoops, etc.). White SJWs have taken those fringe demands as indicative of the feelings of the entire Native American population, despite numerous surveys showing the opposite to be true.
Most of the "controversy" is ginned up nonsense and ignores what led each team to adopt the logo and mascot.
The Washington Redskins' Indian chief logo, adopted in 1933, was designed by a Native American artist to honor a Blackfoot chief. Prior helmets had featured a two-tone spear and an "R" in a circle.
The Redskins were at one time known as the Boston Braves, but changed their name when they moved to a new stadium, home of the baseball Braves' cross-town rivals, the Red Sox. Both Braves teams would leave Boston at some point (the baseball Braves to Milwaukee and eventually Atlanta; the Redskins to Washington, DC).
The Cleveland Spiders were renamed the Indians to honor player, Louis Francis Sockalexis, a Penobscot Indian credited by many as the first Native American major league player.
The Boston Braves adopted an Indian chief as their logo since the team's owner was affiliated with the Tammany Hall political ring in New York and Tammany Hall used an Indian chief as its logo.
The Dallas Texans moved to Kansas City after the AFL and NFL announced plans to merge. Lamar Hunt named the team the Chiefs after the then-mayor of Kansas City who had been instrumental in paving the way for the team's move. The mayor was nicknamed, "The Chief."
None of these nicknames and logos were adopted with the intent to be insulting or belittling. While we can legitimately discuss whether each nickname needs to be changed, let's drop the pretense that it's at the behest of an offended majority of Native Americans.
Conan the Grammarian at July 27, 2020 5:00 PM
Oops. The nickname was adopted in 1933. The current logo was designed and adopted in 1971.
Conan the Grammarian at July 27, 2020 5:06 PM
New York's decision to name a team after Dutch pants was, in the current climate, as brilliant as naming a team after socks.
Minor league teams seem in pretty good shape with the Isotopes, Jumbo Shrimp, Trash Pandas, Sod Poodles, Nuts AND Lug Nuts as happy standouts.
Now sit your racist ass down and have a non-alcoholic beer-like beverage and a veggie-dog and watch the game, complete with CGI fans.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at July 27, 2020 10:47 PM
Just wondering how long until it's the Soylent Green Packers...
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at July 27, 2020 10:57 PM
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