(8/25/05) The politically correct crowd is at it again concerning the use of Indian names for sports teams. Two weeks ago, the NCAA announced that it would ban the use of American Indian imagery and nicknames by school representatives at postseason tournaments starting in February. Mascots will not be allowed to perform at tournament games, and band members and cheerleaders will also be barred from using Indian images on their uniforms beginning in 2008.
The decision also prohibits schools with American Indian mascots from hosting future NCAA postseason events. Schools that have already been awarded postseason tournaments would have to cover any Indian depictions in their sports venues. Major college football will not be affected because there is no official NCAA tournament.
This issue has been going on for a long time and it promises to go on much longer. On the one side are a dedicated group of fanatics that consider any mention of an Indian tribe name to be a sacrilege. The very idea of people speaking those holy names while cheering on their sports teams is, to them, an insult that reaches the level of a "hate" crime. And to them a "hate" crime is the worst crime imaginable.
On the other side is everybody else that wants the PC zealots to "grow up." I don't know when Indian tribe names came to be the exclusive right of the members themselves, or more precisely the activists whining to prohibit their usage. I also don't know when the use of the names came to be considered an insult. Teams select names they consider to be representative of positive qualities. There is no question that Indian names were chosen because of the positive qualities associated with tribes and Indian culture.
The main quality desired by the use of an Indian team name is to represent the martial qualities of native Americans. And it is indisputable that a large part of Indian existence was spent in defending their hunting areas and tribal integrity, i.e. making WAR. But to modern Indian activists and the busybody whites who always seem to be able to obtain media access for their whining, insinuating that Indians were warlike is "wrong" or "racist" even though it is "correct" and "true".
Schools now go through a painstaking method of getting the approval of the surviving members of the tribes they name themselves after. And they usually succeed, as this is an "honor" to the tribe, not an insult. However, this is no relief from the complaints of the activists because they are not after a solution to the issue but wish instead to further their agenda by continuing to create attention through their high profile complaining.
In other cases it is impossible to get such a solution because the Indian name usage is too generic. The Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Washington Redskins, for instance. And even if you ban a name like the "Fighting Illini" you still have the problem that Illini is just a shortened version of Illinois. And this is true of many of the team names; they are named after states and cities, which are named after Indian words or the Indians that once inhabited the area.
Perhaps it would be helpful to turn the tables on these hyper sensitive crybabies. Nearly every example of why the use of Indian tribe names is considered to be an insult can be matched with a similar example for white people. Why should white people allow their culture to be insulted too! There are many team names that are taken from various white "tribes"  shouldn't they be protesting that too?
For instance consider the "Fighting Irish" of Notre Dame. I happen to be Irish and I am appalled that the peace loving people of my native land are associated with the violent appellation of "Fighting." Indian activists claim that symbols such as Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians are an insulting caricature. Well what about that leprechaun with his dukes up? How insulting is that?
And the anti-Indian name activists also complain that the mascots that dress up for the games are an insult because they are not historically accurate. Well, guess what? There are hundreds of teams named the Vikings, and all of them feature a so-called Viking with a helmet with horns on it. But the Vikings never, ever had horned helmets.
The Michigan State "Spartans" insult the memory of that great white tribe of people from ancient Greece by having a mascot named "Sparty," a silly looking caricature of a real Spartan warrior. The PC complainers have a fit when the Florida State Seminoles' mascot rides out on a horse dressed as an Indian warrior and plants his spear at midfield. I feel the same way when USC, which has won two national titles in a row, rolls out their "Trojan" warrior on horseback.
And why further a negative stereotype of white people by referring to sports teams as "Pirates" or "Buccaneers" or "Raiders." All white people are not sea-going criminals ya know! I don't remember any "Cowboys," "Rangers" or "Patriots" giving their OK to have a team named after them either.
Were any Quakers asked for permission to use their name by Pennsylvania University? How about the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, did they ask permission from any real "knights" like Sir Elton John or Sir Paul McCartney? Were any decedents of the Confederate States of America consulted over the use of the name "Running Rebels"?
And I am further insulted that these teams continue to use the tribal names of my proud ancestors when they actively work to expunge the descendents of my people that try to play on those teams. Why should the names of proud European tribes be represented by African descended people?
The list of insulted white tribes is long, and no one seems to care about the hurt and insult that is inflicted by the continued use of these stereotypical images of the white man. Where is the outcry against this injustice? When will my people be freed from this indignity?
Caste Football is hereby organizing a protest. We will represent all of those great white peoples whose image has forever been sullied by the use of their names as "sports mascots." We are asking that all of those teams (and they know who they are) cease and desist immediately in the use of white tribal or tradition names for their sports teams and mascots. Failure to do so will result in a boycott, protests, and possible legal action. They can't say they weren't warned.
Here are some further comparisons. You decide.
CHIEF WAHOO disrespectful?
NOTRE DAME LEPRECHAUN really disrespectful!
ATLANTA BRAVES an insult to a proud people?
BOSTON CELTIC a pitiful caricature of one of the great white tribes, and a smoker too!
WASHINGTON REDSKINS racial insult?
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS insult to all Patriotic Americans!
Look at these insulting representatives of the courageous soldiers that are supposedly representative of the Confederate States of America
UNLV "RUNNING" REBELS, this old guy isn't running anywhere, and what's with the feather in the hat? Is he an Indian too? Or did he catch one while he was running?
OLE' MISS, decrepit old man with a cane instead of one of the many tough fighting "Rebs" that whipped the Yankees from one end of the country to the other.
At least the Indians get respectful stereotypes, nobody carrying a football or smoking a peacepipe:
NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING SIOUX
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
And look at the silly mascots to represent white figures:
PENNSYLVANIA QUAKERS
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN
MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (Sparty!)
And notice how ARIZONA STATE is represented by a "white" SUN DEVIL!
The decision also prohibits schools with American Indian mascots from hosting future NCAA postseason events. Schools that have already been awarded postseason tournaments would have to cover any Indian depictions in their sports venues. Major college football will not be affected because there is no official NCAA tournament.
This issue has been going on for a long time and it promises to go on much longer. On the one side are a dedicated group of fanatics that consider any mention of an Indian tribe name to be a sacrilege. The very idea of people speaking those holy names while cheering on their sports teams is, to them, an insult that reaches the level of a "hate" crime. And to them a "hate" crime is the worst crime imaginable.
On the other side is everybody else that wants the PC zealots to "grow up." I don't know when Indian tribe names came to be the exclusive right of the members themselves, or more precisely the activists whining to prohibit their usage. I also don't know when the use of the names came to be considered an insult. Teams select names they consider to be representative of positive qualities. There is no question that Indian names were chosen because of the positive qualities associated with tribes and Indian culture.
The main quality desired by the use of an Indian team name is to represent the martial qualities of native Americans. And it is indisputable that a large part of Indian existence was spent in defending their hunting areas and tribal integrity, i.e. making WAR. But to modern Indian activists and the busybody whites who always seem to be able to obtain media access for their whining, insinuating that Indians were warlike is "wrong" or "racist" even though it is "correct" and "true".
Schools now go through a painstaking method of getting the approval of the surviving members of the tribes they name themselves after. And they usually succeed, as this is an "honor" to the tribe, not an insult. However, this is no relief from the complaints of the activists because they are not after a solution to the issue but wish instead to further their agenda by continuing to create attention through their high profile complaining.
In other cases it is impossible to get such a solution because the Indian name usage is too generic. The Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Washington Redskins, for instance. And even if you ban a name like the "Fighting Illini" you still have the problem that Illini is just a shortened version of Illinois. And this is true of many of the team names; they are named after states and cities, which are named after Indian words or the Indians that once inhabited the area.
Perhaps it would be helpful to turn the tables on these hyper sensitive crybabies. Nearly every example of why the use of Indian tribe names is considered to be an insult can be matched with a similar example for white people. Why should white people allow their culture to be insulted too! There are many team names that are taken from various white "tribes"  shouldn't they be protesting that too?
For instance consider the "Fighting Irish" of Notre Dame. I happen to be Irish and I am appalled that the peace loving people of my native land are associated with the violent appellation of "Fighting." Indian activists claim that symbols such as Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians are an insulting caricature. Well what about that leprechaun with his dukes up? How insulting is that?
And the anti-Indian name activists also complain that the mascots that dress up for the games are an insult because they are not historically accurate. Well, guess what? There are hundreds of teams named the Vikings, and all of them feature a so-called Viking with a helmet with horns on it. But the Vikings never, ever had horned helmets.
The Michigan State "Spartans" insult the memory of that great white tribe of people from ancient Greece by having a mascot named "Sparty," a silly looking caricature of a real Spartan warrior. The PC complainers have a fit when the Florida State Seminoles' mascot rides out on a horse dressed as an Indian warrior and plants his spear at midfield. I feel the same way when USC, which has won two national titles in a row, rolls out their "Trojan" warrior on horseback.
And why further a negative stereotype of white people by referring to sports teams as "Pirates" or "Buccaneers" or "Raiders." All white people are not sea-going criminals ya know! I don't remember any "Cowboys," "Rangers" or "Patriots" giving their OK to have a team named after them either.
Were any Quakers asked for permission to use their name by Pennsylvania University? How about the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, did they ask permission from any real "knights" like Sir Elton John or Sir Paul McCartney? Were any decedents of the Confederate States of America consulted over the use of the name "Running Rebels"?
And I am further insulted that these teams continue to use the tribal names of my proud ancestors when they actively work to expunge the descendents of my people that try to play on those teams. Why should the names of proud European tribes be represented by African descended people?
The list of insulted white tribes is long, and no one seems to care about the hurt and insult that is inflicted by the continued use of these stereotypical images of the white man. Where is the outcry against this injustice? When will my people be freed from this indignity?
Caste Football is hereby organizing a protest. We will represent all of those great white peoples whose image has forever been sullied by the use of their names as "sports mascots." We are asking that all of those teams (and they know who they are) cease and desist immediately in the use of white tribal or tradition names for their sports teams and mascots. Failure to do so will result in a boycott, protests, and possible legal action. They can't say they weren't warned.
Here are some further comparisons. You decide.
CHIEF WAHOO disrespectful?
NOTRE DAME LEPRECHAUN really disrespectful!
ATLANTA BRAVES an insult to a proud people?
BOSTON CELTIC a pitiful caricature of one of the great white tribes, and a smoker too!
WASHINGTON REDSKINS racial insult?
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS insult to all Patriotic Americans!
Look at these insulting representatives of the courageous soldiers that are supposedly representative of the Confederate States of America
UNLV "RUNNING" REBELS, this old guy isn't running anywhere, and what's with the feather in the hat? Is he an Indian too? Or did he catch one while he was running?
OLE' MISS, decrepit old man with a cane instead of one of the many tough fighting "Rebs" that whipped the Yankees from one end of the country to the other.
At least the Indians get respectful stereotypes, nobody carrying a football or smoking a peacepipe:
NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING SIOUX
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
And look at the silly mascots to represent white figures:
PENNSYLVANIA QUAKERS
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN
MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (Sparty!)
And notice how ARIZONA STATE is represented by a "white" SUN DEVIL!
