Special
interest groups are on the offense during these challenging times. Once they
saw leaders were not going to take control, they took advantage. “Let’s come up
with a reason to change the name of Pro Sports teams and other things.”
Some
names are offending. Some changes are a reach.
(I’ve tried to include the date the original
name appeared.)
Pro FOOTBALL is at the
head of the list with offensive names and logos.
Washington Redskins 1932
This round of social correctness starts in our nation’s
capital. For years, Native Americans have been trying to get the football team to
change their name and logo. This time the push seems to be gaining momentum. Of
course, the protest is well-founded. The name is offensive and racist.
The Native Americans wanted the team name to be ‘Code
Talkers’. That didn’t fly for some reason.
After a quick survey, the popular choice for a new name was
‘The Pigskins’. Just a little photoshop on the logo and you’re ready to play
ball.
But the team has another problem. The name of the city,
Washington. One suggestion was to change their name to the ‘DC Sharks’. That was
quickly vetoed by the lobbyist in town.
‘Go Talkers’ just doesn’t sound right.
Kansas City Chiefs 1960
Their
corporate position was too despite
the claims by the Native American community. They said their name was not a reference
to Native Americans. The Chiefs is in honor of a former Kansas City mayor who
was the founder of a Boy Scouts honor camping society. He was known
at the camp as "Chief" Lone Bear.
Also, some fan practices are under review including the tomahawk
chop, the drum, Arrowhead Stadium, Warpaint, and the costumes worn by fans at
the game. One suggestion was that they should replace the symbols with
whistles.
One of my
inside contacts suggested changing the name to the ‘Chefs’ which required a small
change to the logo and the image. That idea didn’t go anywhere when the Culinary
Union raised strong objections.
Seattle Seahawks 1976
The team is
considering changing their name to ‘CHAZ’ in remembrance of the social
demonstrations downtown. The leaders strongly considered the change until THE Utah
Jazz complained about trademark infringement. This is still being reviewed.
Pro BASEBALL has their
own problems with names and social rights.
Cleveland Indians 1901
We’ll let’s start with Cleveland. Their nickname says it
all. Surprisingly, the organization has not had a lot of pressure to change
anything. Maybe they have followed in the footsteps of the Florida State Seminoles.
Their name and logo usage were officially sanctioned by the Seminole Tribe. The
chief regards it as an "honor" to be associated with the
university.
One suggestion that appeared in my survey was to change the
name to just ‘Baseball’. That has a ring to it. ‘Go Bases’.
Seattle Mariners 1977
Seattle is under pressure to change their name to ‘the Choppers’
in memory of the organized protest downtown. With this new mandate, the fans
can bring their own fireworks and signs. Also, no one will have to go through a
metal detector or be searched in any way at the gate.
Atlanta Braves 1876
Atlanta
is another team facing the problem with their nickname. The name is considered
racist in concept. They have been exploring several options not used by other
teams like the Hammers, the Firebirds, and the Georgia Appalachians.
I suggested just drop the ‘s’ off the name to designate the ‘Home of
the Brave’. A quick change to the logo and inserting a picture of, let’s say a picture
of a war veteran. That idea was quickly shot down by a group who had a problem
with that idea.
St. Louis Cardinals 1892
And then there are my beloved Cards. The picture of a red
bird hasn’t raised much attention although if the Cubs get ahold of this idea
that might all change.
However, the name of the city is under attack. Recently
a petition by an Israeli-American and a pair of
Muslim activists was filed in district court.
The name’s origin is from King Louis IX from France who was
a racist, according to them. A note: the KING died in 1270.
Simple. Let’s change the name to
St. Louie. Small change. Easy to adjust too.
Other changes in the
works.
Colonel Sanders
The colonel
must go. He represents the plantation owners of the deep south during segregation,
according to the opposition. He is the founder of the fast-food chicken restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken.
His name and image are still symbols of the company which must go. There goes
my favorite sandwich, the Crispy Colonel Sandwich. Surely, they can make a
quick name change.
Aunt Jemima Pancake Syrup
This
has been my favorite since I was a child. But I agree with the change to the
name and the symbol. It is a symbol of a racial stereotype. The brand is 130-year-old.
Quaker
will come up with something acceptable. They have announced ‘The Aunt Jemima’
brand of syrup and pancake mix will get a new name and image.
Mount Rushmore
Located in the
Black Hills in South Dakota,
the monument depicts the images of four of our Presidents.
The Sioux have
disputed the territory for years for being sacred. And the Presidents represent
a negative symbolism, according to some.
The
land was given to the Sioux tribe in 1868 and stayed under their control until
gold was found. In the 1870s prospectors took control of the area. A side note:
The sculptor
behind the American landmark had some unseemly ties to white supremacy groups.
A hot rumor:
There is a movement to change the street names in major
cities from President’s names to plain letters or numbers. Like in the past, the
number 13 will not be used, as well as, the letter ‘F’.
We now play baseball at the corner of ‘A’ Avenue and Clark
Street.
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