| Shakespeare could wax poetic about 'What's in | | | | in major sports as the great Jackie Robinson |
| a Name?' because he didn't have to contend | | | | was fifty years later.Yes, the team uses a |
| with sports mascots ...It's the | | | | caricature of a Native American as its logo |
| politically-correct issue in America that | | | | now. In fact, Chief Wahoo is perenially one |
| refuses to subside. I consider myself to be | | | | of the hottest-selling logos on sports |
| an enlightened cyberbeing, but I contend | | | | merchandise. It far outsells the NHL's |
| there are just some topics that blur the | | | | Columbus Blue Jackets orginal logo, which is |
| bigger picture of an ethically responsible | | | | honoring the valiant Ohio battalion that |
| society, and complaining that mascots can be | | | | fought so honorably in the Civil War. We |
| degrading is near the top of the list.A quick | | | | haven't heard historical societies from that |
| check of Webster's Twentieth Century | | | | great state howling with indignation that |
| Unabridged Dictionary defines 'mascot' as | | | | this is done by putting a green insect in a |
| 'any person, animal or thing supposed to | | | | Union soldier's uniform. Instead, the odds |
| bring good luck by being present.' So, it | | | | are they're pleased that more of the North |
| would seem that a team mascot is an honorable | | | | American public has become aware of the Blue |
| title. Most mascots in American sports had | | | | Jacket history than ever before, just as the |
| their origins in the early 1900s. Back then, | | | | Cleveland Indians can keep alive the memory |
| teams fumbled around with quaint monickers | | | | of Sockalexis. |
| until they gradually realized the tremendous | | | | |
| marketing value they carried. The New York | | | | Some protestors say Chief Wahoo has 'shifty' |
| Highlanders became the more | | | | eyes and that makes him even more demeaning. |
| regionally-identifiable Yankees, for | | | | I, for one, never drew that connection, but |
| instance, and the Chicago Cubs took their | | | | if anyone else did, why wouldn't they be |
| nickname so newspaper editors could more | | | | laughing and demeaning the Oklahoma |
| easily fit it into headlines. Distinguished | | | | University Sooners? After all, that term |
| symbols like Tigers and Giants appeared. | | | | originally implied cheaters getting a jump on |
| Unique features like White Stockings and Red | | | | staking claims to land being opened for |
| Stockings evolved into the more | | | | settlement.There are many more examples. I |
| headline-friendly and spelling-special White | | | | simply don't see Native Americans being |
| Sox and Red Sox.One of the earliest attempts | | | | unduly isolated in this context, and no one |
| at humor in mascot-anointing was made by the | | | | else involved is feeling belittled.The |
| Brooklyn nine of baseball's National League. | | | | Washington Redskins originated in Boston, |
| Urban legend wasn't a known phrase back then, | | | | home of baseball's Red Sox and Braves in the |
| but it farily describes the allusion to fans | | | | 1930s. They were also called the Braves back |
| who 'dodged' trolley fares to get a free ride | | | | then, because they played in that team's |
| to Ebbetts Field and watch the game. Those | | | | stadium. However, when they wound up getting |
| 'bums' were called Dodgers, and their | | | | better terms to locate in Fenway Park, they |
| favorite team became christened as | | | | didn't want to confuse the paying public by |
| such.Ironically, that drift toward the | | | | being Braves but playing in the Red Sox |
| whimsical --- probably intended to portray | | | | stadium. Their solution made sense: they |
| sports in its proper context as a | | | | incorporated references to their origins and |
| divertissement of life --- may have been the | | | | their new game site by changing their name to |
| root of indignation two generations later.The | | | | Redskins. The logic apparently didn't |
| social upheavals of the 1960s and early 1970s | | | | register with enough fans, though, and the |
| were certainly justified, in my view. Civil | | | | team soon exited to the nation's capital.The |
| rights needed to come to the fore, and the | | | | point here is that the Redskins name wasn't |
| resultant improvement in how all peoples were | | | | derived as a slur, but as a facilitation to |
| perceived was a great step forward for | | | | distinguish the team's new --- albeit |
| mankind. Still, there's a difference between | | | | transitional --- home. Furthermore, to be |
| significant awareness and pedantic perception | | | | fair, the Redskins organization has only used |
| in any movement. Thus, in my view, when | | | | a noble image as a symbol of the name. |
| certain Native Americans first raised the | | | | Washington DC is one of the most liberal |
| mascot controversy in headlines of the time, | | | | cities in North America, with its |
| the attention afforded was only due to its | | | | population's majority consisting of |
| being sucked into the backdraft of searing | | | | minorities. The connotation of that nickname |
| human rights campaigns.Personally, I've | | | | being demeaning, as in the Cleveland Indians |
| always thought the issue had as much | | | | case, just doesn't emerge from its context.My |
| relevance to their legitimate concerns as | | | | impression, then, remains that the mascot |
| bra-burning did for women's rights.Think | | | | controversy has its sole value in the |
| about it. Native Americans aren't alone in | | | | publicity it gives those organizations who |
| being designated as mascots. In accordance | | | | are raising it. Pro and college sports are |
| with Webster's Dictionary definition, other | | | | more visible than ever in the USA, and what |
| persons given the distinction include the | | | | better way is there to affix one's |
| Irish (University of Notre Dame) and | | | | organization to higher 'page rankings' than |
| Scandinavians (Minnesota Vikings). Both of | | | | making headlines in the Sports section of |
| these ethnic groups endured their moments of | | | | newspapers and broadcasts?The matter isn't |
| discrimination in the annals of American | | | | going away anytime soon. Now the NCAA --- |
| history, too. So far, neither has mounted a | | | | college sports' governing body --- has |
| protest about being characterized as a good | | | | decreed that any university with a Native |
| luck symbol for a sporting organization.Don't | | | | American mascot can neither host a |
| even try to broach the 'caricature' argument | | | | championship event nor use their mascot in |
| as a reason why the Native American situation | | | | any championship event. Some schools have |
| is different. Perhaps Notre Dame uses a | | | | successfully been granted exceptions, which |
| leprechaun logo now, but the term 'Fighting | | | | makes even less sense to me. Does this mean |
| Irish' was a clear reference to barroom | | | | that Florida State's Seminoles, for example, |
| brawlers, a stereotypical low-life trait at | | | | are less demeaning to Native Americans than |
| which immigrants from the Emerald Isle were | | | | North Dakota's Fighting Sioux (a traditional |
| perceived to be quite proficient. As to the | | | | college hockey power)? How hypocritical is |
| Scandinavians, there is no evidence that even | | | | that? If they're contending that degrees of |
| one Viking was ever so dim as to go into | | | | discrimination exist due to local |
| battle with a set of heavy horns on his | | | | circumstances, then they're admitting to a |
| helmet; why would any warrior charge into a | | | | targeted sensitivity beyond society's pale, |
| kill-or-be-killed scenario wearing anything | | | | which is discriminatory in itself. How can |
| that could directly impede his ability to | | | | such a position be rationalized with a clear |
| win? (The image of horns came from priests' | | | | conscience?Mascots, no matter how |
| drawings of Viking attacks, attempting to | | | | commercialized, are still nothing more than |
| equate them to the Devil incarnate, and it | | | | whimsical symbols. Society as a whole |
| was Wagner who popularized this image when he | | | | understands that, just as it realizes the |
| staged his epic Ring of the | | | | stylized violence in Grimm's Fairy Tales |
| Niebelung.)Cleveland's baseball team sorted | | | | leaves no lasting scars on the psyches of |
| through a number of mascots in their early | | | | children who innocently absorb them. Those |
| days. 'Spiders' just didn't have that 'je ne | | | | who claim to the contrary only risk |
| sais crois' of marketing sizzle. They were | | | | trivializing themselves and the credibility |
| the 'Naps' for a while, in honor of their | | | | of their greater cause.Nowhere in the country |
| star player-manager, Napoleon Lajoie. So, | | | | do such topics remain in a lighthearted |
| when they finally settled on 'Indians' in | | | | perspective more than in Orofino, Idaho. |
| correlation to one of their first star | | | | That's the site of the state's mental |
| players --- Louis Sockalexis, a Native | | | | hospital. The local high school's teams are |
| American --- the monicker may not have begun | | | | called the Maniacs.No one protests, unless |
| as a tribute to him, but it has since | | | | the teams don't play hard.J Square Humboldt |
| memorialized his legacy. The evidence | | | | is the featured columnist at the Longer Life |
| indicates the term was derogatorily applied | | | | website, which is dedicated to providing |
| to all members of the Cleveland team in the | | | | information, strategies, analysis and |
| 1890s because it dared to have the fortitude | | | | commentary devoted to improving the quality |
| to allow an Indian to play for them. Since | | | | of living. His page can be found at and his |
| then, Sockalexis has been recognized as being | | | | observations are published three times per |
| as much of a pioneer for minority involvement | | | | week. |