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