The latest is a letter – ooohhhh a LETTER! – to Roger Goodell, once again demanding the NFL take action by forcing the Washington Redskins to change their name from what they insist is a “slur.” Facts. History. Hypocrisy. None of those inconvenient things matter to privileged white liberal elites who must make themselves feel better, act superior, and impose their word-code upon others. The fact the current helmet logo was designed in 1971 by Native American leaders in the National Congress of American Indians? Irrelevant, apparently. How about the fact that 62 HIGH SCHOOLS in America still have “Redskins” as a nickname? Many of them, overwhelmingly “native” American (I say “native” in quotes because at this point, aren’t we ALL “natives” if we were born here?).
One school that still uses the nickname is Red Mesa High in Arizona, located on a Navajo reservation, and where 99.3 percent of its students are Native American. Tommie Yazzie, superintendent of the school district that oversees Red Mesa High School and a full-blooded Navajo, said he is more concerned with the use of Native American war chants and gestures during sporting events. Do we have your attention, Atlanta Braves and KC Chiefs?
And the hypocrisy of these same media types, who NEVER ONCE had the balls or motivation to complain about this supposedly “awful slur” before for years and years and years of them occupying the airwaves, have now suddenly made it their own cottage industry? (yes, that’s YOU Costas and YOU Olbermann)
Must be nice to walk around in a world without a mirror. So it’s pretty apparent now, that no matter what the Washington Redskins Football club does to show they take the “other side’s” argument in good faith – the other side has no intentions of good faith dialogue. They won’t address why The Cleveland Indians are okay, and don’t want to take on the Florida State Seminoles. Or have no big beef with fans doing tomahawk chops.
The other side won’t lay out exactly what vestiges of “native american” imagery could remain – with their permission, of course – in a post-“Redskins” world here in DC (Is the spear helmet okay? How about the circle R with the feather?) The other side can’t/won’t say: “Look, no problem with paying tribute to native americans, but the name is dated and cringeworthy. How about ‘Scouts’ or something like that?”
Arguing with these people, is sheer folly. Which is why it’s probably time for Snyder to just stop playing the game. No more tit-for-tat press releases. No more “listening tours”. No more “First Americans” foundations.
This is a movement with almost literally no constituents. Short of a law banning the name, Snyder and the Redskins are as sovereign as a casino on a reservation. There’s no economic impact that could force this change, and it’s obvious the NFL itself doesn’t want to throw Snyder to the liberal media mob one minute, only to find out the Kansas City Chiefs are now “next” on this phony crusade.
Time is on Snyder’s side here, because the media and congress must constantly keep pushing on this boulder of who-gives-a-crap in hopes that it finally shakes free. Eventually, Mike Wise will be fired, Harry Reid will lose an election, and Keith Olbermann will turn his attention toward the daily savaging of something like the infield fly rule.
Stand firm, and go quiet. Now is no time for surrender.
11 Comments
mackdad
Glad to see czabe bucking what sounded like forced PC line-toeing on this issue. The last few times I heard this discussed on the radio, I could feel the four letter’s PC thumb on your neck.
The best defenses of our team’s name was from a blogger who explained we don’t name teams after things or people we despise. We look up to them because they are the people who have some piss and vinegar that we want to emulate.
This is nothing but knee jerk PC bullying.
Hawkins
Czabe
the tomahawk chop has been in the PC police’s crosshairs since 95
http://www.cnn.com/US/9510/mascot_protest/
Personally can’t wait for the other side of the outrage coin when they wipe ALL references to Native American culture and get protested for completely whitewashing it and not paying proper respect. Might I suggest a more in your face label that meets our new progressive overlords’ want to go forward: The Washington “Native American culture is passe, we should move on since they haven’t been relevant in decades and we don’t give two shits about them anymore”s
Albert In Tucson
How DARE you disparrage Keith Olbermann!
Don’t you realize he’s the smartest man in the room?
Well, as long as he’s the ONLY man in the room.
Bruce
My thought is that if they want to complain about it until the very minority gets their way, then don’t look to honor them in any way, shape or form. The term “Redskins” hasn’t been an issue until recently. Will even using the term “Native American” be PC in 10 years? Public opinion is so fickle. If they see the Washington team as being an affront to their heritage, then let’s go with something that has nothing to do with Indians, Native Americans, feathers, spears, tomahawks, Braves, warpath, etc… If they don’t want to be see their culture honored among thousands and thousands of faithful fans, then let’s move on. Let’s keep the burgundy and gold, but we’ll find something worthy of cheering on every Fall!
SIDE NOTES:
WASHINGTON BRAVEHEARTS – NO. You’d think that maybe it might bring up images of Mel Gibson battling in Falkirk with blue warpaint on, but I can see opponents treating the “Bravehearts” as if they are from the My Little Pony collection. Anything with the word “heart” in it probably will only good on a Hallmark card, not a football jersey.
WASHINGTON RED TAILS – It’s been suggested that the team be named after the African-American/Black airmen from WWII. Going from one race to another is not a good idea. It’d probably be about five minutes of the new uniforms being sold on the shelves for someone to get offended.
Injun Joe
I want that on a T-shirt!!
Joe from the 203
Czabe,
4 Americans murdered in Benghazi, Fast and furious gun running resulting in the death of a border agent, the IRS scandal targeting conservative groups, the VA hospital F’ups, etc. And our senate spends time writing a letter about a sports team. A F’N SPORTS TEAM!!!
God help us.
Irish
Spectacular to read the D.C. Sports Bog, and Huff Post, fall all over themselves to proclaim how the the Redskins’ challenge to have to fans tell Harry Reid what they really feel about his letter ‘blew up in their face’. They cherry-picked a few dozen Twitter posts, many from sports personalities who are pushing their own agenda, to show how much people are against the name……
Yet, if you go to the Redskins Facebook page, where the same challenge was made, there are nearly 1400 comments on this matter, of which at least 95% are in favor of keeping the name…
Snyder’s stubbornness will come in handy this time, because he won’t bend to this nonsense. Then, after a few years of people getting all worked up over this non-issue, they will start realize how stupid it really is… and it will eventually fall back to the low-grade fever of the early 90’s with only race-baiters like Bomani Jones, self-important arrogant know-nothings like Mike Wise and shameless opportunists like Ray Halbritter will continue to shout at the rain about this
James
I’d love to see Snyder and the fan base pull a jujitsu move on these PC thought police. Instead of replacing the Redskins name with something lame like wildcats, storm, or brave transgenders, come out and say that there will be no nickname period. Play up that they don’t want to take any chance of offending anyone for anything or any reason. The mental infants in the sports media have been saying Washington for years so there is no real impact to them, they should be 100% behind the no nickname gimmick.
Now, of course they will be royally pissed knowing they are being mocked and the organization is throwing the overkill of PC back in the media’s face. Basically, make it so they’ve ruined it for everybody. Play it up and make the rebranding so bland that the media looks ridiculous when they bitch and whine about the change. “You got what you wanted. Redskins is gone. What is your problem with just being Washington?” Them media wants the team to dance to their organ grinder so let them think their gonna get what they want; aka replace redskins with some innocuous weather phenomenon; but instead do something different to mock to PC thought police by not choosing any nickname.
BTW, I disagree that this will go away. This is the type of issue the modern left lives for. Fix the VA, nah too hard too complex. Stop Russia, Syria, Iran, or Boko Haram. Nah a hashtag shows we care. But when it’s a juice race baiting issue, clear the way. Look at Sterling, President Zero hit the podium to comment on that so fast, the road runner’s jaw hit the floor right next to the coyote. They are in complete totalitarian mode.
Tom
The absurdity of political correctness reminds me of the novel by the noted Communist and brilliant author, George Orwell, 1984. In 1984, the main character’s best friend has a government job where it is his goal to reduce the entire English language to one word. Each day they work on eliminating words so that eventually they might reach this goal. Absurd you say? Not so fast my friend.
Dave
Regarding Florida State. FSU has an agreement with the Seminole tribe of Florida, So FSU is protected from the PC police. Mike Wise fired? I hope so.
ken Johnson
It is nice to know that you are willing to call a spade a spade and not give in to PC.