Tuesday, August 09, 2005
A modest proposal.
So the NCAA has finally done it. They have issued an order barring the use of "hostile and abusive racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames or imagery at any of the 88 NCAA championships." No more will the nation have to endure shameful stereotypes like the one displayed by the University of Notre Dame.
What? The list only includes schools with teams named for Native American tribes or symbols? Well, I'm sure they'll catch up. Seriously, check this dude out. Definitely violent, quite possibly drunk, surely the NCAA's new rule means this outdated stereotype is not long for this world.
Or not. The new rule may not extend to the football bowl games, since whether the NCAA's dedication to diversity and respect extends towards jeopardizing the barrels of money Nokia shells out to put their tag on a bowl game. Anyhow, the gang at Southern Appeal are on this decision like a Colorado recruit on a stripper.
Me, I don't know. I grew up in Peoria, home of the Bradley Braves, and I married a woman who has a degree from the University of Illinois (home of the Fighting Illini), and she voted for Bill Clinton (twice), Al Gore, and John Kerry. By defintion, as a Democrat, she is far, far more sensitive than I about such matters. Yet she owns a "Save the Chief" T-shirt. People don't name teams after things and groups that they dislike or disrespect. To understand this sentiment, imagine yourself cheering "Go, Ignorant Criminal Bastards!" To most of us, that doesn't make sense. To the rest of you, well, congratulations. You're a Yankees fan.
That said, when people celebrate their team, they generally don't give much thought to the real people who belong to the same group their team allegedly commemorates. The "tomahawk chop", popularized by Florida State, is often seen here in Atlanta, as Braves fans try to stave off yet another post-season collapse. It pretty much never works, which ought to tell you something right there. Still, while it's safe to say the choppers probably mean no disrespect, it's also true that they really aren't thinking about it, and if they are causing offense to reasonable people, they should cut it the hell out. While a person may have the right to be a dick, common courtesy requires that you decline to exercise said right.
This leaves us in a quandry. Decent, God-fearing college sports fans in need symbols and mascots they can cheer enthusiastically, while still respecting the sensitivies of others, even if those others happen to think the Nokia Sugar Bowl is a gift you get if you sign up for two years of cell phone service.
In short, we need a symbol that will never prompt a complaint of racism from the left, no matter how the fans choose to express their support.
And, in light of all the fuss surrounding a recent humorous blog post, I think I've got it.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you - The Fighting Malkins.
What? The list only includes schools with teams named for Native American tribes or symbols? Well, I'm sure they'll catch up. Seriously, check this dude out. Definitely violent, quite possibly drunk, surely the NCAA's new rule means this outdated stereotype is not long for this world.
Or not. The new rule may not extend to the football bowl games, since whether the NCAA's dedication to diversity and respect extends towards jeopardizing the barrels of money Nokia shells out to put their tag on a bowl game. Anyhow, the gang at Southern Appeal are on this decision like a Colorado recruit on a stripper.
Me, I don't know. I grew up in Peoria, home of the Bradley Braves, and I married a woman who has a degree from the University of Illinois (home of the Fighting Illini), and she voted for Bill Clinton (twice), Al Gore, and John Kerry. By defintion, as a Democrat, she is far, far more sensitive than I about such matters. Yet she owns a "Save the Chief" T-shirt. People don't name teams after things and groups that they dislike or disrespect. To understand this sentiment, imagine yourself cheering "Go, Ignorant Criminal Bastards!" To most of us, that doesn't make sense. To the rest of you, well, congratulations. You're a Yankees fan.
That said, when people celebrate their team, they generally don't give much thought to the real people who belong to the same group their team allegedly commemorates. The "tomahawk chop", popularized by Florida State, is often seen here in Atlanta, as Braves fans try to stave off yet another post-season collapse. It pretty much never works, which ought to tell you something right there. Still, while it's safe to say the choppers probably mean no disrespect, it's also true that they really aren't thinking about it, and if they are causing offense to reasonable people, they should cut it the hell out. While a person may have the right to be a dick, common courtesy requires that you decline to exercise said right.
This leaves us in a quandry. Decent, God-fearing college sports fans in need symbols and mascots they can cheer enthusiastically, while still respecting the sensitivies of others, even if those others happen to think the Nokia Sugar Bowl is a gift you get if you sign up for two years of cell phone service.
In short, we need a symbol that will never prompt a complaint of racism from the left, no matter how the fans choose to express their support.
And, in light of all the fuss surrounding a recent humorous blog post, I think I've got it.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you - The Fighting Malkins.
