Greg Sorenson writes:
> The new NC$$ News reports that the (Mpls.) Star Tribune
> will no longer publish "offensive" Native American nicknames.
>  Which, in the D-I hockey community, will affect NoDak,
> Colgate, Miami, Lowell (for now) and Merrimack...have
>  I missed anyone?
 
The key to all of this IMO is what consitutes "offensive".  "Redskins" seems
clearly offensive along with logos like the Cleveland Indians.  But what is
negative about Chiefs or Warriors?  If nicknames like the Cowboys or Generals
are considered ok, then why not Chiefs or Warriors?   Even more so, if a
Canadian team can name themselves "Canucks", a term considered so pejorative
that the rumor that he *might* have used it was a precursor to Muskie bowing
out in the '72 presidential election, then perhaps the PC police should relax
and stop finding offense where none exists.
 
 
> The article Mike uploaded seemed typical for a region of
> the country not particularly known for a tradition of racial
>  tolerance (busing, anyone?). Massachusetts high schools
>  still use many Native American nicknames, and aren't under
>  much pressure to change because, well, the Indians were
>  all but wiped out of the region quite some time ago.
 
Hello?  Thanks for smearing an entire region... [I just deleted a bunch more
stuff I wrote.  Forget it.  It's not hockey-related.]
 
Perhaps the Mass high school hockey teams still use the nicknames because
they don't see a problem with it, rather than because the Native Americans
were wiped out...  It is a region rich with Indian names for rivers, mountain
passes, highways, AND sports nicknames.
 
>  Would the
> white folks in New England be comfortable with a group of
> rowdy Providence fans sprinkling holy water around and
> reciting Hail Marys along with Goalie-Sieve chants? I doubt
>  it, although it is nice to hear that the Skating Friar is back.
 
First off, I don't care what you sprinkle as long as your pants are on.  :-)
 
Secondly, I don't have a problem with the holy water thing, although I suspect
others would.  But the situations are hardly comparable.  To make the analogy
correct, teams would have to be ridiculing Native American religious rites.
Calling a team the Chiefs or the Warriors doesn't ridicule anything.
 
Turning my thoughts away from this kind of nonsense towards the big
UMass-Lowell - Maine doubleheader this weekend...
 
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