NCAA To Ban Use of Indian Team Names

[Darthtiki 0]

NCAA American Indian mascot ban will begin Feb. 1Associated Press

 

 

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA banned the use of American Indian mascots by sports teams during its postseason tournaments, but will not prohibit them otherwise.

 

The NCAA's Executive Committee decided this week the organization did not have the authority to bar Indian mascots by individual schools, committee chairman Walter Harrison said Friday.

 

Nicknames or mascots deemed "hostile or abusive" would not be allowed by teams on their uniforms or other clothing beginning with any NCAA tournament after Feb. 1, said Harrison, the University of Hartford's president.

 

"What each institution decides to do is really its own business" outside NCAA championship events, he said.

 

At the University of North Dakota, where the Fighting Sioux nickname has come under fire, officials said they wanted to study the decision before commenting.

 

"We just don't have enough information to know exactly what it means," said Phil Harmeson, a senior associate to school president Charles Kupchella.

 

Guidelines were not immediately available on which logos and nicknames would be considered "hostile or abusive."

 

The NCAA two years ago recommended that schools determine for themselves whether the Indian depictions were offensive.

 

Among the schools to change nicknames in recent years over such concerns were St. John's (from Redmen to Red Storm) and Marquette (from Warriors to Golden Eagles).

 

The NCAA plans to ban schools using Indian nicknames from hosting postseason events. Harrison said schools with such mascots that have already been selected as tournament sites would be asked to cover any offensive logos.

 

Such logos also would be prohibited at postseason games on cheerleader and band uniforms starting in 2008.

 

Discuss

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

What's there to discuss, besides ways to blow up NCAA HQ...

[MrRant 0]

It's bullshit. I remember when they had to rename the Bellingham Red Raiders to someother bullshit because a couple people were upset.

 

Even though Indians raided people all the time...

 

 

Discussion over.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

Utter nonsense. What about the teams that have agreements with the tribe, like Illinois, Utah, and Florida State?(I think they have agreements)

[Crimson Platypus 0]

Illinois should change their nickname to "Highly Honorable Yet Slightly Aggressive Illini".

[CanadianChris 0]

Utter nonsense. What about the teams that have agreements with the tribe, like Illinois, Utah, and Florida State?(I think they have agreements)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I doubt they would be deemed "hostile and abusive," then.

[cabbageboy 0]

How about Scandanavians protesting the various Viking teams while we're at it?

 

For the life of me I've never understood this entire issue. I mean 1. Why do Indian groups care anyway? and 2. Why does the NCAA or the various schools actually listen?

[Angel_Grace_Blue 0]

I'm hoping for a team to use Seal Clubbers as a name. Are seals going to complain? Or is that guy Seal going to sue?

[Darthtiki 0]

Eventually its going to be the Non-offensive pacifist mono-gendered uni-race humanoids playing a no-score being kept exhibition of athletics with the Non-offensive pacifist mono-gendered uni-race humanoids from another village

[Dangerous A 0]

Eventually its going to be the Non-offensive pacifist mono-gendered uni-race humanoids playing a no-score being kept exhibition of athletics with the Non-offensive pacifist mono-gendered uni-race humanoids from another village

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Nail.on.the.head.

[Angel_Grace_Blue 0]

I doubt that.

 

We wouldn't want one village to feel superior to another.

[Damaramu 0]

Wasn't there a HS team one time named the "Fighting Whities"?

And doesn't the Seminole tribe in Florida consider it an honor to be connected with an institution of higher learning?

I've decided that all teams named "Cowboys" is offensive and gives a bad name to the men and women who pioneered the west.

And USC and Troy State? Yeah they offend all roman sensibilities.

[Darthtiki 0]

I doubt that.

 

We wouldn't want one village to feel superior to another.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Scores aren't being kept so how is one village going to feel superior?

[The Czech Republic 0]

Indians should be sent to the Whiny Bitches folder of life.

[JustJoe2k5 0]

Damn, perennial college basketball powerhouses like Florida State will have to change their nicknames before making their yearly run to the Final Four. Until Christians rally to have Duke change their Blue Devils, I probably won't notice.

[Darthtiki 0]

Until Christians rally to have Duke change their Blue Devils, I probably won't notice.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

If that's the case shouldn't Wakeforest change theirs too since they're the Demon Deacons

[NoCalMike 0]

The thing is, everytime Native Americans are polled(ok yeah poll schmolls) but anyways, when they are polled it usually comes out 82% - 8$ in favor of native american mascots/team names NOT BEING OFFENSIVE to them.

 

I frequent the free speech network, and I like a lot of their programming, but this one time I was pissed off because this native american lady was talking about how disrespectful it was, and she took her daughter to a highschool basketball game, and they did the whole thing with a guy in feathers riding a horse down the court and the mascot, then they pan to the 10 year old girl crying out of humiliation, and to me that was flat out 100% her MOTHERS doing, to make her feel ashamed, as if the school was somehow making fun of her. It was such bullshit. I mean it was so obvious the mom was ingraining it into her child that "THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL CONSIDER OFFENSIVE" instead of letting her child make up her own mind.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

This doesn't count bowl games? FSU would probably be the biggest team hurt by that..or until College football gets a tournament...lol..

[Ced 0]

I've been desensitized to this kind of nonsense ever since the malcontents reduced Syracuse to a color.

 

After they get through with the NCAA, I personally want to see the malcontents try to get the Redskins to change their name, just to see Dangerous A unleash the f'n fury.

[Agent_Bond34 0]

For the life of me I've never understood this entire issue.  I mean 1.  Why do Indian groups care anyway? and 2. Why does the NCAA or the various schools actually listen?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

My thoughts exactly.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Despite all the gut-reactions here, I do think there is some need to cut out the most egregious examples. Not all references to Native Americans should be cut, but calling yourselves something like the "Redmen" is over the line.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

I've been desensitized to this kind of nonsense ever since the malcontents reduced Syracuse to a color.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Why is it they became the Orange?

[Guest Biggles]

The Indian references have long been the subject of debate in nearly every sport, college and Pro. I remember the Cleveland Indians (mlb) mascot, Chief Wahoo receiving alot of attention because it degraded Native Americans. And even things such as the Tomahowk Chop made famous by Atlanta Braves (mlb) and Florida St. Seminoles (NCAA) have been under fire.

 

But this seems to be the first time anything has been officially done about it. It's rather small when you think about it. And really only targets NCAA basketball. And if you break it down further, it mainly only affects the 65 teams that make the March Madness Tournament. And to get even further in it, it only targets the poor sap who is in the mascot outfit. The names don't have to be changed, they just can't have the mascot present in the postseason. And being a huge University of Illinois fan, that would have meant no Chief Illiniwek this year at the Championship.

 

Not really a huge factor, but do you think this could be the beginning step in a crackdown on 'offensive' mascots? And why stop at Indian names. What about others like the Blue Devils or Deamon Deacons? It wasn't that long ago we saw the Washington Bullets become the Wizards because of the 'violent' reference made by 'Bulluets'.

[cabbageboy 0]

I always thought the Bullets becoming the Wizards was a marketing move to get away from the image of DC being violent and riddled with bullets.

 

Do these Indian groups even realize that the intent of this isn't to demean a particular group but instead to HONOR them? Teams have Indian mascots and names because it is supposed to be a cool thing, something brave and macho to strike fear in the opponent.

[Guest Biggles]

I always thought the Bullets becoming the Wizards was a marketing move to get away from the image of DC being violent and riddled with bullets.

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Yeah, that's more or less what I meant. They didn't want the negative association with Bullets, crimes, guns, etc... so they made it more market friendly with the Wizards.

 

I think most tribes don't have a problem with it. And alot of the main speakers against the mascots aren't even Native American, they just want everyone and everything to be PC. I know most teams are named after the local tribes like U. of Illinois Illini and S. Illinois Saluki's. Both were named in honor of the tribes that founded those areas. But in the case of the Cleveland Indians, I think the interpretation of Chief Wahoo is something like Chief Idiot or something of that effect. It's supposed to more of a joke, but some people didn't like it. And that's the mascot's name more than the actual team's name.

[Damaramu 0]

One of my ultra PC friends who doesn't even like sports was telling me last night

"This is just the beginning. They start small and now they'll get ride of other offensive names like the Indians and Braves! Enough bad press and they'll change anything!"

I told him the Braves and Indians would never change their names but he just stubbornly said they would with enough bad press.

I don't know how anyone could consider the Braves and Indians offensive.

He tried to say "Because they're not indians! That's a mistake! They're Native Americans!"

Then because we live in Oklahoma he started trying to tell me that OU shouldn't be called the Sooners b/c it's a deragatory name and was the name of criminals.

Then I realized he was off his rocker on the PC bullshit.

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

I don't think the name changes have to happen, but some of the mascots are pretty offensive caricatures that make Tatanka look like an accurate, tasteful representation of native americans.

[Celtic Guardian 0]

I've been desensitized to this kind of nonsense ever since the malcontents reduced Syracuse to a color.

 

After they get through with the NCAA, I personally want to see the malcontents try to get the Redskins to change their name, just to see Dangerous A unleash the f'n fury.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

They are trying in a sense. There is an ongoing challenge in the courts against the Redskins trademarks, based on a federal law that bars registered trademarks for racist terms and material. If successful, the team would lose exclusivity for the term and would presumably be financially inclined to change the Redskin name to something else.

[Vampiro69 0]

Well in North Dakota we are tired of having outside people coming here protesting the nickname Fighting Sioux. they try telling us that there are better nicknames for us such as

 

The Roughriders (this ain't the CFL!)

or

the Flickertails (name of a gopher here)

 

Mainly we think that it shows a since of pride and the fighting spirit of the Sioux. Many of the other indian tribes around the area feared the Sioux because they were such a fearce tribe.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Do these Indian groups even realize that the intent of this isn't to demean a particular group but instead to HONOR them? Teams have Indian mascots and names because it is supposed to be a cool thing, something brave and macho to strike fear in the opponent.

 

Does that make Al Jolsen in black face a tribute to African American culture? There is a point where lines are crossed.