Sports and mascots named after American Indians - What are the most offensive?

[Bobbieo]

How do DUers feel about using American Indian names and totems as sports team names and mascots?

[provis99]

1. I don't like any sport teams that use ethnic stereotypes

The Atlanta Braves and their tomahawk-chopping fans are offensive, the Washington Redskins are offensive, the North Dakota Fighting Sioux are offensive, the Chief Wahoo guy for the Cleveland Indians is offensive.

But on the other hand, I also find the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to be offensive; why not call their fans the "Drunken Paddys" to complete the stereotype? There was a baseball team called the "Georgia Crackers" which I find offensive, too. Those clowns in Minnesota who show up at Vikings games wearing those stupid mock Viking hats and golden wigs offends me too.

I also don't like that the University of Mississippi team is called the "Rebels", or that the schools is referred to "Ole Miss" (what the slaves said to refer to the slave owner's wife).

I'm sure I've missed a bunch. What is it with sports teams that they have to go out and offend some ethnic group with their pointless nicknames?

[Muttocracy]

2. at least many Minnesotans are Scandinavian

Although I don't recall seeing any honest-to-goodness Vikings when I lived there!

Edit to add - you're right, there are many offensive stereotypes around out there, though to me it's worse when a very small group that has nothing to do with the team is the victim of stereotyping.

[TellTheTruth82]

6. Ole Miss and stuff

The reference to the slave owner's wife is purely coincidental. (Disclaimer: I was a associate professor there. I, however, did not really want to teach there, and got out of there as soon as I could - I hated that place). As a matter of fact, my daughter and I once ran across a woman in Seattle wearing an Ole Miss sweatshirt. Commenting on it to the woman, she replied, "I thought it was Ole (as ine the spanish ole) Miss - a brand name". I think any offense you may take at the name is self-inflicted.

I find it hard to take offense at something that is not directed at me - especially when groups like the Seminoles in Florida want the Florida State to use their name as a mascot. If they don't find offense in it, why should I?

[dweller]

3. i don't watch sports

i find the whole endeavor pointlessly past offensive.

it just stimulates self importance
dp

[WildEyedLiberal]

4. My college was at the epicenter one of these controversies

I go to the University of Illinois, where the Chief Illiniwek mascot was recently retired after punitive measures from the NCAA. I can see where people found offense in a white guy dressing up in Indian regalia and dancing on the field, but on the other hand, I do feel like the Chief dress and dance was at least intended to be a tribute - it's not like he was out there doing that dumb "ai ai ai ai ai" thing with his hand on his mouth or smoking a peace pipe or some other cartoonish stereotype. However, couldn't they at least have had a Native American student represent the Chief? Did it really have to be a white kid? The sports team is named the Fighting Illini, which refers to a long-gone tribe that once lived in Illinois, and after which the state was named, which is how we got to retain our nickname - the school argues that "Illini" represents all Illinoisans, much like "Hoosiers" refers to Indiana residents. But the Chief is gone.

I guess Chief Illiniwek seemed mild after coming from a high school whose mascot was the "Redskins." There's really no way to get around the offensiveness of that.

[On the Road]

5. The Redskins is the Only Bad One in My Book

and yet the Bullets were the team that supposedly needed a name change.

A lot of controversial team names are based on respect (especially the Cleveland Indians), and I think eliminating them has helped banish Native Americans from national awareness. Previous generations have had more consciousness of and fascination with Indian culture than is common now. It is to me an unfortunate consequence of political correctness.