"Hostile" Mascot Update
| Some hope for Fighting Sioux fans… in the form of legislation. It’s nice to see Congress display some common sense once is awhile. I’ve never really understood the whole “hostility” argument anyway. Hostile in North Dakota would be using the insignia for the U.S. 7th Cavalry, not imagery designed by one of the Sioux tribe's very own. Still, these are the only sorts of threats the NCAA understands; half the reason Florida State obtained their waiver was the state legislature threatened the NCAA with antitrust legislation. Besides, a 2002 Peter Harris Research Group poll showed that 81% of Native Americans support the use of Indian nicknames in high school and college sports, and 83% of Native Americans support the use of Indian mascots and symbols in professional sports. The accompanying commentary concluded that the “poll suggests that although Native American activists are virtually united in opposition to the use of Indian nicknames and mascots, the Native American population sees the issue far differently.” I think we can count Jim Thorpe among them. |
posted by Marc Foster at 5/16/2006 12:21:00 PM
Comments on ""Hostile" Mascot Update"
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Anonymous said ... (8:37 AM, May 17, 2006) :
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Anonymous said ... (11:25 AM, May 17, 2006) :
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Anonymous said ... (12:09 PM, May 17, 2006) :
post a commentMarc:
That is awesome! I am glad to see in the face of partisan politics the legislators can come together and step forward to cut the growing nose off the NCAA. I agree 100% that the NCAA should NOT be the social arbitors of logos and nicknames. Stay in the office and get the damn schedule DONE!!! Quit sticking your nose where it's not wanted. Especially for schools like Illinois and North Dakota who have a lot to lose if the NCAA went forward unregulated.
I hope both schools sue the crap out of the NCAA and it dissolves and is replaced with a different governing body that has some brains.
While I applaud the NCAA for acting in the right direction by asking student-athletes to be both students AND athletes (by increasing Clearinghouse requirements), I too am appalled by the whole "hostile" mascot concept.
The University of Notre Dame hasn't been attacked for its non-PC "Fighting Irish" mascot. What about the Wake Forest "Demon Deacons" or the DePaul University "Blue Devils"? Aren't those mascots offensive to those who hold Chrisitianity near and dear?
This choice belongs in the hands of the university, the students, and the alumni - not the NCAA. I'm just surprised that the ND representatives aren't named as some of the bill's sponsors.
The North Dakota senators and lone representative are all politically correct Democrats and don't have the spine to support anything that would offend any "person of color."