Getting the racism out of college sports
FINALLY! The NCAA has come around and is finally doing something about Native American mascots. When I heard the news on NPR I literally cheered in my car.
Starting in 2006, any university participating in NCAA collegiate sports will be unable to participate in post-season tournaments if their mascot is Native American in origin.
Native American mascots (Seminoles, Braves, Sioux, etc.) are not only stupid, but treat Native Americans like something less than human beings. A few years back I was at the One Club in New York and saw this student piece for the National Cngress of American Indians. It illustrates the problem perfectly.
Native Americans have always been one of the most oppressed groups of people in America, and the NCAA committee should be commended for finally coming up with, what will be, an effective response to the issue. Schools like Florida State covet their football and basketball team's post-season play and earnings. The board of trustees of these universities will have to respond with a mascot change or face mobs of angry fans, and more importantly to them... lost revenue.
It doesn't solve the problem completely. There still exists Native American nicknames in professional sports: the Atlanta Braves, the Cleveland Indians, the Washington Redskins, etc. Hopefully the move by the NCAA will prompt similar moves by MLB and the NFL.
Of course, there is going to be backlash about this move. People are entrenched in school's traditions, and most people simply don't like change. But this move, on the part of the NCAA, is not a move to change people's minds now. It's being done to change the opinions of future generations, so that they will not think (consciously or sub-consciously) that another human being could be belittled by using their heritage as a mascot.
Ray Ratto commented on the ban saying that it would lead to PETA seeking a ban on animal nicknames. What Ratto misses here is that Native Americans are human beings who deserve the right to be treated as all other human beings. When an animal approaches me to tell me how their pride has been hurt by using their likeness as a mascot - I will rescind my opinion.
Florida State has responded saying that they think that the NCAA committee is being insensitive to them! That's rich. Apparently the Seminole tribe has struck a deal "approving" of their name and likeness being used by the university. We know how things work in Florida, however. There has got to be a huge amount of money going to various Seminole interests from the university. This "relationship" is simply the university paying the tribe off.
Here's some more angry FSU fans. In my opinion, they should be more worried about keeping their players off drugs and out of jail. What kind of reputation does player's misbehavior give the Seminole nation? I wouldn't want my heritage associated with those meat heads.
The one thing that some dissenters have pointed out, that I can agree with, is that the NCAA ruling is not substantial enough, and the committee should regain control of their association by banning all mascots that are Native American.
Starting in 2006, any university participating in NCAA collegiate sports will be unable to participate in post-season tournaments if their mascot is Native American in origin.
Native American mascots (Seminoles, Braves, Sioux, etc.) are not only stupid, but treat Native Americans like something less than human beings. A few years back I was at the One Club in New York and saw this student piece for the National Cngress of American Indians. It illustrates the problem perfectly.
Native Americans have always been one of the most oppressed groups of people in America, and the NCAA committee should be commended for finally coming up with, what will be, an effective response to the issue. Schools like Florida State covet their football and basketball team's post-season play and earnings. The board of trustees of these universities will have to respond with a mascot change or face mobs of angry fans, and more importantly to them... lost revenue.
It doesn't solve the problem completely. There still exists Native American nicknames in professional sports: the Atlanta Braves, the Cleveland Indians, the Washington Redskins, etc. Hopefully the move by the NCAA will prompt similar moves by MLB and the NFL.
Of course, there is going to be backlash about this move. People are entrenched in school's traditions, and most people simply don't like change. But this move, on the part of the NCAA, is not a move to change people's minds now. It's being done to change the opinions of future generations, so that they will not think (consciously or sub-consciously) that another human being could be belittled by using their heritage as a mascot.
Ray Ratto commented on the ban saying that it would lead to PETA seeking a ban on animal nicknames. What Ratto misses here is that Native Americans are human beings who deserve the right to be treated as all other human beings. When an animal approaches me to tell me how their pride has been hurt by using their likeness as a mascot - I will rescind my opinion.
Florida State has responded saying that they think that the NCAA committee is being insensitive to them! That's rich. Apparently the Seminole tribe has struck a deal "approving" of their name and likeness being used by the university. We know how things work in Florida, however. There has got to be a huge amount of money going to various Seminole interests from the university. This "relationship" is simply the university paying the tribe off.
Here's some more angry FSU fans. In my opinion, they should be more worried about keeping their players off drugs and out of jail. What kind of reputation does player's misbehavior give the Seminole nation? I wouldn't want my heritage associated with those meat heads.
The one thing that some dissenters have pointed out, that I can agree with, is that the NCAA ruling is not substantial enough, and the committee should regain control of their association by banning all mascots that are Native American.
3 Comments:
I think if the indian tribe is ok with the school mascot then it is ok for the school to use it, if they do not approve then they should consider changing it.
dude, whats the prob? it's not like it's anything negative...if they were beating indians on the sidelines everytime they got scored on, then i could see the problem...it doesn't hurt a darn thing.
ps. new york jews? i'm in...where can i pick me up some merch?
I think ookami is correct to a point. If the Seminole tribe is genuinely supportive of a university's use of their heritage as a mascot, then it is okay.
What I wonder about are the motives. I fear that the relationship is entirely driven by money. It would cost the university millions to regear merchandise and retrain their alumni and faculty and fans to cheer on a new mascot.
It probably would cost the Seminole tribe money as well, because I have no doubt that the tribe is receiving money from the university (either directly or indirectly).
So, I don't think that the tribe is necessarily aligning themselves with the university with the purest intents. I wonder if Oceola would approve of such a relationship with people who drove the Seminoles out of their land?
To Michelle's point, you may think that the New York Jews would be a fun name for merchandising, but I am sure there are countless others who would not want their jewish heritage being paraded around a football field, and being misunderstood by fans.
For example, how many FSU fans know that "Chief Osceola" was actually never a chief? He was a strong leader for the tribe when they were driven from their homes, but never given the title chief. The tribe doesn't believe in singular leadership... it works communally.
So, overall I simply think that using humans as mascots is a bad idea, because of the stereotyping and misinformation that is pervasive in such situations.
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