North Dakota U. lose nickname

[kaldaniels]

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slu...gsiouxnickname

I don't agree with this and would love to discuss it but that may be suited for the peanut gallery.

What I think can be discussed, is do you forsee in MLB the Braves and Indians (or the Washington Redskins) for that matter ever cave under pressure and change their nickname?

[westofyou]

Originally Posted by kaldaniels

http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slu...gsiouxnickname

I don't agree with this and would love to discuss it but that may be suited for the peanut gallery.

What I think can be discussed, is do you forsee in MLB the Braves and Indians (or the Washington Redskins) for that matter ever cave under pressure and change their nickname?

Braves derived their nickname based on the "mascot" for the political machine that the owner was associated with in the Boston area. the Redskins (last NFL team to integrate) took their name in deference to the Braves as they were founded in the Boston area before moving to DC. The Indians name was derived from a newspaper vote (IIRC) and has nothing to do with any past Indian player as reported. They also were a franchise without an "official" name for longer than any other AL team (going by Blues and Naps for much of their existence before said vote)

Don't expect any of them to change their name soon, all are pro sports teams and not tied to a larger organization like the NCAA or funded in some aspect by government programs.

As for ND State, it's tough, but move on... your ancestors exterminated the Lakota like so many flies in a window, no honoring of them with a mascot name will make up for that nor cover up that fact.

[Unassisted]

Originally Posted by kaldaniels

What I think can be discussed, is do you forsee in MLB the Braves and Indians (or the Washington Redskins) for that matter ever cave under pressure and change their nickname?

Only if it affects a team in some financial way, like people refusing to buy its merchandise.

In 2007, the Redskins ranked #7 in NFL merchandise sales. In 2010, they're not in the top 10. It may be related to the mascot or the team's record.

Some states have a law against high schools and public colleges using Indian mascots. I know that was the case in Wisconsin and I think Minnesota has one, too. North Dakota is in the same part of the country, so it's not hard to figure that its citizens would be of the same mindset on that issue

[Redsfan320]

do you forsee in MLB the Braves and Indians (or the Washington Redskins) for that matter ever cave under pressure and change their nickname?

Probably eventually in today's sad, PC world. .

320

[Kingspoint]

It's akin to the defacing of the antiquities in Afghanistan.

It's pointless and serves no purpose except to appease someone's warped sense of what they feel is offensive.

[Kingspoint]

Originally Posted by westofyou

As for ND State, it's tough, but move on... your ancestors exterminated the Lakota like so many flies in a window, no honoring of them with a mascot name will make up for that nor cover up that fact.

What's that got to do with anything?

The Lakota wiped out other tribes on a routine basis, as did the Sioux.

The dog-eat-dog world is a sad thing, true. But, the victor gets to write history and it's the loser that has to live with it. Now, "some" of the Sioux get to be the victor here, and wipe out years of tradition just as one Egyptian King would wipe out the images of past Kings.

[Kingspoint]

If the Chautauqua and Cherokee tribes would have helped Tecumseh in his desire to unite all Indian Nations under one "Great Nation" instead of just thinking of themselves, then the "heartland" of America, that area northwest of the Ohio River and north of the Kentucky River might to this day be The Great Nation. But, the leaders of the Choctaw and Creek tribes had no foresight while also being distrusting of other tribes, as most Indian Nations always were for as long back as any story can remember.

We wouldn't be having this discussion if the Indian Nations had united behind this great man. The tragedies that befell all of the Indian Nations of the ones we know about, and the ones 500-5000 years ago that we don't know about is sad indeed. If only they'd had the courage to follow this great leader.

[Yachtzee]

I'd say the biggest threat to pro sports teams may come from intellectual property law, if challengers continue the tactic used on Redskins that came close to invalidating their trademarks and copyrights relating to the team name on grounds that you shouldn't be able to hold a copyright or register as a trademark a racial slur or offensive logo.