Mascots

I just watched HBO's "Real Sports" episode for the month and they had a piece titled "Opposing Mascots" about American Indians struggle to spread knowledge about why they believe sporting teams mascots are insensitive as well as inaccurate. I, for one, was always against teams using American Indian culture as their nickname or mascot. The piece really showed though what some of the people who struggle for these changes go through, like being drug out of an Illinois basketball game.


We have seen some change in sports such as Stanford changin their nickname to the Cardinal in the 70s and recently Southeastern Missouri changed their nickname from Indians to Red Hawks. The one I have always been focused on is the Washington Redskins nickname. Does it not occur to people the name "Redskin" was and is used on Indians as the n-word was and is used on black people? We have seen some movement on the college level but when where there be some on the pro front. I know probably never since people usually use the excuse, we are honoring the Indian with our nickname not demeaning them. Yeah right!

I know there are some of you out there who think people are too sensitive about thing but this is something that just isn't right. People take a group, a race's culture and traditions and just make a complete mockery of them. I remember back when they had "No Chopping Zones" at Brave, Chief, and Seminole games and things of that nature but you don't hear much about this struggle even though it continues today. Kudos to HBO for bringing it back in the spotlight even if only for a minute because it has reawakened me to why these mascots are so horrible.

You know, I'm beginning to think Chris Rock was right when he sai no other race can complain because nobody has had it worse than the American Indian.