Political Correctness, the NCAA and Social Conservatives

I'm writing this because I'm pissed off.

I am sick to death of listening to social conservatives bitch and moan over being obligated to consider other people's feelings before they speak or act.

Why the hell do they expect to be able to say whatever, to whomever, and then call liberals "Godless"? I can't decide if that's balsy or stupid.

I'm going to continue ranting on the other side of this fold...

(-------fold here for easy storage-------)

This rant comes on on the heels of the University of Illinois retiring their mascot ,Chief Illiniwek, after being pressured to do so by the NCAA.    Just about every bulls__t sports commentator I've heard address the subject has talked about how "people" need to be thicker-skinned and just get over these harmless Indian mascots. Really? Give me friggin' break.  Now, I'm not here to argue that the NCAA is innocent or unbiased nor that they haven't been given to exploiting athletes for their own self-serving purposes ($$$). But dammit, their past problems don't make them wrong here.

I live in Redskins country. That's probably the most offensive team name in sports today. Am I personally offended? A little. But I know full well that the term itself is offensive. Just because I am not standing next to an offended Indian at this particular moment doesn't mean it is reasonable for me to act as if I'm shocked that someone, somewhere has a problem with the team's name.

It's so damn disingenuous to act surprised! For god's sake, even Redskins owner Daniel Snyder does a lousy job of pretending to be surprised that people are offended. His real motivation behind defending the name so vigorously is that the thinks changing it will cause "massive financial losses to his business." (And if you live here, you know that all Danny cares about is his money.)

I swear. The next guy who says to me that he hates political correctness is getting the following response: "Fine. Then I'm dropping the F-Bomb around you every chance I get. I'm shouting it in front of your sainted mother. I'm babbling it while I'm cooing at your 5-year old. I'm spitting it while I'm sitting next to you in church. I'm writing it in your Christmas card as my own little War on Christmas." And then, this MoFo will have to deal with me. Because if he's tired of considering the feelings of others, then I'm sick of considering his.

But what really pisses me off is that these are the same freaks who pretend to be Christians. They claim to stand on morality, and take others to task for not reading their bible. You want to act like a jackass, fine, but don't hide behind The Lord whenever you want to. That's a pathetic, cowardly move.

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this -- Love each other as I have loved you. - Christ, from John 15:10-12

"But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD" Jeremiah 9:24

"Give, and it shall be given to you. For whatever measure you deal out to others, it will be dealt to you in return." Luke 6:38

You say you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense. I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist. I can love the people who hold false opinions but I don't have to be nice to them.  --Pat Robertson, The 700 Club, January 14, 1991

Big-bad-christian Pat's quote is a nice change of pace there, don't you think?

Anyways, get used to not seeing Chief Illiniwek any time soon. His existence wasn't keeping me up nights, but I damn sure won't miss him. And I'm glad that some other Americans in Illinois may be feeling just a little more humanized and respected today than they did Wednesday.

"Compassion is the basis of all morality." -- Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher (1788 - 1860)

•  Angry Friday Tips

  by malharden on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 07:49:25 AM PDT

•  Thanks for the diary

  I wrote one yesterday on Bob Novak's little pity party for himself, about how he won't be able to enjoy his favorite Injun Minstrel show any more.

  And Dan Snyder is full of shit. When the Redskins change their name (and it is just a matter of time), everyone's going to have to buy the new merchandise. Think of all the cash as everyone buys their new jerseys and hats. The only head-scratching question here is why is the greediest owner in the NFL so committed to racism that he's willing to pass on that kind of money?

  by zenbowl on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 07:52:28 AM PDT

  •  I'm conflicted on Snyder's position

    He IS after all, a marketing genius.

    I think if he could easily make more cash by changing the name, he would do it in a heartbeat. I don't buy that stuff about him being sentimental about his childhood team. So there may be something in his marketing research that we don't know about.

    Maybe backlash from the fat-cat skybox owners and club-seat season ticketholders? Given his team's yearly payroll he may be unwilling to accept even a 1-year downturn in season ticket sales.

    I'd love to see what his research yielded.

    by malharden on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 07:58:41 AM PDT

    •  yeah, same here

      I have to imagine that, the way FedEx sells out, they won't have any problem filling in the empties.

      If he could put a decent team together, the fans would let him do whatever.

      by zenbowl on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:04:15 AM PDT

  •  Exactly

    When the Wizards changed their name from the Bullets, I seem to recall that merchandise sales shot up. I've got my Wizards hat somewhere, I think.

    by metal prophet on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:40:58 AM PDT

    •  Ha. Bullets - "Shot" up.

      I'm so immature sometimes.

      by malharden on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:54:48 AM PDT

•  Not to make you any angrier...

  but did you know that the NCAA edict on offensive mascots explicitly excluded the San Diego State Aztecs?

  Seems there aren’t any around to offend.

  Maybe if Cortes had landed a little farther north all our Indian mascot names would be okay too.

  by The Eyewitness Muse on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 08:01:38 AM PDT

  •  Mexican baseball

    I think that there's a Mexican League baseball team called the "Yaquis", named after the original inhabitants.

    A few years ago, there was a soccer team called "Atletico Espanol" in Mexico City; but they changed their name.

    I think that various South American countries have soccer teams like "Uniao Portuguesa", "Deportivo Italiano" and the like.  

    None can hold a candle to Newell's Old Boys in Argentina.

    by Utahrd on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 08:32:12 AM PDT

  •  Florida State too

    It seems that FSU contributes $$$ to some indian-related charities, and those particular indians have dutifully indicated that they are not offended by FSU's characterizations.

    Big shocker that if you pay people they'll say what you want them to.

    by malharden on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 08:35:54 AM PDT

  •  There aren't any Illini around, either

    so that doesn't make too much sense, although it might explain why they can keep the logo Illini, but they have to ditch the Sioux-costumed chief.

    by zenbowl on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:02:43 AM PDT

    •  Not a whole lot of what the NCAA...

      does makes sense to me.

      In spite of that, I was totally baffled by Aztec conclusion.

      But hey, at least they're cracking down on the page count in football media guides.

      The publication cannot exceed 208 pages, 8½-by-11 inches, and — except for the front and back covers, inside and out — can be only one color.

      And don't get me started on the new football clock rule change...

      by The Eyewitness Muse on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:16:46 AM PDT

      •  you mean the change back

        after the change?

        :P

        I hear ya.

        by zenbowl on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:02:22 AM PDT

•  I always wondered

  how they can explain that it is "honoring" native Americans for some white guy to dress up in a native American costume, put on makeup like no native would, and dance in a way that no native dances, and walk in a way that no native walks, during half time at a sports event.

  It is honoring native Americans to get a crowd of mostly white kids rowdy during a sports event.  

  I don't get it.

  I do get the name Ilini - it is the name of the tribe of native Americans that lived on the Illinois plains, but to dress up in costume?

  by jimraff on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 08:03:29 AM PDT

•  there is a difference

  between redskins, which is known as a derogotory name and names like the Blackhawks, Indians (or Spartans or Vikings for that matter) that seek to link to a 'macho' group.

  redskins i fully understand, but some of the other anti-indian names does seems excessive to me.

  Some other names that'd be kinda cool for sports teams imo,

  Samurai
  The Legion
  Gurkas
  Zulus
  Hoplites

  I'm guessing that Crusaders ain't getting used much anymore.

  I'd probably shy away from

  Stormtroopers
  Mujahedeen

  by buzzsaw on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 08:09:40 AM PDT

•  Is anybody here besides me old enough

  to remember another Illinois sports team, located in the town of Pekin, Illinois?
  The Pekin High School's athletic teams were known as the "Pekin Chinks," apparently a play on the similarity between the names "Pekin" and "Peking."
  Their cheerleaders would do routines while wearing coolie hats.
  The NAACP tried to get the school to change to a less offensive name in the 1974-75 school year, but the organization was unsuccessful.
  Finally, in 1981, the school's team name was changed to the "Pekin Dragons."
  Today, anybody who objected to the offensive name and imagery would be tagged as being "politically correct."

  by jazzmaniac on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 08:14:37 AM PDT

  •  I also remember another Illinois high school

    (can't remember which one) used as a nickname:

    The Cornjerkers

    Don't know if that one is still in existence.

    by wildcat6 on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 09:59:33 AM PDT

    •  On further review

      I see it is Hoopesville, Illinois.

      And current Ohio State coach Thad Matta was a high school graduate, playing on the squad in the 80's when it was ranked in the top 3 teams in its class.

      by wildcat6 on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:11:20 AM PDT

•  I could care less what you say.

  I really don't care what others say either.  And if s/o has a problem with what I say I don't care about that.   Makes life much simpler, see?

  by kursk on Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 08:30:34 AM PDT