Indiana-related Sports News
Hall of Fame basketball coach Bob Knight will host a reality TV show set to air on ESPN in February. Sixteen Texas Tech students will compete this fall for the chance to be a walk-on for the 2006-07 season. Filming begins next month. However it turns out, I guarantee the show won’t be boring!
And speaking of Bob Knight, the man who fired him at Indiana University is making news again. Myles Brand and his merry band of politically correct college presidents are intent on making enemies of tradition-loving sports fans everywhere, issuing what amounts to an ultimatum to schools regarding “hostile and abusive racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames or imagery.” What counts as “hostile and abusive”? Well, apparently any mascots of that type, according to Brand, who states “The NCAA objects to institutions using racial/ethnic/national origin references in their intercollegiate athletics programs.”
Colleges and universities that don’t comply with the NCAA’s edict will be prohibited from hosting any NCAA championship competitions as of February 1, 2006. Schools with prohibited references on their “mascots, cheerleaders, dance teams and band uniforms or paraphernalia” will not be able to wear those uniforms as of August 1, 2008.
The NCAA provides a handy list of 18 colleges and universities on Brand’s “naughty” list. The list is made up exclusively of Native American references, but they’ve overlooked the most “offensive” mascot in college sports today–the Notre Dame “Fighting Irish.” Think about it. They’re implying that people of Irish descent are ill-tempered and prone to violence. It’s akin to calling a team the “Wimpy Frenchmen” or the “Dumb Poles.” Come on, their logo is an angry-looking white dude preparing to engage in fisticuffs. But for some reason, no one seems to care (least of all the Irish).
Maybe I’ll become a Notre Dame fan just out of spite…
9 Responses to “Indiana-related Sports News”
“The Bobby Knight Chokers” sounds good for Indiana. That way, if they win they’ve choked their opponents to death. If they lose, they’ve “choked.”
I think there is some overreaction, but there is the difference that Irish Americans are integrated into American society and Native Americans (of substantial blood) are largely not. There is also the point that Native Americans of full blood or substantial blood are much more likely to object than Irish-Americans.
To me, the emphasis should be on negative or degrading stereotypes. Thus, the Milwaukee “Storm Troopers” or the “Chicago Gestapo” might be objectionable to some.
The Christian right, politically correct on its own terms, objected to my nephew’s school sports teams going by the name of “Demons.”
The amusing thing about all of this is that the NCAA pretends that this is an objective ban on all “racial/ethnic/national origin references”, but no one really believes that. They wouldn’t object to the Boston Celtics (I know that’s not a college, by the way), which is clearly an ethnic reference. And as Eric points out, they don’t even object to the Fighting Irish, which is not only ethnic it references a negative stereotype about an ethnic group that has a history of being subject to horrible discrimination in this country (don’t forget the No Irish Need Apply signs). For that matter, isn’t “Spartans” an ethnic reference to the inhabitants of an ancient city-state? Some have complained about Alfred University’s “Saxon” mascot because it represents “chauvanism and rape”. And what about the Pirates? They glorify killers and thieves, for crying out loud.
Polls have shown that those most likely to object to Native American names, and even more to mascots, are those living on reservations. That indicates some degree of polarization that should not unnecessarily be exacerbated.
The Sports Illustrated poll showing 83% of Native Americans not objecting is probably too high because of the methodology they used. But I would not be at all surprised if 65-75% have no objection.
I understand the point about political correctness, but as a Christian I’m also reminded of Paul’s point that at times there needs to be accomodation on cultural matters so as to preserve unity; Paul of course was speaking specifically of unity of the faith and not unity in general, but the overall point still applies in that the Jews and Gentiles had to learn how to live as one.
I get concerned that some conservatives yell “political correctness” at every proposed policy they disagree with.
Bobby Knight, of course, was the beneficiary for a long time of Indiana’s most prominent affirmative action program: the retaining of boorish winning coaches.
The Oklahoma “Sooners” are named after criminals in that Sooners broke the law and staked claims illegally by getting an unauthorized head start in the land rush. Considering the number of times OU violated the rules, I guess our name is somewhat appropriate. Nevertheless,
Rah Oklahoma! O-K-U!
How about the fact that the state name ‘Indiana’ literally means ‘Land of the Indians’? Or that other states are directly named for Indian tribes (i.e. Massachusetts, Missouri, Utah, Dakota).
I wonder why it is offensive to have a team with an Indian name, but such names are OK for the names of states and therefore their universities? After all, one of the big objections is that opposing teams will say things like ‘Seminoles suck!’. But don’t opposing Big Ten schools also say things like “Indiana sucks!” as well?
Finally, the most ridiculous part of this ruling is the decision to let schools like UNC-Pembroke keep their Indian name Braves, since 20% of the students are Indian. They don’t say what the magical % of Indian students is necessary to change the name from ‘offensive’ to ‘honorable’.
Should Muslims play more basketball?
Eric,
One of my high school teachers was fond of a latin phrase that translates something like reducing to the absurd. Taking the train of thought to the point that one can see the ridiculousness of it. I can’t think of a more appropriate use for it than political correctness.
Nice post.
The fighting Irish should become the “bright and gay Irish.”
Seriously, I would object to a team named the so-and so “Savages.” I do think that goes too far.
Also, for many Native Americans who do object, it is often the mascot or the mascot’s manner of dress they object to.
Political correctness is a danger, but so is too much toward a drift of “black-face”. The word didn’t exist back then, but many in my day effectively yelled “politically correct” at people who objected to whites dressing and making themselves up as negatively stereotyped Blacks.
Once at a college party where we were supposed to bring gag gifts for names we had drawn, a good friend of mine brought a box of Aunt Jemima pancake mix to a Black female student. He thought she’d find it funny. But she was hurt instead, and she was no campus or political activitist. My friend was and is a very faithful Christian. He simply miscalculated.
I worry about political correctness, but I worry more about racial and ethnic reconciliation (except with the fat, smoking, smelling, freedom-hating, strange, foreign, chicken, French wimps).
Re: Irish, Celtics, etc…
Duh. Notre Dame has historically had a very large Irish-American percentage of its student body. Other Catholic schools with mascots like “Friars” are referring to their OWN ethnic or religious heritage. Boston has had a very high percentage of Irish immigrants. Minnesota (Vikings) was largely settled by immigrants from Norway and Sweden.
None of ther 18 schools listed by the NCAA (or the dozens more that already changed their mascots) were founded by Native Americans, is attended in any great percentage by Native Americans, or has any other historic connection to Native Americans. That’s one difference. The other is that the specific tribes or groups used for the nickname say that they are offended by it. AFAIK, there aren’t any Irishmen demanding that Notre Dame change its mascot; the Utes, Blackhawks, Eskimos, Seminoles, Choctaws and others all regard their eponymous mascots as insulting.
Easy Rule: Dead cultures are fine, even non-Europeans.
Trojans
Spartans
Aztecs
Nubians
Celts (Celtics)
Vikings
Romans
Goths
Saxons
Crusaders*
Conquistadors*
*(note: may offend for other reasons)
For living cultures, just get permission.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050810/COLUMNISTS01/508100430/1034