A team’s nickname can represent part of a teams heritage in their respective country or area (i.e. Montreal Canadiens) something that happened in the history of the town or city the team plays out of (i.e. Calgary Flames), or simply a colorful name to strike fear into the opponent (New York Giants).
Unfortunately, some nicknames are unsettling and disrespectful. There has been growing debate in the world of sports that many teams named after Native American “names”, like the Cleveland Indians and the Washington Redskins change their name.
The U.S. Commission of Civil Rights has called onto schools that are non-native to change their names to a non-native nickname. What would be so hard in the teams changing their names to the “Tigers” or the “Bears”? People supporting it say that by keeping that name, they are honoring the Native Americans. They aren’t honoring them at all. The nickname “Redskin” is akin to usually a very offensive word in the African-American race… I wouldn't call that honoring.
Some people are just too blind to see who they are affecting. A 2002 Sports Illustrated poll found that 90% of Native Americans living on reservations found the nicknames to be offensive. If you’re offending the very people whom you try to entertain on a Sunday afternoon or Saturday night, then it’s kind of a catch 22.
The New Orleans Pelicans just changed their nickname, as it used to be the Hornets. If a sports franchise can change their name to honor the city they play for, then why can't we honor the people that first stepped onto this great continent?
But good news is on the way, as in April 2013, a DC city counsel member proposed that the name Washington Redskins be changed. But people. Look at the date! 2013, we shouldn’t have to deal with petty racism problems like this. Deal with them and move on.
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