Rob the Badger

This might cause a bit of a stir, but I think it needs to be addressed. The idea that we still have professional sports teams using native American characters as their logo is wrong. What other nationality gets this kind of treatment, besides the Celtics, (Which isn't even pronounced correctly.) It is the year 2007 and we still have an NFL team named the "Red Skins"... I think that is just messed up. You can get fired from your gig on radio for calling a female basketball player a 'nappie headed ho'... but it's okay to have a team called the "Red Skins?" It's okay to have Hitahoma and cheif wahoo? It's okay to have a cartoon native with crossed tomahawks on your jerseys? It just doesn't seem right.

I have heard that he never had one in the NHL but has had a few in the WHA. I'm not sure which is fact and which is fiction... and it's damn hard to find the facts on line.

Anyone from any nationality can be a cowboy. Just like anyone from any nationality can be an Oiler, Steeler, Islander, or Ranger. Having a team called the Washington "White boys" with a mascot of a cartoony white guy eating wonderbread would be racially motivated. If it is so 'okay' to have icons like Cheif Wahoo and the Red SKins... then where are the other racially motivated icons in pro sports? I don't seem to be able to find any other races being singled out in the NHL, NBA, NFL, or MLB. Where are the pro sport teams with Black Skins, Yellow Skins, Brown Skins etc? And what makes wanting teams to stop promoting racially motivated icons left wing? I'm a conservative. I vote conservative. Racism has nothing to do with what side of the aisle you sit on. I can garauntee that if the MLB team in Cleveland changed their name to the Cleveland Black Skins and made cheif Wahoo have dark brown skin, replaced his feather with a fro pick, and stuck his image all over the city... there would be riots. The NAACP would be up in arms condemning the organization. The national media would be in an uproar. But since it's only natives being portrayed this way, well then, that's different. it's supposed to be an honor then.

I was reading an article on the WHA and they suggested that the term had more to do with his play in the W than in the N. I'm not sure if it's true or not, since I'm only in the 30's and never saw Gordie play in a real game. The only times I've seen him on the ice were as promotional/gimmicky appearances in the IHL.

Cowboys are not a race of people. It's an occupation. Just like Steelers and Oilers are both occupations. "Indians" is a mislabeling of a race of people who are native to the Americas. There is a big difference.

So it's okay then to have the Cleveland Indians with their Cheif Wahoo logo? And it's all right to have the Washington Red Skins? So it would also be just fine to have the Brooklyn Black Skins with a over the top smiling black man with a fro pick in his hair? That would be okay with everyone?

There is a blue corn comics website? When I first saw the link I thought it was to my own bluelinecomics.com. Close. Very close. I don't have a problem with the Blackhawks name per se'. If they're talking about dark colored birds. They could actually keep their name and just change their logo. Or if they wanted to 'honor' the tribe, just stop using a cartoony logo of one of their people. Use a tribal symbol or something. Someone suggested getting rid of the tomahawks as well. I wasn't aware that was a sore spot, but if it is, then yeah, change the scheme to an avian one, and let the racial overtones go away. They could even use a logo that reflects the combat helicopter. Chicago claims that the reason they howl and scream during the national anthem is in support of the troops, then change the cartoony cheif head into an outline of a helicopter. Like that other cartoon in the link states, no one would support the Cleveland Africans or the Cleveland Asians with those logos. That would be immediately deemed racist and people would riot. But the Indians are apparently okay with people. I don't get it. I don't see how there is a free pass when it comes to Natives.

I didn't say I was going to stop. I just said that there are people out there that think that my views are the polar opposite of theirs depending on whether they're Dems or Repubs. Basically that they're molding me into the anti-them based on this one topic. I still think that if a team called themselves the Black Skins and had a cartoon character of a big smiling black man with a fro pick in their hair, that people would riot. But the Red Skins and Chief Wahoo seem to get a free pass.

So I'm going through my Blue Line emails and the reaction is about 70/30 positive to the cartoon. But the 30 who are against it are venomously against it. Irrationally so. I've got people who must be conservatives calling me a left wing bleeding heart. Then I have the folks that must be on the left calling me a Right Wing Rush loving nut job. I'm not even sure what Rush has to do with this since I don't listen to his show. So I guess whatever people are, if they disagree with me, I must be the opposite of what they are ... in their own minds. One story is, a guy went to school in Jackson, MO. The community is named after Andrew Jackson, yes, that Andrew Jackson. They have a giant painting and a statue of the guy from what I am told. He went to Jackson Highschool, the home of the Jackson fighting Indians. Yes, the "Jackson Fighting Indians". That to me, sounds more like a newspaper headline than a team name. There is just something wrong with that. Another guy called me a Nazi for bringing it up and that I am anti-American. Quote" "We beat them, we can do what we want now!" I don't even know how to react to that. My favorite comment though is about taking the country back one foreclosure at a time. I don't know if he made that up on his own or got it from a comedian or whatever, but that is damn funny to me.

I have DISH as well. I am hoping that they catch up to the bandwagon so I can get the NHL channel too. I may have to contact my provider and see what the deal is. I'll post something if there is good news... or bad.

Do you find the term "Red Skin" demeaning? Do you find the cartoon logos of Cheif Wahoo demeaning? If that notion is not true then, where are the US based professional sports teams that have a cartoon Black Skin, or Yellow Skin, or Bronze skin? When can we look forward to seeing the Harlem Black Skins NBA team with a cartoon logo depicting a big smiling black man with a fro pick in his hair? That'd be about equal to the Cheif Wahoo cartoon of the big smiling native with the feather in his headband.... wouldn't it?

I think that one of the Caps problems was letting go of Butch Cassidy. He was a good coach, especially with younger talent. They should have kept him, his defensive minded schemes and system was good. I know that it was basically Jagr that ran him out of town, but if the organization was going to let go of Jagr soon anyway, they should have kept the young coach who could help build the org. I think that the Caps would be doing better if Cassidy were still calling the shots.

It probably wasn't the best trade in the history of the NHL. But if you look at Detroit's recent past, they've traded away a lot of their future for success right now. Look at all the draft selections we've had and how few of them have been in the first round over the last 15 years or so. But the nice thing about it is, that they have great scouts who find gems in the late rounds like Datsyuk and Zet. So they can still gamble with trades and have a solid draft regardless. I have a lot of faith in Holland and his scouting staff. Yes, there are going to be a few players that might pan out to be good ones that slip through the cracks, but you can't argue with the amount of games that the WIngs win. They've been to the finals 4 times in the last 12 years (11 seasons thanks to the lock out) and have 3 cups to show for it. What other teams wouldn't trade for that kind of record? (Besides the Devils)

All I'm saying with the cartoon is, that if it isn't okay to do with other ethnicities, then it should not be okay to do it with theirs. But like the emailer said to me, "It's all right because they're getting their land back one forclosure at a time with their casinos." And having the Taj Mahal is a lot more "Indian" than any logo that Cleveland has ever had. BTW, I love the Dogs of War = Holmstrom sig. That's great. Well, if you've enjoyed 347 out of 348, that's not a bad average. I wasn't trying to be 'funny' with this one. I don't think that there is anything funny with racial issues. That's just me. I'm one guy with one guy's opinions, who happens to draw a little.

Ice workers aren't a race. Oilers and Steelers are not a race. Teams that have names like that, have them to identify with the local flavor of their cities. Oil in Alberta. Steel in Pittsburgh. Cowboys in Dallas. Oil in Houston. etc. They're not races. There is a difference between being called the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Washington Whitebreads. If it is not okay to have other ethic races portrayed in this manner, then it shouldn't be okay for Natives to be portrayed this way too. I actually just got an email from someone saying that they're a native that works at a casino in the upper part of the mitten saying.... "We don't mind the logos so much as having our land ripped from us, but we're getting it back bit by bit with our casinos and forclosures, so it's all good." I don't care who you are, that's funny. Tim Bedore already thinks that there is a global animal conspiracy. I am beginning to agree with him. If you know about the conspiracy then you know why I am leary of squirrels.

Don't put words in my mouth. I know full well that the Chips have a long lasting relationship with tribe. There is a difference between college and professional sports. Many colleges have relationships with local tribes, that is different. I am from Michigan. I am a Michigan native. I know how to "Go Fire Up Chips". Mt. Pleasant is a lovely place, except in the winter. I didn't any light on the college issue. The NCAA is already doing that and is making some exceptions from what I understand for colleges who have local tribe support. I think that what the Chips and Seminoles and other tribes have with universities is a lot different from Cheif Wahoo and the Red Skins organization.

Some people would consider the cartoon depiction of one of their people as demeaning. Many consider Cheif Wahoo to be very demeaning. I'm not saying that every hockey fan should run out into the streets and demand that these teams change their images. (Although it would be cool to see any show of unity that strong... we can't even get people together to get Bettman fired). I'm just saying that if you wouldn't use other races in this fashion, then you should use Natives either. That was the point of the last line in the cartoon. A lot of people don't care. It's just an icon or a symbol... a harmless logo. It's not important, etc etc. But it would be if it were any other minority.

The Braves used to have a screaming Native warrior as their logo and changed it. And if 75% of Native Americans said that they were okay with it then 25% didn't. I don't see how some people think that it's okay to make cartoony logos of Natives when it would never fly with Hispanics, Asians, or other races. You can get fired from a life long radio career for calling a basketball player a nappie headed ho, but the Red Skins logo is just fine? In our nation's capital no less.

Back in the day, when Rochester first got its team, they were affiliated with the Canadiens. But rather than name them the Rochester Canadiens, they decided to call them the Rochester Americans. It made more sense, their arena was built on our dirt.

I don't know if posting this MP3 will work, but it was sent to me at the website. I hadn't heard of this song before, but it does flow in the same vein as the cartoon. Own the Washington Red Skins

I don't see Vinny going anywhere. If the Lightning have their way, he'll be their Steve Yzerman. He'll start with the Lightning and stay with the Lightning and one day they'll retire his jersey, the only jersey he ever wore... no matter how weird lookin' that jersey was.

Yes, I am sure that there are many Native Americans who think that being called a "Red Skin" is just incredibly flattering. There is a big difference between being called a Canadien, a product of Canada, and having your tribe turned into a cartoon character like Cheif Wahoo. We have an American team in the AHL called the Americans, they're from America. Detroiters are a class of people from multiple ethnic and social backgrounds. There is a difference. Oh, and if you don't like the cartoons you don't have to read them. I always label the threads that I start with a comic. It's not like you were tricked into opening it. If you think that the Blue Line is the worst cartoon ever, you've never stumbled across the "Family Circus".

That's the point. These logos are in poor taste. It's easy for someone not in the native community to say 'lighten up' it's just a mascot or a logo. But if someone were to try to start a new expansion NBA team Brooklyn and call them the New York Negroes, there would be riots. If it's wrong to do it with other races, it's wrong to do it with Natives too.

I get that a lot. My last name is O'Neil. Like my Granda used to say... "I'm 100% Scot-Irish". Funny guy, he was.