A new Blue Line Comics Cartoon

[55fan 5,133]

I don't doubt the this happened, but I don't see how changing a team's name would prevent stupid behavior on the part of stupid people at the games.

Definately no shortage of stupid people in the world, that's for sure. I just think Native kids would get less hassle if the team was named the Fighting Squid (or hamsters or whatever). I've never heard of an old lady getting crap at a Bison game for having a "buffalo hump" and chin hair. Not that I go to Bison games. Maybe I should think long and hard before I do.

I probably should have added this in before, but I'll do it now since I have the little red box open: I personally think that any new teams should shy away from potentially offensive names, just to avoid the trouble, but that current teams (like the Seminoles) should be decided by the people in that area who are effected by the name.

[Mickeyisms Rule! 0]

Personally, when it comes to the name of the CHicago Blackhawks, I really see it as a tribute to the native Americans of the Illinois area. Chief Blackhawk was a Sauk warrior that fought in the War of 1812 on the side of the British because he was against the ceding of native lands in favor of European settlers.

During the War, he was granted the rank of brevet Brigadier General in the Royal Army, and fought in several engagements in the area of the Great Lakes.

In 1832 was fought the Black Hawk War, which was a war to try and regain their tribal lands across the Mississippi in Iowa.

The warrior spirit that was displayed by Blackhawk and his followers is one that the Chicago Blackhawks want and need to emulate in order to succeed. It is an honorable name, and has no place being compared with Chief Wahoo.

You can find more information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_%28chief%29

[Earthhuman 8]

Imagine this,...the Cleveland *****'s,....and there mascot is a white guy in "black face" eatting watermellon and fried chicken,.....that's offenseive right?

That's hilarious. I would go to every game.

[Sound-Chaser 3]

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?

Yes.

[betterREDthandead 58]

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.

Well, the Blackhawk helicopter, like the Apache and the now-dead Comanche program, were also named after Indians. No help there.

Here's the question. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have a cartoony, stereotypical logo, as do the Boston Celtics. Why are those OK and not cartoony stereotypical logos of Indians? The USC Trojans have a guy dressed up in full Trojan gear. Why is that OK, and not Chief Illiniwek? Michigan State has a goofy stereotypical Spartan mascot. Why is that OK, and not an Indian one?

We don't have "offensive" nicknames relating to black people or Asians or what have you because at the time these Indian names came about, these weren't considered offensive terms. "N****r" has always been offensive, as has "Darkie", "*****" or just about any other word you've been suggesting. The Cleveland Indians, on the other hand, were named in honor of their first star player, Louis Sockalexis, a Penobscot. When the Washington Redskins were originally named that, they were actually coached by William "Lone Star" Dietz, who was part Sioux.

Instead of reflexively changing names on a whim to fit what appears to be contemporary sensibilities, a little education is in order. Looking at these names in the proper perspective is more realistic. Tigers are extremely endangered - should any team named the Tigers be forced to change so as not to encourage people to get tiger pelts? Maybe we can never put a hockey team in New Orleans, otherwise the Carolina Hurricanes will have to play there and good lord knows what Katrina victims might feel about that. Let's change the name of The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, because of 9/11. (Somebody did propose that idiocy.) Atheists shouldn't be forced to coexist with the Los Angeles Angels. I could go on here. I'm offended by a lot of stuff I see, but I don't have the right to demand others change their behavior to fit my own sensibilities.

(P.S. - Calling a black person a buffalo or water buffalo is one of the most egregiously offensive things you can do. Yet Howard University - a "historically black" school - has the Bison as their mascot.)

[omnipotent_hudler 0]

How about the Minnesota Vikings? You should see some of the stuff their fans dress in. What about the Michigan State Spartans or the USC Trojans? I guess there's nothing wrong with a little stereotyping as long as it's white people.

Spartans have been gone for a long time. So have the Trojans. Vikings are a little more recent, but they still haven't maintained themselves as "Vikings" for quite some time. Native Americans have made efforts to keep their heritage and are still identifiable as a "people". The choice is really theirs as to how they are portrayed as logos. At least it should be.

Redskins is stupidly offensive, btw. Might as well call them the "Washington ****".

[betterREDthandead 58]

Spartans have been gone for a long time. So have the Trojans.

So have the Aztecs, but San Diego State hasn't escaped the long arm of PC either, as seen earlier in the thread.

[Izzy24 44]

As long as it isn't done in a demeaning manor I don't see a problem with it.

[eva unit zero 271]

Spartans have been gone for a long time. So have the Trojans. Vikings are a little more recent, but they still haven't maintained themselves as "Vikings" for quite some time. Native Americans have made efforts to keep their heritage and are still identifiable as a "people". The choice is really theirs as to how they are portrayed as logos. At least it should be.

Redskins is stupidly offensive, btw. Might as well call them the "Washington ****".

The mascots used by USC and MSU, among other schools, are no less stupidly offensive than chief wahoo. True, there are no people nowadays who can actually say 'I am a Spartan/Trojan' but that is more a result of the fact that Sparta/Troy is long since destoyed. There are certainly people who can claim their HERITAGE comes from Sparta/Troy, and have just as much right to take offense to the use of the name and cartoonish likeness as Native Americans do.

[HomeNugget 2]

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?

i've got one. what if the dallas cowboys changed their logo to a picture of yosemite sam? would all white people have a right to be angry?

[Rob the Badger 0]

i've got one. what if the dallas cowboys changed their logo to a picture of yosemite sam? would all white people have a right to be angry?

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.

[HomeNugget 2]

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.

he's not just a cowboy though. he's a white man. should someone be allowed to portray white people like that?

[maltbyrocks18 0]

the bitching and moaning of the liberal hippie bull crap drives me nuts. why is society so afraid now to demean anyone or anything??? my god how sensitive can you get???? All people care about anymore is hurting the feelings of some religion or race over things that are clearly bull and not demeaning at all. And a little bit off topic but all the bulls*** where people coming to this country get to change everything to the way they like it at the expense of the people who were born here, is bull s***. university of michigan dearborn having footbaths in public bathrooms? ahh maybe i will reserve my self so i dont get banned or something

he's not just a cowboy though. he's a white man. should someone be allowed to portray white people like that?

white people will never be looked at as discriminated against because we dont stick up for our selves publicly. we are so afraid of offending another race and getting sued, that we just get walked over. BET, perfectly fine TV. what if they came out with WET, caucasion television??? that would just be RACIST

[Skiing - Puck 0]

Just thought that this was kinda funny. My father is a Louisiana Monroe alumni and after ULM came under attack for being the Indians they became the War Hawks.

The mascots used by USC and MSU, among other schools, are no less stupidly offensive than chief wahoo. True, there are no people nowadays who can actually say 'I am a Spartan/Trojan' but that is more a result of the fact that Sparta/Troy is long since destoyed. There are certainly people who can claim their HERITAGE comes from Sparta/Troy, and have just as much right to take offense to the use of the name and cartoonish likeness as Native Americans do.

So do you think that any school mascot that has any cultural reference should be outlawed?

[Rob the Badger 0]

he's not just a cowboy though. he's a white man. should someone be allowed to portray white people like that?

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.

[06TJSport 0]

The names are used as a sign of respect in most cases. They were chosen because Native Americans were seen as a proud and strong race. They were viewed as great warriors and really embodied the team ideals (fighting for a common goal, supporting each other, etc...) I went to Brother Rice HS and our name is the Warriors and our logo is extremely well known and we had to get permission to continue using the logo.

[betterREDthandead 58]

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?

Again and again and again until the point gets driven home: What the hell do you think the Boston Celtics and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are, if not cartoony, stereotypical, and racially motivated???

[Skiing - Puck 0]

Having a team called the Washington "White boys" with a mascot of a cartoony white guy eating wonderbread would be racially motivated.

I have to say a mascot of some dude eating wonder bread would be really ratther funny to see.

Edited November 12, 2007 by Skiing - Puck

[eva unit zero 271]

Just thought that this was kinda funny. My father is a Louisiana Monroe alumni and after ULM came under attack for being the Indians they became the War Hawks.

So do you think that any school mascot that has any cultural reference should be outlawed?

I think there is a line. When it gets to the point where it is cartoony and stereotypical, and done in a demeaning fashion, then it's not ok. When the name/logo/mascot are used in a way that is respectful and honoring, and/or with permission, it's certainly perfectly ok. Case in point...Cleveland Indians vs Central Michigan Chippewa. Chief Wahoo is a racist joke. The CMU Chippewa have the blessing of the tribe. It's not all black and white like some are trying to make it.

[auxlepli 17]

The UNC - Pembroke Braves are allowed to keep its nickname because the school was started for Native Americans. I didn't do any research to verify that, but that's what the talking heads said.

[toby91_ca 620]

The CMU Chippewa have the blessing of the tribe. It's not all black and white like some are trying to make it.

Exactly. If you are indian, then tell us how you feel, otherwise, why would you have a point of view if the people who are supposedly not being respected....don't feel the same way?

[betterREDthandead 58]

When the name/logo/mascot are used in a way that is respectful and honoring, and/or with permission, it's certainly perfectly ok.

Then again, you have Eastern Michigan, where the Huron tribe would prefer that the name Hurons be restored to the school. So what do we do when the political correctness machine ignores the very people that are supposedly insulted by this? Should we, perhaps, get rid of the name Lake Huron for a more suitable, less offensive name? How about Lake Happy Times?