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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The NCAA banned the use of American Indian mascots by sports teams during its postseason tournaments, but will not prohibit them otherwise.

The NCAA's executive committee decided this week the organization did not have the authority to bar Indian mascots by individual schools, committee chairman Walter Harrison said Friday.

Nicknames or mascots deemed "hostile or abusive" would not be allowed by teams on their uniforms or other clothing beginning with any NCAA tournament after Feb. 1, said Harrison, the University of Hartford's president.

"What each institution decides to do is really its own business" outside NCAA championship events, he said.

Guidelines were not immediately available on which logos and nicknames would be considered "hostile or abusive."

The NCAA two years ago recommended that schools determine for themselves whether the Indian depictions were offensive.

Among the schools to change nicknames in recent years over such concerns were St. John's (from Redmen to Red Storm) and Marquette (from Warriors to Golden Eagles).

The NCAA plans to ban schools using Indian nicknames from hosting postseason events. Harrison said schools with such mascots that have already been selected as tournament sites would be asked to cover any offensive logos.

Such logos also would be prohibited at postseason games on cheerleader and band uniforms starting in 2008.

WTF

I especially like this line

The NCAA plans to ban schools using Indian nicknames from hosting postseason events. Harrison said schools with such mascots that have already been selected as tournament sites would be asked to cover any offensive logos.

I think it's great. An entire culture should not be reduced to being a 'mascot'. It's 2005... time to start dispelling ideas that Native Americans are a novelty.

When I went to an FSU game in the Gator Bowl a few years ago there were some people out front protesting FSU's use of the "Seminoles".
They were holding up a sign that read:
"Florida State N*ggers, How do you like that?"
What a bunch of nuts!!
BTW, FSU has the Seminole Tribe's blessing and I'm pretty sure they help them financially.

I think it's great. An entire culture should not be reduced to being a 'mascot'. It's 2005... time to start dispelling ideas that Native Americans are a novelty.

I"m usually pretty sympathetic to various causes but not this. I feel the Native American mascots depict them as brave warriors. That's why they pick them. I'm Irish. I could be offended by the Fighting Irish but I"m not. I'm proud to be Irish, proud that people would want to use the logo to show their pride in their team, etc.
On top of that I don't think the NCAA should be forcing individual teams to wipe out years of their history.[/quote]

sonofabeach wrote:When I went to an FSU game in the Gator Bowl a few years ago there were some people out front protesting FSU's use of the "Seminoles".
They were holding up a sign that read:
"Florida State N*ggers, How do you like that?"
What a bunch of nuts!!
BTW, FSU has the Seminole Tribe's blessing.

Anyone that uses the "N" word needs to have their nuts RIPPED OFF!

As for the banning of Native American names in team sports-that's just plain GOD DAMN STUPID!!!!!
People need to quit getting their bowels in an uproar over every silly-a$$ thing they can think of.
I'll admit the "tomahawk chop", or whatever the hell they call it, at the Atlanta Braves games is ridiculous, but they've been the BRAVES forever, as have the Cleveland INDIANS and Washington REDSKINS.
College sports needs to quit cow-towing to the politically correct wackos.

GO, FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES!

OceanCityGirl wrote:

I think it's great. An entire culture should not be reduced to being a 'mascot'. It's 2005... time to start dispelling ideas that Native Americans are a novelty.

I"m usually pretty sympathetic to various causes but not this. I feel the Native American mascots depict them as brave warriors. That's why they pick them. I'm Irish. I could be offended by the Fighting Irish but I"m not. I'm proud to be Irish, proud that people would want to use the logo to show their pride in their team, etc.
On top of that I don't think the NCAA should be forcing individual teams to wipe out years of their history.

[/quote]
Thank you

Garry
The Noles do the chop too but I like it, as well as the "War Chant".
Sometimes it get's old, especially if you do it every five seconds.
It's also pretty cool to watch the mascot (Chief Osceola) ride out to midfield and chunk the burning spear into the ground.

OceanCityGirl wrote:

I think it's great. An entire culture should not be reduced to being a 'mascot'. It's 2005... time to start dispelling ideas that Native Americans are a novelty.

I"m usually pretty sympathetic to various causes but not this. I feel the Native American mascots depict them as brave warriors. That's why they pick them. I'm Irish. I could be offended by the Fighting Irish but I"m not. I'm proud to be Irish, proud that people would want to use the logo to show their pride in their team, etc.
On top of that I don't think the NCAA should be forcing individual teams to wipe out years of their history.

[/quote]

My brother played football at Miami University in Oxford, OH. While he was there, the mascot was still the Redskins. Now it is the RedHawks. Even though the entire school was named after the Miami Indian territory and the school had a very good relationship with the tribe, it was more than appropriate to change the mascot. Considering that most school mascots are animals or mythical figures, I don't see how an entire human culture should be put in the same category. It's repulsive. Many Indians were fierce and honorable warriors... that sacrificed their lives for their country and livelihood... all to be nearly wiped out by the white settlers... certainly not to be made a mockery of by representing a sports team.

sonofabeach wrote:Garry
The Noles do the chop too but I like it, as well as the "War Chant".
Sometimes it get's old, especially if you do it every five seconds.
It's also pretty cool to watch the mascot (Chief Osceola) ride out to midfield and chunk the burning spear into the ground.

The "chop" just looks silly.
I can go along with the Chief Osceola thing, and the mascots, however.
It's bad enough they got the N.B.A. team in Washington to change their name from BULLETS to WIZARDS (which sounds a bit fruity if you ask me). And there are already morons who want Ole Miss to drop the "REBELS" nickname. Where does it end?

GO, SEMINOLES!

The next thing that they will want to change is the names of citys, county and and rivers

Here in RI a high school changed their name from the Rebels because it was deemed offensive...the Seminoles is not offensive, its just the name of a tribe...I never thought I would find myself routing for the Seminoles but go Noles (but go Canes more )

The only team I can understand there being pressure about is the Redskins since that is considered a derogatory term. I still think it should have been up to the team, however.

OceanCityGirl wrote:The only team I can understand there being pressure about is the Redskins since that is considered a derogatory term. I still think it should have been up to the team, however.

I agree. The only collegiate issue that I could even see a problem is the fact that (I beleive) the FSU mascot is a white guy painted like a Native American, but even that I feel is done with respect to the culture

Another thing, I am Irish so I am offended by this

OceanCityGirl wrote:

I think it's great. An entire culture should not be reduced to being a 'mascot'. It's 2005... time to start dispelling ideas that Native Americans are a novelty.

I"m usually pretty sympathetic to various causes but not this. I feel the Native American mascots depict them as brave warriors. That's why they pick them. I'm Irish. I could be offended by the Fighting Irish but I"m not. I'm proud to be Irish, proud that people would want to use the logo to show their pride in their team, etc.
On top of that I don't think the NCAA should be forcing individual teams to wipe out years of their history.

[/quote]

years ago a friend and I figured almost any team mascot
can be offensive

Rams??? What about the Ewes??
Hurricanes??? What about those poor people who are misplaced
Giants?? Oh no short people aren't tough too??
Dodgers??? Just what does that mean??? are you talking
Draft Dodgers???
Cardinals?? What about the Pope???
Beavers??? Do I really need to go there??
Rainbow Warriors??? Uh not going there.

Gators?? Must be sexual, the only Thing a Gator does is eat things.


Yankees??? WHAT no Dixies??

White Sox?? What About the Sox of another color??
Mustangs??? What no Sheltlands??????

Wolves,Bears,Lions,Cougars OMG these play against the
Bias of animals....

Dolphins No Tunas???Just cute animals need Apply????

Clippers,Pirates,Raiders Making Light of Criminals and making it cool to be one????
just a few examples..

If you got a radio close, JT the Brick is talkin' about it right now.

Hurricanes??? What about those poor people who are misplaced

A couple of years ago someone was actually bitching about that. I find it hard to believe when they named these teams, they wanted to offend anyone. It was meant to honor the people from the area, Seminoles-Florida, Illini-Illinois, they named the state after them for crying out loud.

They named that team in Colorado, if I remember correctly, The Fighting Whities, just to offend. The Native American mascots don't make fun of them, as far as I've ever seen, it's positive.

Before long everything's going to be the Kansas State Kansans, the New York New Yorkers, etc, just so we don't offend anyone. And I imagine it'll p*** someone off.

I HATE how overboard we have gotten with this PC crap!!

Anyone who is familiar with what happened at Marquette this past spring knows how stupid some people can be.

Marquette was known for years as the "Warriors". About 12 years ago, someone decided that the name was derisive towards Native Americans. So the team went with the sickeningly PC "Golden Eagles". It's been a matter of controversy ever since.

This past year, an alum offered to drop $5 MILLION DOLLARS in grant money to the school if they would change back. Another alum said they'd match it.

The school, in their infinate wisdom, decided to scrap Golden Eagles, but refused to go back to Warriors. They went with the name Marquette "Gold". MUCH WORSE!

Public furor was overwhelming, so the trustees came up with a new plan. They would let the alumni decide. They gave 10 possible names for the alumni to vote on, including "Gold", "Golden Eagles", "Hilltoppers", and "Golden Avalanche" (the last 2 names have historical precident at the school). They also said that write-in votes would be considered, but any ballot with "WARRIORS" written in would be thrown out.

In the end, "Golden Eagles" won. Lesser of the evils, I suppose. The trustees got what they wanted...public support for the name. But most people still want Warriors back.



The reason this is all so crazy is that if you look at the history of the name "Warriors" at the school, you will find that the group of students who originally proposed the name to the school back in the 1950s (maybe 1940s...can't remember), were a group of....NATIVE AMERICANS! They chose it, not because of race, but because it exemplified the fighting spirit that they wanted their school to show.


Now...can anyone tell my why the name "Warriors" is derogatorry towards native americans? Anyone? I didn't think so...