Indians Fight Redskins Name

[DeclinetoState]

By Eric M. Weiss (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/email/eric+m.+weiss/)
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 12, 2006; 4:10 PM


A group of Native Americans filed a new legal challenge yesterday to trademarks for the name and logo of the Washington Redskins, saying the team's name is a racial slur that should be changed.

A petition filed at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by six Native Americans represents a second chance for Indians to challenge the football franchise's name. The team prevailed in an earlier fight when a U.S. District Court judge ruled that the plaintiffs waited too long under trademark law to object. This time, the complaint was filed with a new set of plaintiffs.Washington Fishwrap (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/11/AR2006081101045.html) (hey, there's an idea for a nickname :grin: )

Eric Weiss, who's on the byline, should not be confused with Eric Weiss (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Weiss) or Ehrich Weiss (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Houdini).

[Peachdiane]

But 900 teams continue to use Indian references, such as the Cleveland Indians, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Atlanta Braves, Harjo said.
The Washington Redskins were originally based in Boston and called the Braves.

I happen to like "Braves" better but what the hey! Religion of PC strikes again, yay! :rolleyes:

[TechnoPrincess]

Good Grief!! Should we have Notre Dame change their mascot too?? I mean, we might be offending some of the Irish...

[Wolfcounsel]

I see that candy asses keep popping up out of everywhere.

"WAAAH! Mommy! He called me ugly!"

[Peachdiane]

Good Grief!! Should we have Notre Dame change their mascot too?? I mean, we might be offending some of the Irish...

Oh yeah how about PETA protesting the name of the Green Bay Packers. They think it means meat packers which only "promotes violence and bloodshed." PETA suggests the Green Bay Pickers, or the Green Bay Six-Packers. Can you imagine? Rah rah! Go Pickers!!!

We are getting mighty sensitive in America. Seems long time ago Americans were tough enough to go through life with being offended occasionally. I'm not denying racial stereotypes can indeed be ugly and offensive and are used by real racists to demean people, but there is certainly no such intent in naming a sports team the Warriors or the Braves or Redskins.

If anything, I think the people who originally named such franchises and school teams regarded those names as a means of honoring the courage and ferocity of Indians. This hardly seems demeaning to me. Bet they never imagined the controversy these names would spur decades later...

[TechnoPrincess]

Oh yeah how about PETA protesting the name of the Green Bay Packers. They think it means meat packers which only "promotes violence and bloodshed." PETA suggests the Green Bay Pickers, or the Green Bay Six-Packers. Can you imagine? Rah rah! Go Pickers!!!



NO NO NO...I do not want to imagine!! Leave my Packers alone!!!:flame:

[Eagle1]

those redskins should take their casino money and shut the hell up

[DeclinetoState]

Good Grief!! Should we have Notre Dame change their mascot too?? I mean, we might be offending some of the Irish...
The activists contend, however, that Irish reflects the make-up of the student body, which is rarely the case for schools with athletic teams named for American Indians.

BTW, would anyone object if a team or school took the nickname Native Americans?

[DesertFox]

Would anyone object if a team or school took the nickname White Trash or Honky Dory? How about the Phoenix Illegal Immigrants or the Memphis Crackers?

[Jag Wife]

How about the Minnesota Vikings? Then again my husband is a blonde (as are most Scandinavians) and 1/4 Cherokee Indian. Who should he be offended against?

[Jag Wife]

Would anyone object if a team or school took the nickname White Trash or Honky Dory? How about the Phoenix Illegal Immigrants or the Memphis Crackers?

For your viewing pleasure....

Northern Colorado Fighting Whities (http://www.freeconservatives.com/vb/Northern Colorado Fighting Whities) (If link doesn't work, do a Google Search)
Rush talked about these guys and their website crashed from all the attention.

[TechnoPrincess]

The activists contend, however, that Irish reflects the make-up of the student body, which is rarely the case for schools with athletic teams named for American Indians.

BTW, would anyone object if a team or school took the nickname Native Americans?

Probably...we've gotten so PC we'll cut off our noses to spite our faces anymore...

The school where hubby is a Principal has "Indians" as their school mascot. At the last school board meeting someone joked that if it ever gets to the point that they are forced by the government to do something about it they'll change from a Chief's Head logo to one with a smiley face with a little Hindu "dot" on it.

Then again, the U of I is still being attacked by the NCAA for their mascot.

GO ILLINI!! The Chief Today, The Chief Tomorrow, The Chief FOREVER!

[TechnoPrincess]

Would anyone object if a team or school took the nickname White Trash or Honky Dory? How about the Phoenix Illegal Immigrants or the Memphis Crackers?

There is a team in our area called the Krauts.

[DeclinetoState]

What about the baseball team in New York (http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp?c_id=nyy) with a nickname that many would consider derogatory?

[DeclinetoState]

Jefferson High School (http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools-c/profiles/?id=118) in Portland, OR, in a largely black community (parts of North and Northeast Portland), calls its teams the Democrats (http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools-c/pages/jefferson/athletics.html) (Demos for short).

[ConspiracyBuff]

I always liked, MoreHead State. Very good sports program....:)

[EveningStar]

I bet most injuns don't give a shit.

[BuckeyeMike]

I always thought the Redskins were named in honor of a potato!

[Wolfcounsel]

"I bet most injuns don't give a shit." --EveningStar

I'd say REAL Indians don't give a shit. Wannabes do.