Jeb Bush blasts NCAA

[NVMojo]

yeah, right, a Bush family member knows what it's like to walk in the shoes of a minority people. Give me a break, Jebbie.

Count Gov. Jeb Bush among the Floridians outraged at the NCAA's recent announcement that it is banning the use of 18 Indian mascots and nicknames -- including the Florida State Seminoles -- during NCAA-sanctioned events beginning next February.

''I think it's offensive to Native Americans . . . the Seminole Indian tribe who support the traditions of FSU,'' Bush said Tuesday. 'I think they insult those people by telling them, `No, no, you're not smart enough to understand this. You should be feeling really horrible about this.' It's ridiculous. How politically correct can we get? The folks that make these decisions need to get out more often.''

The FSU Board of Trustees called an ''emergency'' meeting for 1 p.m. today to discuss the issue and plan their appeal. Attorney Barry Richard, who represented George W. Bush during the 2000 presidential recount, has agreed to represent FSU in a lawsuit against the NCAA, if it comes to that.

more...

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/colleges/florida_state_university/12345849.htm

[madeline_con]

1. Seminoles are not offended.

Why do people insist on speaking for them?

Jeb said those who are treat the Seminoles as if they're too dumb to know it's supposed to offend them.

I agree.

[NaturalHigh]

2. The NCAA is a joke.

[napi21]

3. I think lots of people who are upset over the names of teams

are way too over the top! I happen to be Irish, and I think it's a tribute to the Irish to be called the fighting Irish!

why is everyone upset with tributes to team names????

[HawkerHurricane]

7. Given that it's a joke...

The way I heard it...

Notre Dame had defeated Stanford (at Stanford), and the San Fransisco newspaper had claimed that Notre Dame had won because "The whole team is nothing but a bunch of violent Irishmen".

The next game, the pro Notre Dame announcer called out the names of the players...

"Cowalski, Galzynski, Maltresky, Geralski, Kinski, (etc. etc.)... there they are, the Fighting Irishmen of Notre Dame!"

(At the time, there was not a single Irishman on the football team.)

[cssmall]

4. Honestly, I have to agree.

However, maybe the universities could do more such as paying for the licensing for the name or something of that nature. However, the Illini (yes, I think fightin' should be dropped), the Utes, the Cheppawas, the Seminole and other universities that use mascots that are tribe specific and approved, should be allowed to do so. However, I believe Braves, Chiefs, Redskins (which honestly should be a crime that the Washington Redskins are allowed to have that name in DC), etc. should be immediately forced to change their name. Hell, there is even a school in Oklahoma that uses the mascot "Savage" with Native American imagery. That is offensive.

[TahitiNut]

5. When he blasts NASCAR, then it'll be serious.

:eyes: After all, everyone uses the NCAA as whipping boys. College punks, dontcha know?

[TlalocW]

6. As an Ichabod-American

I am disgusted by the portrayal of my people at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, as Fighting Ichabods!

No real point other than I like the word Ichabod.

TlalocW

[tritsofme]

8. We should probably find a new name for the state of Illinois as well

Since that is the name given to it by French settlers describing the Illiniwek people.

This whole thing is ridiculous.

The only really offensive name I have found in sports is the Washington Redskins.

Something like the Braves or the Illini or no more offensive than the "Fighting Irish"

[Eloriel]

9. Yeah, nevermind that most Native Americans find it offensive

Who cares about them? We never cared much about them when we committed genocide against them (which is pretty ongoing, actually), nor when we forced the remaining peoples off their lands and gave them rotting, maggot-infested food and cut their hair and forbad them to practice their religion until about the 1970s --- why on EARTH should we care that they're offended by OUR appropriation of THEIR names and customs for something as silly, inane, unimportant, materialistic, and GREEDY as sports?



"In a survey by Indian Country Today, 81 percent of respondents indicated use of American Indian names, symbols and mascots are predominantly offensive and deeply disparaging to Native Americans.

"Indian mascots, by today’s standards, would be offensive to any other race if portrayed in a similar manner," wrote Fred Blue Fox, Sicangu Lakota. "Indian peoples are no different in regarding the depiction of eagle feathers, face paints and war objects such as tomahawks. These are all sacred to the people and therefore have no place in any sort of public display, let alone mascots."

Only 10 percent of respondents indicated use of American Indian mascots is a respectful gesture and predominantly honors Natives."

more at link: http://web.archive.org/web/20040301122612/http://www.indiancountry.com/?43


Those of you who find "nothing offensive" about it are quick to make analogies with WHITE people, who are NOT discriminated or oppressed in this society at all. The Irish once were, but I've never heard anyone in my 57 years complain that they didn't get a job because they were Irish.

But let me take something I posted in another thread and see if you can get THESE analogies:

Should we have a team called the Atlanta Darkies? Or even the Atlanta Tutsis (sp?) -- all out of respect, of course (nevermind the slavery thing, we're RESPECTFUL now). Heck in the interst of expanded and globalized trade we could go to Africa and find some nice tribe to make doodads for the team to sell, spread the wealth around a little bit. Or how about the San Antonio or Phoenix Wetbacks? Would that be okay?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

11. "Darkies" and "Wetbacks"= "Seminole" and "Illini"?

Wow, THAT sounds ignorant to me.

I also have to say it's been a while since I heard someone say they didn't get a job because they were Native American.

[GarySeven]

10. Sorry, FSU actually PAYS the Seminole nation to license the name

In this one particular instance, the NCAA rule should not apply.

[Supersedeas]

12. payola