The Boston Celtics, a basketball team in the NBA, adopted the iconic mascot, Lucky the Leprechaun, in 1950. The team’s name, Celtics, is a nod to the Irish community in Boston, which has been a significant part of the franchise since 1950. Lucky, with his trademark shillelagh and bowler hat, has been a symbol of Celtic pride and the franchise’s tradition.
The inspiration for Lucky comes from Boston’s Irish heritage and large Irish population. The Celtics were founded in 1946 by the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and are considered representative of the Irish community in Boston. The name or logo of the Boston Celtics are not considered racist or ethnically insensitive, as people freely use the word “Celtic” without offense.
While some argue that the Boston Celtics’ name or logo are offensive, it is important to note that the name and logo are not racist or ethnically insensitive. While there are other team names in North America derived from other ethnic groups, such as the New York Yankees, Montreal Canadiens, and the New York Yankees, the Boston Celtics’ logo was a red-faced cartoon figure that was widely criticized as a racist caricature of a Native man. Protests against Chief Wahoo began in the 1970s, but the controversy surrounding the Boston Celtics’ mascot continues to this day.
📹 The Left’s Hypocrisy On “Offensive” Sports Mascots Explained
Leftists were up in arms yesterday after I called out their hypocrisy on “offensive” sports mascots. Watch the full episode here: …
What do Celtic fans call themselves?
Tims Celtic, also known as The Bhoys, have various nicknames including Celts, Tims, and Hoops. These names refer to both the team and its supporters. The team has various odds, including Premier League Winner Odds, Premier League Top 4 Odds, Premier League Relegation Odds, PL Next Manager Sacked Odds, FA Cup Odds, Championship Promotion Odds, Championship Relegation Odds, Champions League Winner Odds, and Europa League Winner Odds. The team also offers free bets in 2024, as well as guides to various betting sites and apps.
Were Celtics Irish or Scottish?
Celtic refers to a language family that means “of the Celts” or “in the style of the Celts”. Several archaeological cultures are considered Celtic, based on unique sets of artefacts and inscriptions. The modern idea of a Celtic cultural identity focuses on similarities among languages, works of art, classical texts, material artefacts, social organization, homeland, and mythology. Earlier theories suggested a common “racial” origin for the various Celtic peoples, but more recent theories suggest a common cultural and linguistic heritage.
Today, the term “Celtic” generally refers to the languages and cultures of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, and Brittany, also known as the Celtic nations. These regions have Celtic languages still spoken to some extent, including Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Breton, Cornish (a Brittonic language), and Manx (a Goidelic language). There are also attempts to reconstruct Cumbric, a Brittonic language of northern Britain.
Celtic regions of mainland Europe include western Iberia, Portugal, and north-central Spain. Continental Celts are the Celtic-speaking people of mainland Europe, while Insular Celts are the Celtic-speaking people of the British and Irish islands and their descendants. The Celts of Brittany derive their language from migrating Insular Celts from Britain.
The Celtic languages are a branch of the Indo-European languages, and by the time Celts were first mentioned in written records around 400 BC, they were already split into several language groups and spread over western mainland Europe, the Iberian Peninsula, Ireland, and Britain.
Is the Celtic symbol Irish or Scottish?
The Celtic triquetra, among other symbols, is a popular motif in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, representing concepts such as faith, love, and loyalty. The Trinity Knot, also referred to as the three-cornered design, represents the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These symbols possess profound meanings and are pervasively utilized in religious observances.
What is the Celtic mascot called?
The Celtic mascot, Hoopy the Hound, is a diminutive representation of the well-known canine.
Is leprechaun Irish or Scottish?
A leprechaun is a supernatural being in Irish folklore, often portrayed as a solitary fairy. They are typically bearded men with a coat and hat, known for their mischief. In the 20th century, a modern depiction of a leprechaun was popularized. These creatures rarely appear in Irish mythology and became more prominent in later folklore. In modern times, they have been depicted as shoe-makers with a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
What is the mascot for the Boston Celtics?
TD Garden provides a multifaceted experience for Celtics fans, extending beyond the realm of basketball. The venue offers a plethora of in-game entertainment, including the much-loved mascot Lucky the Leprechaun and the accomplished Celtics Dancers, which collectively contribute to an atmosphere of excitement and enjoyment that transcends the boundaries of the game itself.
Why is Boston called the Celtics?
The Boston Celtics, nicknamed “Celtics”, are a basketball team based in Boston, known for their Irish population and the original Celtics, a team that played in the early 20th century. The team has a significant rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, who are the second-largest team in NBA history with 17 championships. The Celtics have played the Lakers 12 times in the NBA Finals and defeated them nine times. The team has played 41 members of the Basketball Hall of Fame and has won an NBA-record 10 MVP awards.
Founded in 1946, the Celtics were initially part of the Basketball Association of America but missed the playoffs in 1949. In 1950, the team signed Chuck Cooper, becoming the first NBA franchise to draft a black player. Chuck Connors, an original member of the Celtics, was also an original member in 1946.
The Celtics faced struggles in their early years until the hiring of coach Red Auerbach. Auerbach managed all practices, scouting, and road trips, with one of the first great players being Bob Cousy. Cousy’s contract eventually became the property of the Chicago Stags, but when the franchise went bankrupt, he was drafted by the Celtics in a dispersal draft.
Is the Celtics logo Irish?
The Boston Celtics, nicknamed “Celtics”, are a basketball team based in Boston, known for their Irish population and the original Celtics, a team that played in the early 20th century. The team has a significant rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, who are the second-largest team in NBA history with 17 championships. The Celtics have played the Lakers 12 times in the NBA Finals and defeated them nine times. The team has played 41 members of the Basketball Hall of Fame and has won an NBA-record 10 MVP awards.
Founded in 1946, the Celtics were initially part of the Basketball Association of America but missed the playoffs in 1949. In 1950, the team signed Chuck Cooper, becoming the first NBA franchise to draft a black player. Chuck Connors, an original member of the Celtics, was also an original member in 1946.
The Celtics faced struggles in their early years until the hiring of coach Red Auerbach. Auerbach managed all practices, scouting, and road trips, with one of the first great players being Bob Cousy. Cousy’s contract eventually became the property of the Chicago Stags, but when the franchise went bankrupt, he was drafted by the Celtics in a dispersal draft.
Who is the guy in the Celtics logo?
The Boston Celtics, nicknamed “Celtics”, are a basketball team based in Boston, known for their Irish population and the original Celtics, a team that played in the early 20th century. The team has a significant rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, who are the second-largest team in NBA history with 17 championships. The Celtics have played the Lakers 12 times in the NBA Finals and defeated them nine times. The team has played 41 members of the Basketball Hall of Fame and has won an NBA-record 10 MVP awards.
Founded in 1946, the Celtics were initially part of the Basketball Association of America but missed the playoffs in 1949. In 1950, the team signed Chuck Cooper, becoming the first NBA franchise to draft a black player. Chuck Connors, an original member of the Celtics, was also an original member in 1946.
The Celtics faced struggles in their early years until the hiring of coach Red Auerbach. Auerbach managed all practices, scouting, and road trips, with one of the first great players being Bob Cousy. Cousy’s contract eventually became the property of the Chicago Stags, but when the franchise went bankrupt, he was drafted by the Celtics in a dispersal draft.
Why is the Celtics mascot a leprechaun?
Lucky, an Irish mascot, was introduced in 2003 by the Boston Celtics management, with Damon Lee Blust as the mask. Since 2010, Kristofer “Kit” Ackermann has been performing as Lucky. The mascot is believed to bring good luck, as the Celtics are the most successful NBA team to date. Some of the biggest Celtics starts have tattoos of him, hoping it would bring good luck. Lucky is an avid fan of Lucky Charms and his favorite number is 18, which stands for the number of championships the Celtics are expected to win. His favorite holiday is St. Patrick’s Day.
Why are the Boston Celtics not called the Boston Celtics?
The Irish Protestants asserted that the name Keltic was more accurately pronounced as a result of the differing linguistic backgrounds of the speakers. They observed that the “low class” Catholic Irish who emigrated to Boston pronounced it more distinctly than other groups. The majority of Irish Catholics in the United States, including the basketball team, utilize the soft “c” in Celtic, as it was the “low class” Catholic Irish who immigrated to Boston.
📹 Josh Giddey is straight up disrespectful 😂 | #Shorts
What’s interesting is people forget the history of the Cleveland Indians and how they were christened as the Indians. In 1897 we had a phenomenal player by the name of Sockalexis. He was a native Indian and the first player of color in the MLB. He was a hell of a player and retired just a couple short years later. At the time the Indians were known as the Spiders I believe or the Nats. The organization was looking for yet another new name, this time one that would stick back when people weren’t sensitive pansies. In honor of Sockalexis they chose the Cleveland Indians. The more you know!💫 It’s still the Jake! And dammit it’s still the Indians! Long live Chief Wahoo!
I have always said if one was to take offense at a mascot, Norte Dame has the most egregious mascot, a drunk fighting Irish man. As an Irish person, I love the mascot and many friends have the mascot tattooed on their body out of pride for their heritage. Anyone upset by a mascot is looking for a reason to blame others for their own issues.
This reminds me of a sort of secret club within my local Girl Scouts camps called the Quapaw Tribe, in honor of one of the Native American tribes living in my home state of Arkansas. If you attended camp for 4 summers, on your fourth summer you would be pulled out of bed around midnight and inducted into this group in a secret meeting. As part of this group, you could attend special camp sessions and special camp activities. We learned a lot about the real Quapaw Tribe and it made me really excited to learn more about Native Americans at school. Alongside this, camp also had a lot of Native American inspired decorations and named cabins after tribes as well, which also made me more interested in learning about Native Americans. A few years ago, I decided to work for the summer as a camp counselor at one of the Girl Scout camps I attended as a kid. It was the last year they had the Quapaw Tribe. They had decided, because racism, that they needed to replace it with a different group that was just made up from scratch. They were going to remove the tribe names from the cabins as well. Who was the person who pushed for this? Only the whitest woman on staff. Quite a feat, considering most of us tanned over the summer from working outdoors. We had staff members who were actual Native Americans, and they liked the Quapaw Tribe and argued to keep it, but no one listened to them. So now, Girl Scouts in my area will no longer learn anything about Native Americans, or even hear their tribe names mentioned.
The Irish were horrendously oppressed, and Britain continuing to export Irish crops, led to mass starvation during the famine. Then The Troubles was also a thing. We were white, and it didn’t stop Britain from making us their bitch for hundreds of years. A foreign country using Irish themes, is utterly irrelevant. Removing Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemimah from advertising and food packaging, makes less sense to me. It seems like erasure.
As an irish person This shit is a joke. Recently, a DJ group I know had to change their name from “Detroit Swindle” to “Dam Swindle” Due to them actually being from Amsterdam and not Detroit. Bare in mind this was an homage to the detroit house scene. Next thing, Paddys day is cultural appropriation and can only be celebrated in Ireland Guinness in Nigeria is cultural appropriation Oh and if you wear any paddys day clothing your horribly bigoted!
Somehow virtually everyone misses the main irony with this nonsensical controversy. Far from intending to ridicule some reputedly thin-skinned ethnicity, a mascot is a name that a team is proud to call itself, to warn others that they are facing a tough and manly adversary. I’m still waiting to see an appropriated Title IX team, for instance, call itself something like, The Nancy Boys. Not likely to happen, is it?
Vikings – offensive to Nordic peoples, patriots – offensive to descendants of America’s war for independence, 49ner’s – offensive to miners, Colts, Lions, Tigers, Bears, Rams, Falcons, Cardinals, jaguars, Ravens, Bengals, seahawks, Eagles, Dolphins – offensive to animal activists, Buccaneers, Texans, Cowboys, Packers – offensive to the LGBTQ community, Steelers – offensive to out of work steel workers, Jets – offensive to Benny, Browns – offensive to the color-blind, Washington “W” Football Team – offensive to those cities that cannot afford a football team. Who did I miss?
Chief Illiniwek wasn’t a real person. He was a fictional leader of the Illini federation of tribes, who once inhabited the land that the University of Illinois sits on today. He was a symbol of unity, strength, and togetherness for all students and alumni, but was one of the first sports figures/names to be cancelled. So nope, being fictional doesn’t matter
Would it not make more sense for the Cleveland Indians and the Washington Redskins to keep their names and do some philanthropic work to support and give back to Native American communities, or perhaps simply to draw attention to some of the challenges on certain reservations? Seems that would be something that could actually make a difference
I 100% wholeheartedly agree. One thing about the Celtics that always bothered me is the fact that they pronounce the name wrong it’s supposed to be pronounced with a hard C. That always bothered me for some reason cuz it’s part of my heritage that I’m proud of. Oh no I just outed myself I must be a racist. Lol
I”m a Clevelander & lifelong Liberal (NOT Leftist). People have been protesting the Cleveland Indians logo for over 25 years & the owners never cared or even considered changing it. This was never a decision based on principal – it was 100% about MONEY, as the Cleveland Indians logo has been one of the most lucrative sports logos THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. The only reason they are changing the name now is due to public pressure – they are afraid of damaging their public perception,& therefore losing money, period. Honestly, I don’t care either way what sports team names themselves. How I do feel, however, is that there are WAY bigger “fish to fry” than this – like the explosion of violent crimes being committed across the nation since last summer. How about dealing with THAT before worrying about this? If anything, the the media’s attention to this banal issue exposes the U.S. as a nation full of people who invent outrage based on their 1st-world problems, or dare I say, PRIVILEGE!
As a person of proud Irish descent, I am deeply offended both by the Boston Celtic mascot and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish mascot. Please change both names to inoffensive colors only. Green is out of the question because everyone knows that green is owned by Irish people. I have submitted my latest demands for reparations to the British government because of the heinous treatment of my ancestors by the British nobility. Anyone else who feels guilty because their ancestors mistreated Irish people, please feel free to send me a check directly.
There’s an obvious difference in how those team names are characterized. The term “Indian” is offensive to a lot of native Americans and the logo is a cartoon exaggeration of their appearance. One team is making fun of a population and the other is making one look cool. Sometimes they have a good point.
I have lived in the Cleveland suburbs for 67 years. I have seen many Indians games at both the old Lakefront Stadium and the new Jacobs / Progressive Field. For years native Americans stationed themselves outside both stadiums protesting the use of the Chief Wahoo symbol. I supported that 100%. The symbol was offensive to me and I’m not an Indian (not even .000027%) like some politicians. Time after time those protesters and the chiefs of many tribes were interviewed. They repeatedly stated they had no issue with the name Indians for the franchise only the Chief Wahoo symbol. They did often express their disappointment in the product the ball club was producing in association with their name but they did not object to the name being used. All of a sudden WOKENESS blows everything up and nothing that was can ever be anything any more. One click of some 20 year olds twitter response and the Cleveland Indians (over 100 years old) is down on its knees succumbing to the mob and begging for forgiveness. That’s OK. I pray that everyone over the age of 35 would just stop going to any sporting events or participating in anything commercially viable that cancel culture deems too offensive for them to tolerate. Could the big corporations wait out our break? Maybe, it would take them about another 35 years to live without any profit from us and they may survive that or they may not. NO ONE goes through life without being offended………Speak Truth to Lies.
I have questions. – How is the depiction of a leprechaun, a mythological figure, offensive to anyone? – How can you put the image of a leprechaun next to the image of what’s supposed to be a Native American with crimson red skin, with the history of Native Americans in this country, and say “they are the same thing”? – What do you care so much about a corporation changing their name and logo for whatever reason they have? Because you want to “own” the libs? – And speaking of cancel culture, I guess it is a cool, hip hashtag the kids like nowadays, but not only has it been around forever, it’s been the conservative and religious types who have been the main culprits. Just look at how many corporations Trump tried to cancel the last 4 years.
And many people like stereotypes of their ethnic groups. German-Irish comedian El “Yumpin Yiminy” Brendel was much loved in Swedish-American communities, and even Amos and Andy had some Black fans.Another thing-Blackface has been defunct in America since the 60s(though it lasted longer in Britain). Why is everybody suddenly wailing about it now?
How about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish? Do you know how many lawyers I know. That sort of dispels the notion that Irishmen settle their disputes witg their fists. Supposedly, no one will contact the NCAA about the offensive mascot, because the Notre Dame fandom will make make life a living hell for the person who does. And how about schools affiliated with church denominations that have anti-Christian mascots? Duke (Methodist): Blue Devil Wake Forest (Baptist): Demon Deacon DePaul (Catholic): Blue Demon
Kaitlin Bennett from Liberty Hangout did something similar with costumes – It was St.Patrick day and obviously there were lots of people celebrating 🥳, she asked if any of them were Irish ☘️ and all of them said no and said that St.Patrick day was all about dressing up in anything Irish ☘️ & drinking and that it was o.k for non-Irish to that. She changed the situation to Halloween 👻🎃 and if it was all right to dress up as a Native-American Indian or a Mexican with a sombrero & poncho and got told by the same group of people that it was not o.k to dress as such unless you are a Native-American Indian or Mexican. Yeah it’s either one way or the other, not one rule for one culture and a set of different ones for another – as a person whose roots come from the Isle’s of the Pacific (I’m half Samoan 🇼🇸, half Cook Island 🇨🇰) and a New Zealand 🇳🇿 citizen if any of you want to go as Maui or Moana for Halloween or to a costume party, please go right ahead – your not appropriating any culture, in fact you are sharing it with others and that can lead to curiosity which in turns makes more people want to know about the culture.
Chief Wahoo is a mythical character . . . That said, once native Americans are completely removed from popular (unpopular?) culture, they will be totally forgotten and their plight will be their own. They will then need to reverse course and figure out how to insert themselves into popular (unpopular?) culture – good luck with that. That-that said, “they” should have licensed the name “Indians” back to the team and made a buck – or two . . .
If Irish people didn’t like the symbolism of the leprechaun being used in this connotation, then it would be offensive. If they do (did) not, then it is not. This is not a leftist issue. For example, the Seminole tribe in Florida do not object to the use of their name as it relates to the University of Florida, so it is not offensive. I assume the symbol is used in a respectable way. Very simple.
I was going to Saint John’s University in the 90s when the PC people went after the SJU Redmen. I was an editor for the Staten Island SJU newspaper – The Arrow – and wrote an opinion piece about the same thing you did: if the Redmen (originally called such because of the red-cloaked cardinals who founded the university) was an offensive name, then why not the Fighting Irish? The same weak answers were given to me then that were given to you now. The sad thing is, back then we had the Indians and Redskins as our back-up examples. 🙁 We were able to hold on to The Arrow name and fought hard to keep the Redmen, but unfortunately they changed it the minute we all graduated. Hence why there’s now the ridiculous “Red Storm”.
Something is telling that this decision on getting rid of “Indians” as a team is only coming from the left and not the actual Native American people themselves. I come from Michigan, and Central Michigan University’s mascot is the Chippewas. That team name was threatened by the left a while ago; luckily the actual members of the Chippewa tribe came and saved the name from oblivion. I think that these team names with Native American names is more of a way to honor them rather than disrespect. I bet there are a majority Native Americans that pissed off with the left getting rid of Native American team names. I feel that the Native Americans have no say in these decision and only the left does.
If it is so terribly offensive, why when I drive through the reservations in AZ in NM do I see Native Americans wearing Indians gear (including the Chief Wahoo logo)? In our culture, we name things after people (and groups of people) we want to honor. But then again, the liberals want to destroy our culture, so I guess that isn’t a great argument… Sockalexis was the first minority player in ANY professional sport. But his story doesn’t fit the liberal narrative, so it doesn’t matter. 100% sure you’ll hear “lets go Tribe” at the Jake on opening day from the fans. This decision was from ownership, not the city. -A Highly Offended Red-Haired Irish Guy
As a product of two irish immigrants they taught me to have pride in my heritage. I love having the celtics and the fighting irish being historic teams in American sports. The only thing I cant stand is people when they find out I’m almost full irish blood they ask dumb questions about drinking and fighting. I have had people mimic the accent, dance like an idiot, and say top o the morning to me. But I realize that is how we are portrayed in a broad sense. I have massive pride in my family. I know my family tree going back 200 years. I know exactly what my name means and I live my life accordingly to it. I’ve given all 4 of my children strong irish names with meaning, and have taught them to know were they come from and who they are. So on the offense issue! None taken at all. I have told my families history and many stories of how a true Irishman takes pride in that. The people who take the time and listen are always amazed that I know so much and take it seriously. Beacuse We are some lucky bastards, and if you really want a piece of an Irishman! (Chuggs beer and slams it down on the bar) Aye laddy if ya want ta have a go, I could use a good tussle!
…and we continue to appease people who have very little interest in sports. Well, other than the sexual preference of an athlete, or if that athlete has gone through a re-gendering, or who that athlete voted for, or that athletes stance on BLM/LGBT riots/vandalism/destruction. But we continue to be concerned with those “avid sports fans”
Apparently penal laws that existed for nearly two centuries and the effects of which continued long after, coffin ships (which were hardly seaworthy, cheeply and poorly made ships that carried packed on desperate passengers like animals and shipped them to Canada on a lie that those on board would be given food, land, and medicine upon arrival, only for those who survived the journey and didn’t die from the typhus outbreak or lingering starvation to find little to nothing there for them. Most of those on board died before they even docked in Quebec, though, and many more dropped dead in the streets on their way to the makeshift hospitals that were constructed in a desperate attempt by the city of Quebec to accommodate the mass amount of people who had suddenly turned up, sick and dying, with little to know warning. No one cared if the passengers actually lived though, as long as they were out of Ireland), forced Anglicizations and conversions to Protestantism for anyone desperately seeking help during the Great Hunger, backbreaking work like the Famine Roads that would hardly pay anything at all, families forced to live in conditions most wouldn’t even want their animals to live in while the rich Anglo landlords sat in their luxurious estates, turning a blind eye to the people starving and dying on their lands, and many of those landlords never even put a toe down on their land because they were too busy partying in their luxury estates while their tennents were starving and forced to grow grain crops only for said grains to be sent to England and fed to the British livestock, land theft, various forced mass exoduses, unjust arrests and murders just for being Irish in Ireland, the banning of the language, near destruction of the old folktales, absolutely appallingly horrid depictions of the Irish, of us, in the media like in many newspapers across multiple centuries, depicting us as primative, uncultured, simple minded, need to be controlled, savage apes, some of the worst slums in American cities where the Irish were forced to live cause it was the only place we could afford, incredible prejudice and descrimination by establishments and occupations, in Ireland and elsewhere like in America, the list goes on, doesn’t count by SJW standards to qualify as a discriminated against group.
But you’re forgetting so many! Pirates, Privateers, Buccaneers, Raiders, Vandals, Vikings, Norse, Gaels, Cowboys, Aggies, Sooners, Hoosiers, Spurs, Stampede, Matadors, Toreros, Gauchos, Vaqueros, Lobos, Padres, Explorers, Pioneers, 49ers, Ragin Cajuns, Texans, Rangers, Spartans, Trojans, Titans, Highlanders, Friars, Saints, Crusaders, Paladins, Knights, Devils, Demons, Miners, Nuggets, Oilers, Steelers, Packers, Whalers, Pistons, Dynamo, Brewers, Lumberjacks, Timbers, Mountaineers, Islanders, Colonels, Commodores, Generals, Colonials, Cavaliers, Musketeers, Keydets, Cadets, Midshipman, Jets, Yankees, Patriots, Revolution, Knicks, Phillies, Union, 76ers, Senators, Nationals, Mets (short for the Metropolitans for the ignorant), Blue Jackets, Rebels, Kings, Dukes, Governors, Barons, Canucks, Canadiens, Blackhawks, Chiefs, Braves, Tribe, Eskimos, Fighting Illini, Utes, Aztecs, Cornhuskers, or Shockers are all mascots that appropriate the Spanish or French languages or native cultures; celebrate war; recognize Christianity or Greek Mythology; represent the take over of historically native land, or acknowledge the terribly racist countries of Canada and the USA; strip the environment by mindlessly destroying forests, letting cattle run rampant or monocropping, pollute, or pulling minerals from the ground; or mock cultures with historical stereotypes of lower class vagabonds who plunder and steal.
This reminds me of the Star Trek universe’s fascination with venerating hundreds of fictional religions from alien cultures, but never even mentioning the human religious heritage of Earth. But hey, it’s fiction right, so what does it matter? This year has confirmed to me that professional sports are fiction, too! They don’t really matter either.
My personal opinion on the matter is that I don’t get to tell anybody else what offends them or doesn’t when it pertains to their race or culture. I’ve never heard an Irish person say they’re upset about the Celtics (with the possible exception of the fact that we pronounce it wrong). But, the important thing to note is both parts of my statement. Because it seems to me that there are a lot of white people who tell minorities what needs to offend them.
First, let me say I’m a huge baseball fan, always have been. I grew up playing baseball and was on the Indians when I was in Little League. I’ve always loved the Indians mascot, Chief Wahoo as well. With that said I have a question for all who disagree with changing the name. Also, let me say that I am not for or against the change. My question though is, how many of you that disagree with the changing of the name have bothered to ask actual Native Americans if the names, Indians or Braves or Redskins actually offends them? I have not so I don’t have the answers but I’m sure there are some Native Americans who are and some who are not. My point is, let us not be the judge, let’s let the folks who are potentially affected by the name(s) be the judge. Oh, and by the way, I am neither Conservative or Liberal. I’m a middle of the road kind of guy so no political jabs please.
I understand where this is coming from, and yes if Irish people are offended and ridiculed and shun for being Irish in America then yeah let’s change that too. But we kinda… took the natives land… and shoved them onto reservations… called them savages and then named sports teams after them… I know the Irish had a very effed history too dont get me wrong.. but isn’t it still a little different since the natives legit lost everything and now live by our rules for the most part? Again maybe not but thats the difference I see.
Actually, yes. It probably WOULD be less offensive to have a Native American mythical creature as the mascot than the old-school grinning Indian. Oddly enough for Cleveland is that it’s not really the WORD “indian” that has ever really been the problem. It’s only taken that way because of the branding the team has done in relation to it. If they’d just used some woodland creature as the mascot and other trademarked images, they’d probably be okay. Every First Nations person I know calls himself and his people indians. “Redskins” is a different animal, although they do share one distinction with Cleveland and the University of North Dakota (formerly) Fighting Sioux: There weren’t really any indians complaining. It was pretty much all Eastern white folks with time on their hands who had the time and energy to raise a fuss. This vid covers ground I spoke to friends about years ago. Pretty much the only mention of Native Americans at all is because of school mascots and team names. Get rid of the N.A. influence entirely, and you won’t be hearing about indians at all. Middle ground can actually be had if you speak to the tribes, but the Easterners aren’t really that keen on allowing them to handle their own affairs, as is typical of folks who don’t even recognize the “bigotry of low expectations.” They see renewing team name contracts (that didn’t really need to be hammered out to begin with, let’s remember) as the natives selling out their culture at the pressure of white folks like them, rather than coming to a mutually beneficial agreement.
It’s in the eye of the beholder. I get both sides of the argument. Some native Americans (not all) find the term redskin just as derogatory as african americans consider n*** or jewish people consider k***, and it has been used as a racial epithet in the past. There’s also the problematic issue of a dominant ethnic group using significant spiritual/religious icons/symbols of minority groups in sporting logos (such as the head dress). Do you think it would be appropriate for a sporting team in a muslim country to be called the christians and use the cross in their logo when most of the players are probably from a non-christian background? I actually like your idea of using mythological creatures/legends as mascots – it’d be cool to have a team called the wendigos. A big difference between chief Wahoo and the leprechaun mascot is that the Leprechaun is a creation by the people it is meant to represent (the Irish) while Wahoo is a caricature of members of one ethnic group by another ethnic group. Do you think it would be possible to get away with naming a team ‘the Jews’ and having the silhouette of a man’s head with a large hooked nose ( a common European visual stereotype of a jew) ? I don’t really know that having one or two players of a certain ethnic origin on a team is justification enough for appropriating the names, symbols and visual likenesses associated with that ethnic group.
I can understand why someone (Native American or otherwise) might be offended by the Washington Redskins’ name, since that term can be and has been used as a racial epithet. I can understand why people might be offended by Chief Wahoo, the Cleveland Indians’ now retired mascot, because he’s a cartoonish caricature of NAs that makes them look stupid. I even think that the Indians’ decision to retire him as their mascot was long overdue. But what is so offensive about the name Indians? It may be geographically inaccurate since they don’t come from India, but many (if not most) Native American activists actually prefer the term Indian because they think “Native American” diminishes their status as Americans, especially since they were here long before whites were. (FTR, I use Native American much of the time just to distinguish them from Asian Indians and not for political correctness.) For most people, “Indian” is a very neutral term. And are we really doing Native Americans a service by not letting sports teams use them as mascots? At least it gives them some exposure and reminds people that they exist.
I agree that racism against white people isn’t any less racist than racism against non-white people. The issue, however, is that it should be up to the targeted group as to whether they find it offensive. I don’t know the exact numbers on what percentages of Indians find the mascots offensive, there might be some difference between the term “redskins” as it’s an actual slur, as opposed to “Indians” which is often considered a descriptive term, but if the targeted group deems it offensive, that should be what how it is decided whether or not it’s okay. I’m Irish American, I know plenty of other Irish Americans, and I’m from the Boston area, so the Celtics are brought up a decent amount, and I’ve never heard anyone get offended. Now, to be fair, I just kinda saw this on recommended, maybe you are Irish American, but if you’re not, imma be honest, you kinda seem like one of those cringey white teenage girls white-splaining how other people should be offended by a joke.
There are a lot of things wrong with this article but I think one of them is the fact that you confuse the terms left/right, progressive/conservative, and democrat/republican. Left/right is a spectrum of economic ideologies ranging from extreme capitalism to socialism to communism. This in no way applies to the article and shouldn’t be in the title. Next, progressive/conservative is a set of political ideologies such as blm versus alm. This would be significantly more applicable. Last, democrat/republican are two legal political standings that determine your grouping when voting or running for office. Progressive and democrat are separated by the fact that you can have completely progressive ideologies but be registered as a republican. It isn’t common, but it’s possible and legal. Left is about economics. You do this in a lot of your articles and it’s getting obnoxious.
Let’s find some new woke Sports names okay? How about the Pittsburgh Looters instead of the Pittsburgh Steelers? That’s real 2020. Besides, doesn’t steel leave a huge carbon footprint? Green Bay Packers? That’s offensive to gays, so let’s make it the Green Bay Rainbows. Los Angeles Chargers? Too much Reliance on fossil fuels with the Electric bolt and all. Let’s go with Los Angeles Windmills. The New York Jets are way too environmentally unfriendly. New York Gliders would be better. Los Angeles Angels? Offensive to atheists for sure. Maybe the Los Angeles Crystals. Very Left Coast. Raiders, Pirates, Buccaneers? Way too violent. How about betas, soy boys, simps? The Warriors would be much more palatable if we added social justice to their name no? And America’s team the Dallas Cowboys? Why that symbolizes everything wrong with America. How about the Dallas 1619? That was hard work but worth it since no one’s feelings will be hurt anymore. You’re welcome.