How is what you described above racist? It's a team mascot. Your statement about gangsters is more racist than the Braves mascot. People just need to learn to deal with context and intent. There's a huge difference between the two things you described.
I know I shouldn't be surprised but I am by this whole over reaction over nothing. Tomahawks isn't racist at all. It's a weapon, it's a dunk's name.......it doesn't negatively represent any community......What's the deal???
I know I shouldn't be surprised but I am by this whole over reaction over nothing. Tomahawks isn't racist at all. It's a weapon, it's a dunk's name.......it doesn't negatively represent any community......What's the deal???
GAH. Whatever. Ottawa sucks.
If Tomahawk is a bad choice for a team name, shouldn't it also be a bad choice for a dunk name? None of this makes any sense to me.
The real problem is that the team listened to the people *****ing and moaning
Reality of things is this is the 21st century: now every idiot can make himself heard as clearly as someone intelligent. Thing is, idiots are louder and easier to understand; there's also a lot of them.
I'd wager the team would have been fine if it decided to stick with the name
The basketball league warned them ,the mayor warned them, but they went ahead and the inevitable happened. Whatever anyone thinks of the name the reaction was bound to happen, and it doesn't make any difference if its Ottawa or anywhere else.
I don't think anyone believes they're personally responsible for the past. What they do believe is, during any heated debate involving ethnic minorities, people are afraid to speak up for what they believe.
They stare at their feet because they're scared to be fired or labelled a disgusting racist if the PC police gets their talons into them.
Example: "I have observed that most black people are great dancers." PC Police: "You racist piece of ****."
Example: "I think Tomahawks is a cool name for our team." PC Police: "4 guys on twitter say you're a racist. So, you know what? You're a racist!"
agreed and that's why you need to articulately tell those people to go **** themselves.
I know it's a heated and controversial topic (discussing what is or isn't racist), but let's try not to use actual racial slurs here, even if we're using them as an example.
Also, Ian Campeau ignored my question, but reading his tweets and how he avoids explaining why he has an issue with it shows you the type of person he is. Seem to complain for anything and everything native related. Offered him/them (their protester group) my help when they were pushing for a name change for the Nepean Redskins name (which I still feel should be changed) but this is just ridiculous.
Doesn't it depend? I think the Blackhawks have a great logo and a great name that looks hard ass and also respects native people. The only hardcore Hawks fan I know is himself native
The whole war whoop, painting yourself red and doing a tomahawk chop thing with the Braves back in the day is racist. I don't understand why anyone wouldn't think it is. If there were a team called the Gangsters and it's fans wore black face and caricatured ghetto clothes while doing some ebonics type chant, wouldn't that too be racist? I'm confused.
It seems to me that while some people see racism behind everything, others, in the name of anti-political correctness (whatever that means) like to pretend it doesn't exist at all.
So the Blackhawks can have a tomahawk on the uniform but doing a tomahawk chop at a Braves game is racist? Give me a break.
It was a dumb #ss move and I think the owner knew it was to kick up dust. I heard him on the radio being interviewed the day of the announcement and he came off as a hustler salesman. I would not be surprised if he thought it would generate some discussion and create awareness about the team. That it did...
And the name was dumb on its own as it didn't make sense. If it was for the Tomahawk dunk, the general public has no clue. A name that requires an asterik with an explanation underneath is not a good choice. The Ottawa Slam, people would get the basketball association.
Instead it looked like another tired hackneyed injun reference, and the whole native name thing is a hot topic right now. He went further by choosing a name that is linked to about the touchiest one going since it is immediately linked to the Atlanta Braves and the tomahawk chop and the chanting that is played while the crowd chops.
The owner made it worse when he announced it because he kept saying he had talked to native groups. He didn't say who, and it sounded pretty thin, which it was. He was saying they were not only OK with the name but excited about the basketball team!!!! He basically kept digging his hole deeper and deeper. Ends up he didn't consult the groups that Watson recommended. Watson a smart guy that has survived a long time in the public eye, maybe start taking some advice there.
When listening to him I was shaking my head and thinking he should have just said the name has nothing to do with a Native reference, and it's just a name for a basketball dunk. By saying he had the ok from Native groups, when he hadn't even talked to the main ones, he put them in a corner because if they said nothing it looks like they were consulted and were OK with it. Not speaking up really wasn't an option he left them.
Make it the Ottawa Slam, etc. and move on.
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