NCAA Follies
Debating the NCAA's college nicknames policy over at Donklephant. Good stuff in the comments; come on over and join in, if you care to.
The trouble is, the NCAA “did not specify exactly what would be considered hostile and abusive.” With “prima facie” they take the Potter Stewart approach to the complicated issue: “I shall not today attempt further to define [obscenity], but I know it when I see it.” That guarantees that the matter will default to the courts.
The list of schools affected by the NCAA’s decision ranges from the generic (braves, Indians, savages) to specific (Chippewas, Seminoles, Illini, Choctaws). Somehow, “Warriors” didn’t make the list, but “Braves” did.
San Diego State,
So apparently the issue is whether there is a living identity to the ethnicity in question. Yet there are plenty of Irish-Americans, and Mike Downey of the Chicago Tribune wants to know why the obstreperous leprechaun on the Notre Dame logos isn’t deemed offensive.
The NCAA seems to have no answer to this. It only says “the Fighting Irish refers to a nationality, not a race of people, and no ethnic group.” Yet you could say the same of Chippewas, Seminoles, Illini, and Choctaws.
In fact, one of the universities originally under the microscope for its “Warriors” nickname got off the NCAA’s list because the NCAA learned it “used the nickname Warriors to depict a Greek soldier in full period combat attire.” Seminoles are a no-no, but Greeks are fair game?
Also on the list of college nicknames/mascot names, but not under fire by the NCAA, are Athenians, Britons, Celtics, Dutch, Highlanders, Norse, Ragin’ Cajuns, Saxons, Scots, Spartans, and Vikings.
It seems to me whatever good intention underlays the NCAA’s policy is more than undone by its arbitrary qualities.
Ask yourself, is the NCAA’s way of proceeding more likely or less likely to raise consciousness and improve general public appreciation for the sensitivities of Native Americans and acceptance of minorities’ criticisms generally.
The trouble is, the NCAA “did not specify exactly what would be considered hostile and abusive.” With “prima facie” they take the Potter Stewart approach to the complicated issue: “I shall not today attempt further to define [obscenity], but I know it when I see it.” That guarantees that the matter will default to the courts.
The list of schools affected by the NCAA’s decision ranges from the generic (braves, Indians, savages) to specific (Chippewas, Seminoles, Illini, Choctaws). Somehow, “Warriors” didn’t make the list, but “Braves” did.
San Diego State,
whose Aztecs nickname goes back to the 1920s, escaped the list because the NCAA could not find any organized tribe or group related to the Aztecs, a civilization that dates to at least the 12th century.
As a result, the Aztecs’ spear logo and cultural imagery will not have to be covered up if their teams reach the postseason.
So apparently the issue is whether there is a living identity to the ethnicity in question. Yet there are plenty of Irish-Americans, and Mike Downey of the Chicago Tribune wants to know why the obstreperous leprechaun on the Notre Dame logos isn’t deemed offensive.
I don’t mind a team being called the Irish, I really don’t. I take pride in my heritage. I wish we could live in a world in which a university’s teams could be called the Fighting Italians, the Fighting Mexicans, the Fighting Japanese or the Fighting Germans.
Yet if we get rid of some, mustn’t we get rid of all? Can a school really get away with calling itself the Fighting Irish in the wake of this NCAA posse’s vigilant PC crackdown?
The NCAA seems to have no answer to this. It only says “the Fighting Irish refers to a nationality, not a race of people, and no ethnic group.” Yet you could say the same of Chippewas, Seminoles, Illini, and Choctaws.
In fact, one of the universities originally under the microscope for its “Warriors” nickname got off the NCAA’s list because the NCAA learned it “used the nickname Warriors to depict a Greek soldier in full period combat attire.” Seminoles are a no-no, but Greeks are fair game?
Also on the list of college nicknames/mascot names, but not under fire by the NCAA, are Athenians, Britons, Celtics, Dutch, Highlanders, Norse, Ragin’ Cajuns, Saxons, Scots, Spartans, and Vikings.
It seems to me whatever good intention underlays the NCAA’s policy is more than undone by its arbitrary qualities.
Ask yourself, is the NCAA’s way of proceeding more likely or less likely to raise consciousness and improve general public appreciation for the sensitivities of Native Americans and acceptance of minorities’ criticisms generally.
