Washington Commanders

[Marrila]

I don’t get why some team names in sports are deemed offensive and have to change but others like the Chiefs, Braves, Seminoles, and Blackhawks are ok.

Well, there might be a difference in the names you listed and what the Washington football team used to be known as.

 

[AppleDumpling]

The New York Giants technically used to be "The New York Football Giants".

They still are. Of course, back in the day, it was needed to distinguish them from the baseball team of the same name. Both played for years at the same home field, the Polo Grounds, in NYC. After the baseball Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958, the football team retained their legal corporate name, New York Football Giants. Even though they now play in New Jersey.

 

[bcla]

I don’t get why some team names in sports are deemed offensive and have to change but others like the Chiefs, Braves, Seminoles, and Blackhawks are ok.

There's definitely been controversy over it. The Washington team owner said he'd never change the name, but apparently caved after other controversies meant that he had little influence left with the NFL. There were sexual harassment and verbal abuse charges.

There's been plenty of controversy over those, although Florida State claims the support of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, although other Seminole tribes don't give any support.

I don't think the Golden State Warriors have too many controversies, although they still occasionally wear some of the classic uniforms. They might have changed it though where they left this out of the normal location on the shorts.

 

[JimMIA]

I don’t get why some team names in sports are deemed offensive and have to change but others like the Chiefs, Braves, Seminoles, and Blackhawks are ok.

I can give a partial answer on the Seminoles name used by Florida State University. I have a daughter and two granddaughters who are graduates of FSU.

First of all, there are two Seminole tribes -- one in Oklahoma and the other in Florida, headquartered in Hollywood, FL.

I don't know a whole lot about the Oklahoma tribe except that they are the descendants of Seminoles who surrendered at the close of the Second Seminole War in 1842. They were shipped from Tampa to New Orleans and then went to Oklahoma on the infamous "Trail of Tears" along with many other tribes.

The Florida Seminoles remained, fought a Third Seminole War in the 1850's. More recently, the tribe has become quite wealthy from their casinos. They also own the entire Hard Rock system worldwide.

The second reason is the manner in which "Seminoles" was adopted as the name of FSU sports teams. FSU was originally FSCW (Florida State College for Women). When it went coed and was getting into sports, the university considered a name/mascot for their teams.

"Seminoles" was selected, but before the school adopted the name, they sought and obtained the consent of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Throughout the process, every detail of the use of "Seminole" was vetted through the tribe, and the tribe provided significant input into how they are depicted...including logos, Chief Osceola riding horseback down the football field and planting his spear in the opponents end zone, the famous "Tomahawk Chop" and chant later copied by Atlanta Braves fans, and lots more.

The university still maintains a close relationship with the tribe, and there are no complaints about the use of the name and symbols of the tribe by the tribe. There have been some "advocates" who have objected, but if they are Seminoles, they are not members of the Florida tribe.

*****
PS> Not to stir the pot or anything, but "Seminole" is not an Indian word. It's an 1800's English mispronunciation of the Spanish word "cimarron." Today, that word means maroon in Spanish, but at the time of the Conquistadors it meant "wild" or "uncivilized" and was applied to all non-Catholic natives.

In Castilian Spanish, the word is pronounced something like "THEE-mar-OHN" which of course early English settlers moving into N Florida could not begin to pronounce correctly. So it came out sounding something like "SEE-ma-something," which devolved into "Seminole."

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

"Seminoles" was selected, but before the school adopted the name, they sought and obtained the consent of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Throughout the process, every detail of the use of "Seminole" was vetted through the tribe, and the tribe provided significant input into how they are depicted...including logos, Chief Osceola riding horseback down the football field and planting his spear in the opponents end zone, the famous "Tomahawk Chop" and chant later copied by Atlanta Braves fans, and lots more.

That was how it was with my high school. They had specific permission from the Indian tribe here to use the name and had specific rules attached. It came under fire many years later and eventually the tribe revoked their approval and several years later it was, under pressure, advised all names with Native American ties should be removed, mascots changed. The high school is still the same name but the mascot, Indians, was changed to Bison. So just because you have permission does not mean you'll keep it as my area found out. Only takes 1 media storm to get it going (and that's exactly what happened). The main incident that occurred to really change the tribe's mind was spectator that was not from the district, not even near the district actually, just took a video from a basketball game that got shared on social media and went viral.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I don’t get why some team names in sports are deemed offensive and have to change but others like the Chiefs, Braves, Seminoles, and Blackhawks are ok.

Just about all the teams have been on the radar at some point, some just have more than others.

My middle school, though it no longer exists, had the mascot Braves. Under the new rules from a few years back that mascot would have been changed. Chiefs have removed/retired various things in recent years that had stronger tsk factors to them. It's been debatable that Chiefs name itself was meant to be towards an actual Native American tribe the same way other teams may have had. The person it was named after, a mayor, and was a fan selected name to pay homage to that mayor, however was named "Lone Bear by the Chief" shortened to "Chief" by the Arapaho tribe for which he had been inducted into. The team is named for a person whose nickname was Chief in other words. There has been and still is heavy usage of Native American imagery so I can't say that isn't there, but that is the stuff that has been adjusted and changed in recent years.

 

[CynBeth]

Thanks for the explanations!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I wanted the Washington Walla Wallas. Yes that would be more appropriate for the Seahawks but I could't convince them either.

 

[Planogirl]

Meh name and I say that as someone who supported them for many years.

 

[sk!mom]

I don’t get why some team names in sports are deemed offensive and have to change but others like the Chiefs, Braves, Seminoles, and Blackhawks are ok.

in my view, those should be changed as well. People aren’t mascots. And using them as such opens the door to lots of disrespect.

Having said that, Surely you can see how Washington’s former name was straight racist with no room to say they were honoring as some try to say of the others you mentioned.

 

[longboard55]

Lets be honest. Redskins was pretty bad.

 

[JimMIA]

Let me preface this by saying I couldn't care less what billionaires nickname their toys. I have little use for pro sports, and much less respect for their owners.

People aren’t mascots.

LOL -- don't tell The Fighting Irish that! And lots of others -- Pirates, Brewers, Cowboys, Texans, Celtics, Bills, Cavaliers, Guardians, Oilers, Canadiens, Patriots, Yankees, Rebels, Senators, Steelers, 49ers, Padres, Roughriders, etc, etc, etc.

Having said that, Surely you can see how Washington’s former name was straight racist with no room to say they were honoring as some try to say of the others you mentioned.

I agree that the word "Redskins" is considered by some today to be a derogatory term. I personally do not consider the former name derogatory at all, and I certainly don't think there was any "racist" intent decades ago in naming the team.

Seriously, I don't think the owners looked around for a group of people who they REALLY disliked so they could name their sports team after them. That simply makes no sense at all -- in fact, that idea is laughable.

What has changed is some people's sensitivity to names and other methods of referring to groups of people. So now, what was probably initially intended as a sign of respect is considered by some as disrespect.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I don’t get why some team names in sports are deemed offensive and have to change but others like the Chiefs, Braves, Seminoles, and Blackhawks are ok.

Because there's a big difference between naming your team after a tribe with permission and participation of that tribe like the Seminoles and naming your team after a racial slur like the former name of the team we're talking about in this thread.

 

[JimMIA]

If you want to see some REAL racist group naming, Google "Buffalo Soldiers." (And they were named that by Indians!)

 

[Fauntleroy]

Would have preferred “Hogs” as a throwback to Washington’s great 80s/90s teams. That said “Commanders” is fine IMHO. My guess is that in 5 years- few will care. Just glad they kept the burgundy/gold color scheme- which I think is pretty sharp/unique.

 

[bcla]

I can give a partial answer on the Seminoles name used by Florida State University. I have a daughter and two granddaughters who are graduates of FSU.

First of all, there are two Seminole tribes -- one in Oklahoma and the other in Florida, headquartered in Hollywood, FL

Don't the Miccosukee claim to be a third Seminole tribe?

 

[RedAngie]

Washington’s basketball and football teams changed their names.

Time to do the same for baseball and hockey???

The football team should have an alliterative nickname. Washington Weenies or Wussies are absolutely appropriately accurate.

 

[sk!mom]

Let me preface this by saying I couldn't care less what billionaires nickname their toys. I have little use for pro sports, and much less respect for their owners.LOL -- don't tell The Fighting Irish that! And lots of others -- Pirates, Brewers, Cowboys, Texans, Celtics, Bills, Cavaliers, Guardians, Oilers, Canadiens, Patriots, Yankees, Rebels, Senators, Steelers, 49ers, Padres, Roughriders, etc, etc, etc.I agree that the word "Redskins" is considered by some today to be a derogatory term. I personally do not consider the former name derogatory at all, and I certainly don't think there was any "racist" intent decades ago in naming the team.

Seriously, I don't think the owners looked around for a group of people who they REALLY disliked so they could name their sports team after them. That simply makes no sense at all -- in fact, that idea is laughable.

What has changed is some people's sensitivity to names and other methods of referring to groups of people. So now, what was probably initially intended as a sign of respect is considered by some as disrespect.

Know better…do better.

Let me guess, you are not a member of any marginalized group.

 

[JimMIA]

Don't the Miccosukee claim to be a third Seminole tribe?

No. They are the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida - a completely separate Federally-recognized tribe.

But it's way more complicated than that. There is enormous overlap, with many clans having members in both tribes, frequent mixing of Green Corn Dance ceremonies, a once-in-a-lifetime option to switch tribes, Mikasuky (rather than Muskogee) being the predominant language spoken at 4 of 5 Seminole reservations in Florida, and much, much more. There is both family and animosity between the two tribes...complicated.

There are also at least several dozen non-affiliated Native Americans of the same ancestry who call themselves "independent Seminoles." The clan camp across the highway from Gator Park Airboat Tours is an independent Seminole group.

And then there are the "Black Seminoles," which is really a totally different topic.

 

[JimMIA]

Let me guess, you are not a member of any marginalized group.

I'm not following you. Are you saying that I matter less because of my race/gender?

If so, I disagree with that entire concept in every one of its many, many forms.