"Fighting Sioux" nickname may [not] [may too] stick at N Dakota

[Ben]

Wasn't the NCAA threatening to impose sanctions on UND if they didn't change their nickname?

[KeithK]

Wasn't the NCAA threatening to impose sanctions on UND if they didn't change their nickname?

Yes and that threat is presumably still be there. From a story linked earlier in the thread:

In 2005 the NCAA barred UND from hosting post season tournaments or using the nickname if its teams played in tournaments.

[billhoward]

This could easily have come from the Onion.

[nyc94]

New York Times on the current limbo:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/sports/push-to-save-fighting-sioux-name-puts-north-dakota-in-costly-limbo.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

[billhoward]

New York Times on the current limbo:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/sports/push-to-save-fighting-sioux-name-puts-north-dakota-in-costly-limbo.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Which says living in limbo is hurting ND and so will retaining the nickname because some other schools won't play schools with Indian mascot names. So the athletic department would rather this be over and the Fighting Sioux nickname be gone.

[css228]

The latest incident since the resumption of the nickname

[Josh '99]

The latest incident since the resumption of the nickname

Chanting "smallpox blankets" at actual native americans is racist.  Chanting "smallpox blankets" at a bunch of white guys from Minnesota and Western Canada who play for a team with a native american nickname is not.

[KeithK]

The latest incident since the resumption of the nickname

Chanting "smallpox blankets" at actual native americans is racist.  Chanting "smallpox blankets" at a bunch of white guys from Minnesota and Western Canada who play for a team with a native american nickname is not.

Yep.  And it's actually kind of funny in this context.

[Jim Hyla]

The latest incident since the resumption of the nickname

Chanting "smallpox blankets" at actual native americans is racist.  Chanting "smallpox blankets" at a bunch of white guys from Minnesota and Western Canada who play for a team with a native american nickname is not.

The Sioux tribe that supported the UND mascot name might disagree with you.

[Rosey]

Chanting "smallpox blankets" at actual native americans is racist.

Drawing attention to race or a distinguishable property of a race as a means of mocking someone feels like racism to me, especially since the people chanting it are not thinking, "Let's make fun of those European descendants who murdered Native Americans with smallpox blankets!"

That said, I have a hard time caring if it's merely taunting: it's not like these people are being harassed by the police for driving while Native American. People need to lighten up and/or grow a thicker skin.

[Trotsky]

Chanting "smallpox blankets" at actual native americans is racist.

Drawing attention to race or a distinguishable property of a race as a means of mocking someone feels like racism to me, especially since the people chanting it are not thinking, "Let's make fun of those European descendants who murdered Native Americans with smallpox blankets!"

No, they're thinking, "let's use such a ridiculously stupid and objectionable referent that it's obvious we're not being racist," which is actually a way of making fun of real racists.  Parody is turning stupidity against itself.  

Q. "How many feminists does is take to screw in a lightbulb?"
A.  "That's not funny."

Objecting to parody for being insensitive is kind of... underscoring the whole point of the parody?

[Jim Hyla]

Chanting "smallpox blankets" at actual native americans is racist.

Drawing attention to race or a distinguishable property of a race as a means of mocking someone feels like racism to me, especially since the people chanting it are not thinking, "Let's make fun of those European descendants who murdered Native Americans with smallpox blankets!"

That said, I have a hard time caring if it's merely taunting: it's not like these people are being harassed by the police for driving while Native American. People need to lighten up and/or grow a thicker skin.

Wow, Kyle, I almost felt like I was going to agree with your post. Then you had to go and blow it.:-}You might feel differently if you were the one being taunted. Or, from reading your posts, maybe you wouldn't. I just don't see why it's necessary to use racist comments, cheers, taunts,... There are so many ways to cheer and have fun. Why do some feel it's necessary to put someone else down by the use of racist, or for that matter vulgar, comments?

Having watched, and listened, to Colgate, Clarkson, RPI, and Union fans (SLU doesn't have fans that cheer anything) in their own rink, I'd take our cheers over their junk anytime.

[Rosey]

Wow, Kyle, I almost felt like I was going to agree with your post. Then you had to go and blow it.:-}You might feel differently if you were the one being taunted. Or, from reading your posts, maybe you wouldn't.

Natch. I got taunted plenty in middle school. I survived. And in those cases it was truly mean-spirited, whereas in the case of an entire rink chanting something rude it's unlikely most of the people involved really feel all that strongly about the link between the target of the taunt and smallpox blankets or blow jobs or whatever: they're chanting along with everyone else because it's a chance to feel naughty without being called out on it, and because it's *fun*. The best thing for the target to do is to laugh it off. I suspect most of the opposing players do.

I just don't see why it's necessary to use racist comments, cheers, taunts,... There are so many ways to cheer and have fun. Why do some feel it's necessary to put someone else down by the use of racist, or for that matter vulgar, comments?...Having watched, and listened, to Colgate, Clarkson, RPI, and Union fans (SLU doesn't have fans that cheer anything) in their own rink, I'd take our cheers over their junk anytime.

What, you mean like the boyfriend chant? Or the remote control goalie chant? Or the "Sieve!" chant? Or the "toothpaste!/bald!/ugly!/New Jersey!safety school!" chant?

Face it: Cornell fans base at least half our cheering on taunting the other team. That's a large part of why it's fun. I think I might die of boredom if the only thing we had was "Let's Go Red!"

[marty]

The latest incident since the resumption of the nickname

Chanting "smallpox blankets" at actual native americans is racist.  Chanting "smallpox blankets" at a bunch of white guys from Minnesota and Western Canada who play for a team with a native american nickname is not.

It's lowbrow and fairly uninspired. If it bothers anyone in the rink it makes me sick.I think getting rid of Sioux is not necessary but threads like this could change my mind.

[Jim Hyla]

Wow, Kyle, I almost felt like I was going to agree with your post. Then you had to go and blow it.:-}You might feel differently if you were the one being taunted. Or, from reading your posts, maybe you wouldn't.

Natch. I got taunted plenty in middle school. I survived. And in those cases it was truly mean-spirited, whereas in the case of an entire rink chanting something rude it's unlikely most of the people involved really feel all that strongly about the link between the target of the taunt and smallpox blankets or blow jobs or whatever: they're chanting along with everyone else because it's a chance to feel naughty without being called out on it, and because it's *fun*. The best thing for the target to do is to laugh it off. I suspect most of the opposing players do.

I just don't see why it's necessary to use racist comments, cheers, taunts,... There are so many ways to cheer and have fun. Why do some feel it's necessary to put someone else down by the use of racist, or for that matter vulgar, comments?...Having watched, and listened, to Colgate, Clarkson, RPI, and Union fans (SLU doesn't have fans that cheer anything) in their own rink, I'd take our cheers over their junk anytime.

What, you mean like the boyfriend chant? Or the remote control goalie chant? Or the "Sieve!" chant? Or the "toothpaste!/bald!/ugly!/New Jersey!safety school!" chant?

Face it: Cornell fans base at least half our cheering on taunting the other team. That's a large part of why it's fun. I think I might die of boredom if the only thing we had was "Let's Go Red!"

I probably went in the wrong direction when I said taunting. I was really talking about racist or vulgar chants/ taunts. We've all gone through middle school, or junior high in my days.::demented:: So we've experienced some of it, but that's not the same as being racist. I don't consider your above taunts out of line, but rather what Coach Schafer was concerned about. It's that type of "cheer" that my above mentioned schools haven't gotten above.