Interesting NCAA mascot policy

[KeithK]

I think the extent of their thinking was alternate jersey = $$$.  

[Josh '99]

[Q]ftyuv Wrote:
Are we still allowed to sing "Far above Cayuga's waters," or do we have to change the words to "Far above the Non-Offensively-Named Lake" now?  And is Big Red offensive because it implies that Native Americans (or Vikings) are fat?[/q]No, it's offensive because of the godless commie bastards.

[Scott Kominkiewicz]

> Not all schools with Indian-related nicknames would be on that list. NCAA officials said some schools using the Warrior nickname do not use Indian symbols and would not be affected. <

What about that first post about "hostile or abusive" nicknames or mascots?  Warriors isn't a hostile word? Isn't the root word "war"?  (Maybe I'm just too tired and punchy to get it.)

[KeithK]

Florida State (Seminoles) is protesting this decision and may take the NCAA to court.  The Seminoes tribe specifically endorses the name, so it's not hostile to those that the FSU teams are specifically named after.

[ajec1]

[Q]KeithK Wrote:

 Florida State (Seminoles) is protesting this decision and may take the NCAA to court.  The Seminoes tribe specifically endorses the name, so it's not hostile to those that the FSU teams are specifically named after.[/q]

According to ESPN, the Seminoles of Florida have signed off on it, but the Seminoles of Oklahoma have not....

[KeithK]

Here's what I'd like to see as a response to this policy.  Let's say NoDak makes the tournament.  They wear jerseys that just say North Dakota, with no logo as they win their first two games.  Then they show up at the Frozen Four and take the ice wearing their usual jersey, making sure that the logoless jerseys are safely back in Grand Forks.  Then make the NCAA put up or shut up.  Either they let the Sioux play or they piss off all of the folks in the arena who have paid good money to see game and more importantly ESPN.

I doubt it would happen, but I'd pay money to be in the arena to see that confrontation.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

You're right.  No administrator has the balls to do that.  But I'd love to see it, and I'd love to hear the ESPN announcers tripping over their tongues when it happened.

[jkahn]

[Q]KeithK Wrote:

 Here's what I'd like to see as a response to this policy.  Let's say NoDak makes the tournament.  They wear jerseys that just say North Dakota, with no logo as they win their first two games.  Then they show up at the Frozen Four and take the ice wearing their usual jersey, making sure that the logoless jerseys are safely back in Grand Forks.  Then make the NCAA put up or shut up.  Either they let the Sioux play or they piss off all of the folks in the arena who have paid good money to see game and more importantly ESPN.

I doubt it would happen, but I'd pay money to be in the arena to see that confrontation.[/q]

What would probably happen is that the game would go on and the team would be hit with a ban on future postseason play and possibly a loss of future scholarships (if it's a school that gives them).  No AD would risk that.

[schoaff]

[Q]ajec1 Wrote:

 [Q2]KeithK Wrote:

 Florida State (Seminoles) is protesting this decision and may take the NCAA to court.  The Seminoes tribe specifically endorses the name, so it's not hostile to those that the FSU teams are specifically named after.[/Q]
According to ESPN, the Seminoles of Florida have signed off on it, but the Seminoles of Oklahoma have not....[/q]

The Oklahoma Seminoles are now saying that was a false allegation and they have affirmed they support the Florida's tribe's decision to endorse the mascot.

Down here in Florida this is getting all tied up with the next Gubernatorial election. The attorney general who is one of the leading candidates for Governor in the next election is being pressured by the state legislature and some Congressmen to launch an anti-trust investigation against the NCAA. He'll probably have to figure out some pretext to get the NCAA into court if he doesn't want to hurt his candidacy.

All the other leading candidates are scrambling to be seen as the one who supports the Seminoles the most and it's likely a law will be passed at a special session of the legislature requiring the use of the Seminole name and mascot (if not the immediate arrest of any and all NCAA officials who set foot in the state. ) The leading attorneys from both the Bush and Gore camps in the 2000 election kerfluffle are representing different groups against the NCAA (I think the Gore guy is the lead attorney for FSU).

To make things even more fun it's getting tied up in a recent ballot initiative which set up an independent board of governors to oversee the state universities. The state government opposed it and has since said "Go ahead, oversee whatever you like, but you don't have any power to do anything." So this board of political castrati is making noises that this may be just the high profile case they will use to challenge the state in court over who gets to make the rules for the universities. This may be the one group in Florida who has nothing to lose by supporting the NCAA's decision.

Meanwhile the NCAA while publically thumping it's chest is privately saying that they may back down and make a special exception for the Seminoles and a few other schools which have similar backing from the right politicians. I suspect even if they think they are in the right they'll decide it's not worth spending the next decade in court.

It may be a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing, but accepting the NCAA decision would be political suicide in this state so they'll fight it at least until after the election, even if in the end it's all tilting at windmills.

[JimHyla]

[Q]schoaff wrote:
It may be a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing, but accepting the NCAA decision would be political suicide in this state so they'll fight it at least until after the election, even if in the end it's all tilting at windmills.[/Q]Sort of like gay marriage. What's happened to all those strong political feelings before the last election. Don't tell me it was just an issue to campaign on::rolleyes:: .Sorry if I turned this thread into a political discussion. I'll stop now.

[KeithK]

North Dakota will be fighting this policy as well.  The UND president posted an open ltter to the NCAA defending their nickname and school policies: http://www.und.edu/president/html/statements/NCAAletter.html

[Jim Hyla]

[Q]KeithK Wrote:

 North Dakota will be fighting this policy as well.  The UND president posted an open ltter to the NCAA defending their nickname and school policies: [/q]Well, if that's the writing of their university president, heaven forbid their English Department.

[Beeeej]

Today's "You Are Dumb" column has some interesting thoughts on the new policy:

http://www.youaredumb.net/node/422

Beeeej

[Ben Rocky '04]

NCAA exempts FSU from the policy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/24/sports/24mascot.html?hp

[KeithK]

North Dakota is considering litigation against the NCAA over it's enforcement of the nickname policy.  The univeristy president has posted a long open letter to the NCAA  about it: http://www.universityrelations.und.edu/logoappeal/openletter_6-07-06.html