The Cleveland Indians are no more. The team was already scrapping mascot Chief Wahoo — said to be “racist” — and now, the name itself is gone. It’s nothing new; the Indians join the Washington Redskins, the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, and the William & Mary Tribe (formerly the “Indians.”) President Donald Trump tweeted that it was “cancel culture at work.”
It’s more than that. It’s about power and racial collective interests. If it is offensive to have Indian mascots, is it offensive to have white ones? The answer is that it depends.
Consider the Boston Celtics. During the 1980s, many people saw the Boston Celtics as the “white team,” much like Duke in college basketball. The Celtics’ star was Larry Bird, and the team was mostly white. Its rival was the “Showtime Era” Los Angeles Lakers with Earvin “Magic” Johnson. ESPN reported in 2007 that some blacks couldn’t “identify” with the Celtics because the team was too white.
In his first feature movie, She’s Gotta Have It, Spike Lee had a character call Larry Bird the “ugliest motherfu**er in the NBA.” He used Larry Bird gear as a symbol for “whiteness” in Do The Right Thing. In a photo essay for Style, he called a black man wearing a Celtics cap an “Uncle Tom.”
In 2008, the Root agonized about whether it was OK to root for the Celtics now that it had a mostly black roster. In 2013, columnist Ron Chimelis said that the star black forward Kevin Garnett should be honored partially because he helped the team shed its “white” label.
This is strange because the Boston Celtics were the first NBA team to draft a black player, Chuck Cooper. In 1963–1964, they were the first team with an all-black starting five. The center in the 1980s was Robert Parish, a black player who made the NBA Hall of-Fame. The 1980s Celtics were therefore hardly an all-white bastion, but some blacks felt they were not “represented.” In basketball, “representation” apparently means dominance.
And then there is the mascot, “Lucky” the leprechaun that portrays Boston’s Irish. He has grown more cartoonish over time, but he remains unmistakably white.
And what about Notre Dame’s “Fighting Irish”?
ESPN’s Max Kellerman says the mascot has got to go because “pernicious, negative stereotypes of marginalized people that offend, even some among them, should be changed.” Most Irish I know like the mascots and wear the gear, even if they aren’t from the Northeast. It’s a light-hearted caricature. Most Irish-Americans probably feel the same way about jokes made at their expense. Besides, the Notre Dame Leprechaun can be black now; at least the student playing the role on the sidelines can be black. Last year, the Wall Street Journal said the importance of a black leprechaun “goes beyond entertainment.” Of course, if the races were reversed, it would be unforgivable blackface.
But what if a white college student plays a Seminole leader during the traditional ceremony before home games at Florida State? Suddenly, that’s a serious matter. And you’d better not laugh at jokes about American Indians (at least publicly). Justifying the double standards can be difficult if you aren’t carefully trained in intersectionality. Conservative reporter James O’Keefe, as a young activist at Rutgers, put his university on the spot, insisting that the caricatured Irishman on the box of “Lucky Charms” cereal in the cafeteria was a deep insult to the Irish.
Other white mascots include the New York Knicks (short for the “knickerbockers,” which used to refer to New York’s Dutch settlers) and of course, the New York Yankees. Minnesota, heavily settled by Germans and Scandinavians, has the Vikings. The University of Louisiana has the Ragin’ Cajuns. Are any whites upset by the implication that Vikings, Fighting Irish, and Ragin’ Cajuns are violent wild men? No, but Canadian Football’s Edmonton Eskimos are now verboten. Why? No one is even implying Eskimos are violent.
The question becomes complicated because sometimes non-whites are upset about white mascots. The University of Mississippi abandoned its “Rebel” mascot because it offended blacks. The University of Las Vegas recently removed a statue of its “Rebel” mascot, which dates back to the 1950s and signified “rebel” status against the parent campus at Reno. In those days, it was romantic to rebel, and the university admits that the choice of mascot was “based in rivalry and fun,” but there is nothing fun anymore about the Confederacy.
The Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians had to go because their mascots insulted Indians. “Rebels” have to go because they glorified the Confederacy. You have to be well trained in decoding double standards to make sense of that.
Other schools have changed white nicknames or mascots. The University of Denver replaced the Disney-designed cartoon character “Denver Boone,” because it supposedly offended American Indians. Denver Boone was hardly intimidating. There was a time when students complained that he looked weak. Some Grinnell College alumni want to change their “pioneer” nickname. Capital University is changing its “Crusader” mascot. Is it offensive when white mascots are heroic, conquering, or victorious because it celebrates violence?
Indian mascots are a tribute to courageous violence. The Florida State Seminoles, the former Washington Redskins, and the endangered Atlanta Braves have a fierce reputation. Adopting these names shows respect. America’s greatest Indian fighter was probably General William Tecumseh Sherman, himself named after a great Indian leader.
Army helicopters are named for Indian tribes. In 1947, General Hamilton Howze started the tradition because choppers are so quick and agile they can attack enemy flanks and disappear, just as Indians did during the wars on the Great Plains. That’s why we have the Apache, Black Hawk, Chinook and, most recently, the Lakota. Does anyone think these names are insults? And what people other than whites would recognize the valor of their enemies?
American Indians symbolize strength to sports fans. The point of sports is to beat the other team. “Hail to the Redskins,” the “Tomahawk Chop” used by several teams, and Florida State’s flaming “spear plant” are intimidating and cool. It’s no different from the famous New Zealand “All Blacks” (for the jerseys, not the race) rugby team performing an intimidating, Maori war dance known as a “haka” before the game. Whites, blacks, Maori and everyone else participates.
A reverse logic is at work when it comes to white mascots. Whites who conquered the wilderness, rose against tyranny, or waged a war for God could be natural role models, but that would upset the system. America doesn’t want to remind white men what we are capable of.
Thus, the white mascots that remain are harmless jokes. Of course, none of us is offended by these jokes, but if there were jokes about other groups, there would be outrage, protests, and eventual purges of team names and mascots.
When someone tried to mock whites with a mascot, it didn’t work. In 2002, an American Indian activist helped start an intramural team at the University of Northern Colorado called the “Fighting Whities,” with a 1950s-style white-man mascot, and the motto “every thangs gonna be all white!!!” Many whites thought it was great. Perhaps they felt “represented.” An attempt to shame whites inadvertently became a symbol against political correctness and double standards.
The double standards will grow increasingly absurd because so many activists, journalists, “nonprofit” organizations, and government bureaucrats justify their existence by finding “racism.” Demand for “racism” exceeds supply. Thus, things that were once normal become controversial or even traumatic. It’s tempting to say that this is all an act and that activists claim to be offended because it gives them power. The terrifying thought is that many people may believe this stuff and are reduced to quivering neurotics by a cartoon.
The Rise of Victimhood Culture argued in 2018 that the West is moving to a new moral code, the victimhood culture that already reigns at most universities. To oversimplify: In an “honor” culture, people avenge slights, in a “dignity” culture they sue, in a “victimhood” culture they whine. Victim status means sympathetic media, humiliation of foes, and reparations.
Sports mascots are a version of what’s happening with statues, flags, anthems, and other symbols. Whites shrug off insults because we don’t want to seem weak or touchy — but for non-whites, showing weakness is the way to display strength and get power. We’re held hostage by our virtue. The system also constantly ratchets up the claims of victims, which is why yesterday’s liberal becomes tomorrow’s “canceled” oppressor. Just ask J.K. Rowling. After years of racial conformity, she fell afoul of new rules about who can be a “woman.” There must always be something new that is offensive or many people are out of a job.
Dumping the Cleveland Indians isn’t justice. It’s not even “cancel culture,” something we could roll our eyes at. It’s a naked power grab, another way to humiliate white people. So let’s consider some new names. The “Washington Whiteskins” is a better name than Redskins. I’d root for the Cleveland Caucasians. The Edmonton Europeans is the perfect name. We won’t be offended. We just want to see ourselves represented.
Call a team a non white name……..das waysis.
Call them a white name………das waysis.
Treat minorities differently……….das waysis.
Treat minorities the same without special treatment…….das waysis!
I just can’t imagine why some of us feel that dieversity doesn’t work…..
Wokeness, the BLM, Negro Fatigue and Hate-White-ism are accelerating the irrelevance of professional sports.
. . . which is a good thing.
I absolutely remember the “Fighting Whites” of 2002 and long, long before the “Alt Right” and “4 Chan” cultures we were ironically/unironically adopting the logo and the phrase “Fighting Whites” because it was awesome.
I’m sure I’ve posted the pictures on various blogs even up to just two years ago.
“Every Thangs Gonna Be All White!!!”
PC gone insane. We the US must be the laughing stock of the world. Not that I care, I no longer watch any sports including Hockey which has gone PC. If Whites had any pride, they would stop watching and going to all professional and college stadiums. Without Whites they can’t survive. We still have some power but will not stick together to use it.
This is a fantastic piece by Greg. It really points out the insanity we have all come to know too well unfortunately it will never be seen by those that need to see it. The college girls, the self hating white BLM activists, weak urbanites and middle aged catwomen. It would fry their minds as they made excuses to justify the double standards faced by the people who built the modern world vs. everyone else. To be white is hated.
Anything whites do is hateful. Every Irishman I know gladly wore Notre Dame and Celtic gear proudly. Men even had stupid tattoos. Is there a single American Indian who cares about this that isnt on some NGO payroll? Tomahawk missiles, Apache helicopters, etc. All cool things. Offensive to white shit libs
“Minorities” and their white enablers sure are fragile little darlings.
I doubt very many real Indians cared about this. It’s only an issue for White libs and jews.
The idea of naming your team something strong was the motive. It was a compliment to Native Americans to have teams named them. Instead, they took offense. Teams named after eagles, bears, lions, wildcats…all had the same idea.
“The Rise Of the Victimhood Culture” – let’s callspade a spade, shall we – just call it “The Ascendancy of Jews in the US and Western Europe”. The jews are a race of people that have turned a highly exaggerated – if not downright fictional – event that occurred 80 years ago into the ultimate expression of victimhood and parlayed that into complete control of politics, finance, entertainment and education. The general populace in these contolled societies all gradually come to have that victimhood mindset with the lower-IQ races within those societies much more readily assuming the role.
I enjoyed this
The classic rock power trio from Cleveland with Joe Walsh on guitar, the James Gang, was so goddamn cool. Call the team The James Gang. Check out “The Bomber,” if you don’t believe it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fy1iL01NjZo
You just won’t let go of your sportsball fetish, will you, Mr. Hood?
Cultural Genocide will continue until we put our foot down.
Sportswise, my foot is that I have given up being a spectator in all sports – something I was incredibly loathe to do.
Apparently, I am not alone, for the NFL could not find a network interested in Thursday Night football, something unimaginable 7 years ago.
Nowadays, for a sports fix I turn to YouTube and watch games from decades ago.
I hope one day to be able to return to my love for sports, though, I am not optimistic this will come anytime soon.
Cleveland Cucks captures the zeitgeist.
Integration with people who hate and want to exterminate us and look for every opportunity to attack us can only get worse. Either there is a war to fight back and reclaim our institutions or we need to boycott everything to cause them to collapse because of our non-participation.
The goal is to destroy those who are trying to destroy us. We must never lose sight of that goal.
Integrated sports has hurt our race. We had a much superior and healthier society when we were segregated.
about as ridiculous as when some darky ape claimed played in the NFL was like slavery because all da ownuhz beez white.
I have had serious negroid fatigue for decades.
about as ridiculous as when some darky ape claimed playing in the NFL was like slavery because all da ownuhz beez white.
I have had serious negroid fatigue for decades.
Where’s the United Nations human rights,this is culture genocide.Israel has a right to exist.
They’re getting away with it because there’s not much effort by Republican congress to breakup the media monopoly where white receive equal representation in culture, sports and entertainment.What do we get,wall to wall of fags and nig nogs in every channels.
Excellent comment. This is exactly it. I’m tired of people saying Republicans represent us. They only represent some religious masochistic “conservative” element that favors more invasive immigration, amnesty, giving nonwhites more and more money, and pushing whites aside.
One local Republicuck senator(former Air Force Colonel) even promoted race-mixing in his tv commercials. I guess these simpletons have fallen so far they think it’s the cool thing to do now because it’s in all the other ads, too. In fact, it’s just evil on multiple levels.
Pretty sickening…..
In every commercial it’s white buffoonery paired with negro intellectualism and feminist superiority ..tiresome for sure
If an alien landed on my roof tonight and turned on the tv and watched for thirty mins -it would probably assume all
Humans looked like Africans or drag queens.
Cleveland’s 50,000 Watts sports authority Mike “Triv” Trivisano says, “he’s living in a world he doesn’t understand”.
The team formerly named the Cleveland Indians is owned by, you guessed it, a family of Roman Catholics!
At this point, Krafty, it it useless to point out whether it is Protestant or Roman Catholick Gentiles, who are cucking, because tens of millions of both do, and all the time.
This is really a subject I can speak on personally because of Colonel Reb and Ole Miss. We know just how bad Political Correctness is here in Mississippi. Seems that was a first big step in the downward spiral of changing team names, school names, and mascots. I think this going on with the Cleveland Indians is really symbolic that it’s really about the overall removal of historical but still popular figures. As with the Cleveland Indians….calling them the Indians is really a symbol of pride because Indians are known as some great fighting and smart people. It’s pure respect for Indians. I imagine our enemies hate the Indians just as much as White People. Deo Vindice !
My greatest friend in the Marine Corps was an Indian who loved the Redskins because they we’re proud, strong, and had a sense of humor. If I was still on social media I could ask him what he thinks now (Im pretty sure he’s so pissed he chucked it all like the rest of us)
Years ago they rebroadcast the classic shootout-Arkansas Verses Texas in 1967-when Arkansas was number 1 and Texas was number 2. Nixon flew in via helicopter and watched the game. The whole state was in shock during the rebroadcast- “My god, both teams are all white!” And in that one moment of time decades of brain washing evaporated like due in the sun as they realized what they have lost. Needless to say the powers that be never made that mistake again!