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 What's in a name? Like it or not, some sports nicknames just aren't right
Posted: Tuesday May 04, 1999 08:36 PM
There was a time, in the depth of adolescence when hormones ran wild and my diet consisted of French fries and Herr's potato chips, that the big guys at my too-public school called me "Pizza Face." Thankfully, things change. Over time, my complexion has cleared up and my old nickname is no longer. Occasionally, my little boy likes to refer to me as Dadadada Thbbbbttt. Others, too shed old monickers. Al Hrabowsky is no longer the Mad Hungarian. Nor would anyone today refer to a fighter like Joe Louis as the Brown Bomber. Then, of course, there are the Seminoles of Florida State University.The university has been hammered for its nickname for years, though Florida State is far from alone. Someone recently counted at least 25 colleges that use a nickname that invokes some sort of Native American image, from the Illini to the Chippewas to the Utes. Many Native Americans object to the names. Many don't. And there are lots of non-Indians who are split over the issue, too. A Florida state senator recently supported a measure to link the name Seminoles to the school by law so, if the bill had passed, changing the nickname would have had to go through the legislature, too. The amendment caused a flood of publicity in the Sunshine State -- now, there's a nickname with some bite -- some heated debate and a good deal of ridicule. "I guess a lot of people would probably say this is a lot about nothing. A lot of the letters I get, quite frankly, say 'Don't you have anything better to do?'" said Sen. Jim King, a Republican from Jacksonville and a Florida State grad. "I would also tell you that the feeling for this and about this runs very deeply. So it is very politically correct for me to do this." King is a friendly and forward sort who, if he doesn't bleed garnet and gold, at least sweats out a quart-full of it every now and then. He's heard from those who think using a group of people for what amounts to a mascot is ... well, they call it downright demeaning. "Obviously, there are some people that take exception ... that any Indian tribe is used for a mascot," King said. "All I would say is, before you condemn us, ask the Seminoles [who] deal with us how they feel." The tribal chairman of the Seminoles, James Billie, reportedly does not object to the famed "Tomahawk Chop" or its accompanying war chant. He does not see mascot Chief Osceola and his horse, an appaloosa named Renegade, galloping out to the center of the football field to plant a spear in the turf as offensive. In fact, the tribe and the school share a wonderful coexistence, by all accounts. Still, the complaints continue, including some from other tribes and national groups like the National Congress of American Indians. "I can well understand how they might react," King said. "[But] it's not ever done disrespectful. It's done with a great deal of pride." The amendment that would have protected the Seminoles nickname was buried under a lot of other amendments to the bill in the Florida House, so King and House Speaker John Thrasher, another FSU grad, decided to let the bill die. But King promises to re-introduce his measure next March. And the fight goes on. Three years ago, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, changed its nickname from the Redskins to the RedHawks, at the urging of the Miami tribe of Oklahoma. There were protests, cries that the school was falling victim to political correctness, that tradition was being ruined. Miami's teams had been known as the Redskins since 1928, and many alumni wanted to see that continue. Other than a few still-grumbling graduates, it is hardly an issue on campus any more. Which brings us to this: It's hard to see, really, what King and his backers are protecting. After all, is the tradition in the nickname or the school itself? If one person has a legitimate objection to something -- and, of course, many object -- isn't it simply the right thing to do to make the change? "For me, to see the heritage and the tradition of an institution that I've spent most of my life supporting go through the name-changing in midstream ... I'd prefer not to do that," King said. "If we have to, ultimately, we have to." Ultimately, Florida State will have to change its nickname. Ultimately, it should. Ultimately -- thankfully -- things change. John Donovan is senior writer for CNNSI.com. Comments? To e-mail Donovan, click here.
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