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Originally Posted by mcan
I know those guys are long gone, but for what it's worth...
Let's start with the term "racist":
It's not racist to like the Chiefs or the Braves or to LIKE anything else. It's racist when you HATE some one because of their race. Stereotyping is something totally different altogether. Racists believe they would be better off if the other "race(s)" would go away or die off. Surely you would agree that the Chiefs or any other sports organization is in no way supporting this belief. Racists are prone to violence, not football.
Next up... Stereotyping:
Let's start off with a lesson about what makes up "bad" stereotypes. Take trailer parks for example. Two major stereotypes exist. One, low income white people that listen to ACDC and Lynard Skynard live there. That is clearly a derogatory stereotype. Two, that trailer parks are frequently hit by tornadoes. (not derogatory)
The stereotype of an indian having a headress and wearing warpaint and hanging around with other indians in a tribe and one of them being the chief is not derogatory. It's just a portrayal. The stereotype of indians prancing around a fire going "woo woo" and scalping innocent people, now that is derogatory. So your beef isn't with sports franchises it's with old Hollywood movies.
Next, a lesson in the English language and the importance of context.
Several times in this thread you have made known your frustrations with us on the board taking your comments out of context. So you know the importance of what is said isn't as important as WHY it is said. Moreover, in pro sports, the indian names and mascots etc... are used in the context of comradary and sportsmanship, not to mach or poke fun at the american indians or their culture. To take it that way is as bad as us taking your well meant comments out of context.
Also, I see your point about some people being offended anyway. I am not so biggoted that I just say that it's their problem. Out of respect for you, I would not go to your house for dinner and wear my Chiefs sweater if I knew you felt this way. The same way I will only do the "chop" at Chiefs games in the context of football and sports. I would NEVER drive by a reservation and do the "chop" That would be totally inapropriate and VERY offensive. The same way, if I was at the Vietnam Memorial I would not sing ... and the home of the CHIEFS. That would be very offensive to the men who died for my freedom. However, I will screem CHIEFS at the top of my lungs at Arrowhead stadium because, I am glad that in this country, I can go root for these guys instead of getting up in the morning to throw rocks at the tanks in my front yard.
By the way, there are no teams called the "white men" or the "black guys" because those ethnic groups are too wide spread to be powerful symbols. If white people travled together in small, tight knit groups than you would probably see those titles in sports too. Consider: gypsies, nomads, pirates, indians, cowboys, outlaws, sodiers, infantry, etc... all of these are smaller groups and all would be/are fine names for teams except maybe gypsies: sounds too feminine, but you get the point.
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