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I can't believe we're having this conversation again. We've discussed this ad nauseam and we just need to stop.
The term “Chief” comes from the Middle English, dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries. It refers to the leader, as in Fire Chief, Chief Executive Officer, etc.. It's a European term, end of discussion. Mr. Hunt chose that name to honor H Roe Bartle, known by his nickname “Chief”. For those of you that think Mayor Bartle was a racist because he once wore a ceremonial headdress, I suggest you look at his biography or at least Wiki him. He was far from a racist. The Hunt family has repeatedly reached out to local tribe leaders for their input on the name. I've been told by someone with first-hand knowledge that not one of the leaders had a problem with the name.
Which brings to both the Washington and Cleveland sports teams. Yes, the name Redskins was offensive and should have been changed much sooner. Yes, the mascot, known as Chief Yahoo, was offensive. They could have probably gotten support for the name if they had just used a realistic depiction.
I have no problem with getting rid of the Chop and the accompanying chant. Both are rather silly, much like the Wave. Keep the name Arrowhead (the GEHA Field BS can go), the Europeans, Asians, Africans, and others used them. Keep the names Kansas, Missouri, Quindaro, Shawnee, and a host of others. To change them would be ludicrous.
There will always be those, on both sides of the political spectrum, that will try to stir up trouble for some reason. Ignore them, they're trolls that give us all a bad name.
End of rant.
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