Washington Redskins to retire controversial team name following review

[Caliga]

Will their mascot be: a giant talking football named Ballie!

[The Brain]

Go Teamsters!

[Caliga]

I like Ballie better.  Easier to mock.

[derspiess]

You can't make this shit up.

Our local high school made the decision a couple weeks ago to transition from the Redskins name.  Surprised it lasted that long.  It's too late to change everything for football, so fall sports (should they actually happen) will retain the logo & mascot for one last season. 

[Barrister]

You can't make this shit up.

Our local high school made the decision a couple weeks ago to transition from the Redskins name.  Surprised it lasted that long.  It's too late to change everything for football, so fall sports (should they actually happen) will retain the logo & mascot for one last season.

I don't think you can blame high school or semi-pro teams from needing time to order new gear etc.


I wonder though... my high school was a Jesuit all-boys school.  It's team name is the Crusaders.  Is a name like that going to last?  I'm sure they'd get huge alumni pushback if they tried to change it, but if area sports leagues threatened to kick the school out if they don't change it?

[HisMajestyBOB]

I love "Washington Football Team" as the name. It's amazing.

[Tonitrus]

For some reason it makes me think of the 'ol Chuck Knox-ism.

"Football players make football plays."

[Barrister]

I love "Washington Football Team" as the name. It's amazing.

There was a time long, long ago when the CFL had teams in the USA.  They put a team in Baltimore and called it the Baltimore Colts - until the NFL sued and made them drop it.  So they would announce them as the Baltimore (pause) Football Club, during which all the fans would yell "Colts" during the pause.

Eventually Baltimore selected the name Stallions, proceeded to win the Grey Cup (only American team in history to have done so), only to then have their legs knocked out from under them when the Ravens came to town, causing the team to move to Montreal.

[Admiral Yi]

I wonder though... my high school was a Jesuit all-boys school.  It's team name is the Crusaders.  Is a name like that going to last?  I'm sure they'd get huge alumni pushback if they tried to change it, but if area sports leagues threatened to kick the school out if they don't change it?

My HS team was the Crusaders too.  Small world.

I think the name will come under pressure, but I think it's a totally illegitimate beef.  It's grounded principally on the fact that Crusaders were aimed at conquering land from Muslims.  Well guess what?  Muslims conquered it to begin with.  How is one conquest acceptable and the other not?

[Sheilbh]

I think the name will come under pressure, but I think it's a totally illegitimate beef.  It's grounded principally on the fact that Crusaders were aimed at conquering land from Muslims.  Well guess what?  Muslims conquered it to begin with.  How is one conquest acceptable and the other not?

Are there many high school teams named, say, the Rashidun Jihadis?

[PDH]

I think the name will come under pressure, but I think it's a totally illegitimate beef.  It's grounded principally on the fact that Crusaders were aimed at conquering land from Muslims.  Well guess what?  Muslims conquered it to begin with.  How is one conquest acceptable and the other not?

Are there many high school teams named, say, the Rashidun Jihadis?

Gosh I hope so, that would be cool.

[Tonitrus]

I think the name will come under pressure, but I think it's a totally illegitimate beef.  It's grounded principally on the fact that Crusaders were aimed at conquering land from Muslims.  Well guess what?  Muslims conquered it to begin with.  How is one conquest acceptable and the other not?

Are there many high school teams named, say, the Rashidun Jihadis?

\

Though I know the two words are not at all perfect parallels, but one might argue that both are just the same concepts in different languages.  Or something like, "I don't believe in God, I believe in Allah!"

But you're point is a fair one...but might not be if the Islamic world had US-like high schools and teams. 

[Sheilbh]

I think the name will come under pressure, but I think it's a totally illegitimate beef.  It's grounded principally on the fact that Crusaders were aimed at conquering land from Muslims.  Well guess what?  Muslims conquered it to begin with.  How is one conquest acceptable and the other not?

Are there many high school teams named, say, the Rashidun Jihadis?

Gosh I hope so, that would be cool.

A surprisingly bold choice by a high school in Poughkeepsie.

[Valmy]

I

I think the name will come under pressure, but I think it's a totally illegitimate beef.  It's grounded principally on the fact that Crusaders were aimed at conquering land from Muslims.  Well guess what?  Muslims conquered it to begin with.  How is one conquest acceptable and the other not?

Are there many high school teams named, say, the Rashidun Jihadis?

Gosh I hope so, that would be cool.

A surprisingly bold choice by a high school in Poughkeepsie.

Maybe not in Dearborn though.

[Admiral Yi]

Are there many high school teams named, say, the Rashidun Jihadis?

Oh yeah, loads, mostly in smaller schools.

The point is if the Crusades were a shameful act that the West should feel contrition for, why doesn't the same apply to any the original Muslim conquests?