h<p://cleveland.indians.mlb.com http://akpsi-marquette.com h<p://democurmudgeon.blogspot.com Racial Stereotyping in Sports Mascots and Team Logos By Mike Snoderly THTR 3611 Drama of Diversity http://cnn.com www.cnn.com hp://www.redskins.com/ http://nd.com hp://blogs.ocweekly.com Mascots: A Part of Team History Mascots serve an important role for any sports team. They are the link between the team and the fans. Many people are convinced that they bring luck to the team. For this reason, many fans resist the idea of changing the mascot for any reason; even if the reason is a very important one. America is constantly growing and maturing when it comes to ethnic diversity and understanding. We’re far from perfect, but we have made many advances since the early 19th century. Unfortunately, some of the relics of this bygone era have remained because fans and franchises refuse to let go of the past. Call it luck or tradiOon; sports fans love their mascots and team logos. “ ‘Could you imagine people mocking African Americans in black face at a game?’ he said. 'Yet go to a game where there is a team with an Indian name and you will see fans with war paint on their faces. Is this not the equivalent to black face?‘ ” - Teaching Tolerance, May 9, 2001, Native American Mascots Big Issue in College Sports Why are they accepted? One of the prominent sports team mascots in America is the American Indian. We have teams like the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Chiefs and the Atlanta Braves. Teams have millions of dollars invested in their logos and mascots. From a business point of view, it is very important to the owners to keep a naonally recognized brand. Fans come to associate their team with the logo and are reluctant to change something they are so familiar with. However, you certainly don’t see teams using other naonaliOes nearly as oTen as they do Nave Americans. There have been significant changes to high school and grade school mascots but a majority of the professional teams sOll resist. The reason? Profit. Is there any hope for a change? People who protest stereotypical images in sports aren’t in it for profit or fame; they simply want to change the disrespecZul sports imagery ubiquitously on our televisions, adverOsements and clothing. They seek equal fooOng with other people who are already shown this respect. There a few teams moving in the right direcOon. The Atlanta Braves have reOred their mascot “Chief Noc-A-Homa” for an anthropomorphic baseball headed mascot named Homer. However, they have kept the tomahawk logo for the Ome being. h<p://atlanta.braves.mlb.com How Far is Too Far? As with many sensiOve issues, there are many shades to the racial, ethnic and religious topics in this debate. Wherever a line is drawn, there is someone to push it a li<le further. We must be careful to be respecZul to all people. However, how www.oregonfirst.org far is too far? Mohammad Aliabadi, head of Iran's Naonal Olympic Commi<ee, thought the 2012 London Olympic logo was secretly pro ChrisOan because, when looked at a certain way, the word “ZION” can be made out. This ChrisOan term would be offensive to a Muslim person compeOng in the Olympics. Do you see it? Should a ChrisOan be offended by a devil mascot? The University of Northern Colorado selected “FighOn’ WhiOes” to represent their intramural http://cnn.com sports team. This was an effort to draw aenOon to the Nave American mascot controversy by using a stereotypical white male from the 1950s as their mascot. Do you think this mascot is offensive? “To cheapen the lives of any group of men, cheapens the lives of all men, even our own. This is a law of human psychology, or human nature. And it will not be repealed by our wishes, nor will it be merciful to our blindness.” ― William Pickens www.sportslogos.net .