The Argyle Sweater by Scott Hilburn for February 12, 2011

They will NEVER win.

Shane Victorino, “The Flyin’ Hawaiian,” plays center field for the Phillies. Hilburn wanted a player with victory in his name to beat the Terrorists. However, it looks to me like it’s a long fly ball, not a pop fly, if Victorino has to go all the way back to the track to get it.

In the case of the Vikings, I think the reason no one objects is that the Scandinavians in the Cities have a secret hankering for the days of their ancestors, when they wouldn’t have had to be ‘Minnesota Nice’ when someone told Ole and Lena jokes…when, in fact, no one would have even thought, much less dared, to tell Ole and Lena jokes.

As for Raiders, the football team at my high school used to be called the Red Raiders, complete with a logo that was a hideous parody of an Indian.

Many, maybe most, Indian tribes were anything but warlike. They fought us whites because they didn’t want their way of life taken from them, didn’t want to be herded into reservations and forbidden to speak their languages or practice their religions. To the really peaceful tribes, I imagine calling a sports team ‘Indians’ sounds like calling a team ‘The Fighting Quakers’ would sound like to the Society of Friends. To the more warlike ones, who let us remember lost all their wars, it must sound like ‘Fighting Frenchmen’ or ‘Fighting Italians’. In either case, it sounds as if we are mocking them.

I’m not pushing for dropping those names–‘the word is not the thing; the map is not the territory’–but let’s show a little empathy, please.

As for the Phillies…well, the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadephia. The Constitution was written there. It was the first capital of the United States…

And maybe Scott loaths the Yankees like I do.

“Raiders” does not have an ethnicity attached to it; it can apply to pirates, Confederate guerrillas, or greedy corporate investors. Native American organizations have a team name problem because a) often the mascot image is demeaning and b) they feel their culture is being exploited by outsiders. – I’m wondering why there are not any Afro-centric named teams, even if just putting an African image to a generic term – say a Zulu-image “Warrior”?

I never heard anyone complain about The Fighting Irish!

So why is not demeaning to use Lions, Tigers, Bears, Cubs, Eagles, Falcons, Jaguars, Colts, Dolphins, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Rays, Bulls, Wolfpack, Mustangs, Bulldogs, Catamounts, Horned Frogs, Gophers, Bruins, Huskies, Ducks, Lobos, Razorbacks, or Longhorns? Have these poor, attorney-less animals just not protested? Obviously it’s the spirit. And the logos and mascots are light-hearted so they won’t frighten the fans. The whole insulting-team-names idea is ridiculous.

Also, I heard Milo Hamilton one night, when he must have been distracted and the crack of the bat sounded better than it was, “THERE’S A DRIVE! GOING BACK! Caught by the shortstop.”

GO PHILLIES!

I’m tired of people complaining of the various names of sports teams. Did anyone ever stop to think that teams are named after those who are admired? Not after things we dispise! Heard of any teams named the ‘Yellow-bellies’, ‘Cowards’, ‘PondScum’, lately? Hmmm?

To me, names like ‘Braves’, ‘Warriors’, etc denote skill, prowess, power, bravery, honor, etc.

So enough with the whining, already! Or change your name to the “Wussies” and be done with it!

Yeah, take the Indians for example, obviously they are admiring American Indians with their proud and flattering cartoonish emblem.

As far as objecting against the Vikings, I don’t know of too many Vikings alive today, who is there to be offended?

I thought it had to to do with the Phillies being the team of the Liberty Bell city and the opponents are … opponents. But what do I know? I miss The Expos. hehehe

So do I, Anandgyan

The Expos?

What I really miss is Youppi!

Now thanks for the guffaw DirtyDragon, amusement partakes in the nature of freedom.

Indeed LOL

Tatenda wrote “…Did anyone ever stop to think that teams are named after those who are admired? Not after things we dispise! Heard of any teams named the ‘Yellow-bellies’, ‘Cowards’, ‘PondScum’, lately? Hmmm?…”

Only in Bar Association softball leagues ;)

GO VIKINGS!!! (and I LIKE Ole and Lena jokes)