Sports journalist Bomani Jones speaks to ESPN (screen grab)
Sports journalist Bomani Jones got Twitter buzzing on Thursday after he appeared on ESPN wearing a shirt with the word “Caucasians” in the style of the Cleveland Indians logo.
“I don’t blame Bomani for being a disgrace, I blame @espn for allowing it,” a viewer named Jimmie wrote. “@bomani_jones who hurt you? I’m serious, I don’t want ppl in pain.” [Christ, I might die of irony poisoning here.]
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“The reason they won’t get rid of Chief Wahoo — it’s completely indefensible — is because they can still sell stuff with it,” Jones added. “They can say they’re going to deemphasize it, but they’re not going to set money on fire.”
“If you’re quiet about the Indians and now you’ve got something to say about my shirt, I think it’s time for introspection.”
Full Story Here (Video at the link). ICTMN also covered this story. In a related story, Cleveland Indians Fan Apologizes to Native American For Red Face.
Robert Roche, left, and Cleveland Indians fan Pedro Rodriguez meet again during opening day on Monday outside Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Rodriguez was photographed two years ago wearing red face, berating Roche for protesting the team’s name and mascot, Chief Wahoo.
A Cleveland Indians fan who was photographed two years ago wearing red face and a faux feather headdress apologized for his actions to a Native American activist Monday.
While the weather stopped players from hitting the field for their season opener, or as they coined it “Tribe Opener,” it did not stop 60 Native American activists and allies from participating in the yearly protest of the game in Cleveland, Ohio.
Two years ago, a photo went viral of Cleveland-based American Indian Movement activist Robert Roche and Indians fan Pedro Rodriguez who had painted his face red and donned a fake headdress while wearing a T-shirt that read, “Fear the Chief.” Rodriguez claimed he “was honoring” Roche.
I’ve seen this elsewhere, and the results were predictable. The clowns who try to defend using racist names for sports teams are the ones soiling themselves the most about the t-shirt, invoking laughable terms like “reverse racism”.
As I’ve also seen elsewhere, the owner(s) should change the name of the team to the Cleveland Spiders. The city already has a baseball history with that nickname, and no other team at the top levels of pro sports is using it.
Oooh, I quite like the Cleveland Spiders, and there’s a whole lot of room for great logos and merchandise, too.
I am still waiting for Washington DC to face the music and rename their team “lobbyists”
Because “prevaricators” is hard to spell.
Marcus @ 3:
Liars is easy.
The town (southern Alberta, Canada) where I went to high school had three highschools:
the catholic -- all sport team names: The Colts
no idea why
the academic stream -- all sport team names: The Vikings
this was my school, no idea why
the trade stream -- boys sport team names: The Mohawks, girls The Kwahommies
no idea why (mohawk is bad enough but that kwahommies thing is an abomination)
…
Sometime last year someone at the Mohawk team-school started a petition to change the team names. A local sport reporter whined and noted that an alumnus of the school who was from a nearby Reserve had started a counter-petition.
Therefore “Mohawk” is not really racist.
A Kainai person doesn’t care that the sport teams are named after a bunch of foreigners,
and because Indians are Indians are Indians
it’s all good
Chigau:
Pretty much sums up the attitude everywhere.