Court case over name is ‘ridiculous’
Re Canadian activist seeking injunction against use of “Cleveland Indians”
name, Oct. 16 The Cleveland “Indians,” if this ruling goes against them, are supposed to rush out and have new uniforms made so they will be allowed to play our Blue Jays?
I agree that the Cleveland name and logo are repugnant, but trying to ban them in one locale is ridiculous, when you consider that the team would still wear the offending uniforms in all of the other major-league cities.
If this ruling passes, imagine the ensuing confusion. Would fans wearing “Indians” shirts or caps be turned away? Would there be a tape delay on the broadcasts so that inadvertent use of “Indians” could be “bleeped?”
The answers: No. Case dismissed. Warren Dalton, Scarborough
Perhaps more team logos from bygone eras should undergo the “common sense” test, whatever that means.
How many college football fans in North America, boasting Irish heritage, cringe at Notre Dame’s “Fighting Irish” logo?
The “Fighting Illini” of the University of Illinois retired its stoic, proud Chief Illiniwek in 2007, after the NCAA warned it would not sanction athletic programs with “hostile and abusive American Indian nicknames” for any post-season tournaments. Big bucks were at stake and the Illini were one of 18 schools that got the ultimatum.
Of course, the Chief still dances at home football games, much to the delight of the student body, but such performances are no longer sanctioned or endorsed by the university
In the midst of this Chief Wahoo brouhaha, the fans of the Indians, and they must be legion, have been entirely ignored. What do they think?
When “common sense” clashes with tradition, I’ll put my money on the latter. Garry Burke, Oro-Medonte
Did it ever occur to anyone, trotting alongside this pack of politically correct running dogs, that maybe, just maybe, the name “Indians” might actually be indicative of respect and admiration for Native Americans?
The loud, dominating bleats of protests of a few should not overwhelm the voices of a majority who might derive some modicum of pride from this salute. But has anyone even so much as bothered to ask? Edward P. Swynar, Newcastle
Rather than adversarial fights in the courts, perhaps the peaceful answer is through education and fostering awareness of the beauty and majesty of indigenous culture.
An idea might be, for games against Cleveland, to have a native singer or choir and drummers perform the Cree version of our national anthem, with the English translation displayed on the Jumbotron.
The words and their meaning are different and unique, just as the English and French versions are, and express the tradition of indigenous belief and culture.
It would be a moving and historic moment, as the glory and spirituality of aboriginal people and tradition would be selfevident to everyone, especially Americans and Canadians. Dennis Kucherawy, Toronto
The Toronto Blue Jays were so-named in order to market a brand of beer owned by the brewery who won the franchise.
Tobacco aside, no consumer product I can think of has created more harm to both indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians and families than alcohol. Let’s continue our efforts to make the world a better place and remove the free publicity given to alcohol by referring only to the “Toronto team” in all broadcast and print from today on. Stephen Page, Ottawa