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What’s all the stink over the Redskin name?” Ditka said. “It’s so much [expletive] it’s incredible. We’re going to let the liberals of the world run this world. It was said out of reverence, out of pride to the American Indian. Even though it was called a Redskin, what are you going to call them, a Proudskin? This is so stupid it’s appalling, and I hope that owner keeps fighting for it and never changes it, because the Redskins are part of an American football history, and it should never be anything but the Washington Redskins. That’s the way it is.
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| Mike Ditka |
“Its been the name of the team since the beginning of football. It has nothing to do with something that happened lately, or something that somebody dreamed up. This was the name, period. Leave it alone. These people are silly — asinine, actually, in my opinion.”
“It’s all the political correct idiots in America, that’s all it is,” Ditka said. “It’s got nothing to do with anything else. We’re going to change something because we can. Hey listen, I went through it in the 60s, too. I mean, come on. Everybody lined up, did this. It’s fine to protest. That’s your right, if you don’t like it, protest. You have a right to do that, but to change the name, that’s ridiculous. Change the Constitution — we’ve got people trying to do that, too, and they’re doing a pretty good job.” (read more)
65 comments:
Harry "This war is lost- gives campaign money to his grand daughter- profited handsomely on land deals w/connections as a US senator" Reid needs an issue.
Teams are named after the fierce and the brave. So what's the big deal? It's a compliment. Nobody names their team -"the spineless jellyfish".
I try to see all sides of a dispute and I can see where someone wouldn't like the idea of their cultural heritage being reduced to a mascot, whether or not intended to be offensive.
But let's be candid: American Indians, as a culture, don't have a damn thing to be proud of so my recommendation would be that they express some sort of gratitude that people today want to buy into the myth that they were some kind of an admirable warrior race.
The world is a strange place.
Ditka is 100 percent correct. Wonder how long he'll be at ESPN before the liberal creeps ban him for saying the word "Redskins"?
Correction: In an earlier version of this blog post, a word was mis-transcribed as “Brownskin” instead of “Proudskin.”
heh
If you're ever in Chicago I endorse a visit to Ditka's restaurant. So many athletes have short lived horseshit places. Ditka's has been a success since the 80's. A GREAT bar, great food, and the service is superb. They are famous for their pork chop dinner. It is a must to try even if you're kosher.
Imagine how the world would be different if Ditka ran against Obama for US Senator. He almost did but then said he didn't want to deal w/ the horseshit of politics.
Ditka is certainly flawed. But, he has a good heart. NO former player has done more to help broken down former NFL players not covered under union benefits than he.
I agree with Nick regarding a visit to Ditka's in Chicago. The steak's are great, and if he's in the house, Ditka will take time to chat with you. Caution, though, the place can be full jorts-and-beaters wearing tourists.
Last time I was there, Ditka told me his biggest mistake in life was not running for Senate. He could have prevented Obama from becoming president.
Haz, Great anecdote. I've only been there once. I tasted my brides steak and daughter's ribs. They were both great. But, DAMN, the pork chop was the best pork dish I have ever eaten.
"I tasted my brides steak and daughter's ribs. "
TMI
Well he's a hardhead who has a hard time seeing that there might be others who see it differently than he does. Sure there are jerks and idiots on both sides, but reasonable people also disagree about this.
He's probably not someone who help solve the issue or smooth over the disagreement.
Having a good heart is good. We need more people like that. But it's also not the same thing as having a good argument or having good reasoning skills.
Well he's a hardhead...
Translation: the old throwback actually loves something enough to defend it against the sophisticates who love nothing.
phx, He is a football players. He has self awareness by choosing not to go into politics. That puts him up on my list. He is a HOF player, coach and runs a great restaurant. He takes care of his brothers almost all others have forgotten. He is a man's man. Not some girly man who acts girly. He drinks vodka, smokes cigars, and talks like real people do, even when the camera is on him.
ndspinelli I completely understand and respect that. I'm not ragging on him. I'm just saying it doesn't necessarily trump reason.
phx, We agree.
Okay, but don't let it happen again.
What's appalling and stupid was Halas being allowed to change the name of the Chicago Staleys.
Ditka seems like a great guy, but he's not quite right about the history of the team's name.
George Preston Marshall bought a defunct Newark franchise and moved it to Boston. In the team's first year there (1932) it played in the stadium owned by the Boston Braves baseball club, and called itself the Boston Braves.
The next year the team moved its home games to Fenway Park and changed its name--not to the Red Sox, but the Redskins, thereby sort of bridging the gap bw the old landlord's name and the new one's. In neither case, was it necessarily a grand homage to noble warriors.
If Marshall had followed the previous pattern and changed the team name to the Senecans when he moved it to DC, there'd be less to talk about. But right after the move, he established a marching band and his wife wrote the lyrics to "Hail to the Redskins" and that was that.
In 1962 the song lyrics were made a lot more PC by the replacement of these lines:
Scalp 'em, swamp 'um
We will take 'um big score
Read 'um, Weep 'um, touchdown
We want heap more
with the more anodyne
Beat 'em, Swamp 'em,
Touchdown! -- Let the points soar!
My uncle, Napoleon played football for the Oorang Indians in the 1920's.
Most of the football teams changed their original names. Some like the Oorang's went out of business.
Pekin, Illinois High School's mascot were The Chinks until the 1980's.
I think it was a shame that Curly Lambeau shortened the name of the Green Bay Fudge Packers.
They should be proud of their long and storied heritage.
Allen, Napoleon Dynamite?
Trooper, I have some Jet fans flying out to got to the Packer/Jet game on 9/14. Who the fuck do you pull for in that game. In a scheduling anomaly, the Jets play the Packers, Bears and Lions on successive weeks.
Look up Oorang Indians, Nick. I think it's the Wiki thing.
I want you to mention that one the next time you go to confession, TY. I want you praying until your knees hurt!
Not a problem Allen. Father Chris is a big time Giants fan and he hates the Packers just as much as I do.
You do know the history of how the Packers got their name?
I would think you would want to keep Jet's out of your town nick. They are pretty much like Eagle fans. Only stupider. If that is possible.
Napoleon Barrel! I can see some Indian in that mug of yours. Thanks for the info.
Unless Napoleon was an uncle by marriage?
I had Eagle fans here last year for the Packer/Eagle game. Rodgers was hurt and the Packers got slapped by the Eagles. Lots of North and South Jersey friends.
Uh oh:
"Rouge" employees of Redskins help scalp fans
Napoleon Barrel was my great grandmothers first child. She divorced, and then lived with and had two children with my great grandfather, John before they married and had 6 more children.
I come from a long line of fornicators.
Allen, So, having Indian blood, what's your take on Redskins? UM won't allow Redskins used when the Vikings play their home games @ their stadium the next couple years. Fucking Gophers.
It's been a while, Nick, but IIRC Indians when they first saw "white skin" people, differentiated between whites and Indians by calling themselves "red skins" noting the difference in appearance.
Please don't ask for a cite, because I have none.
If anyone has a problem with the name, then don't watch that football team play.
If the 'skins are playing in the Gopher stadium and you feel offended, then don't go to the game or watch it on the tv.
Oh, and fuck Minnesota.
OK, how many American Indians, as opposed to Native Americans and white Lefties, object?
I'm betting not that many.
Some people just get upset if they see others having fun and enjoying themselves. That's all this is about.
You see the same thing on blogs. Certain individuals show up just to ruin the thread.
I guess I am most impressed that the coach was Jim Thorpe - that is too cool.
Playing pro ball at 37 is not too shabby, either.
Jim Thorpe was maybe the greatest athlete this country has ever produced. Certainly in the top 3. He used a part of Indian mystical practices by getting into a calm mindset and visualizing himself jumping, vaulting, running, etc. Visualization is now something many successful athletes use.
Actual Indians have bigger and better things to worry about if they even care about it in the first place which they don't unless they're activist Indians. Ditka is right. This is a bullshit manufactured lefty faux controversy designed to divide and generate outrage for political purposes. It's not even a matter of "political correctness." It's not a slur against Indians any more than Vikings is a slur against the Norse menace or 49ers is a slur against the gold-digging hippie menace. Lefty controversy cranks presume it's a slur because they hold Indians in low regard and assume everyone else does, too.
Amartel, Polls show the regular Indian does not give a rat's ass about this. When I returned to school in the late 90's to get my teaching certification I had to take a PC class on people of "Differing Abilities." An Indian activist came in to get out minds right. However, I gave the guy credit. I asked him how he average Indian on the rez thought and he said directly, they don't care.
There's one guy here who fucks a Minnesota. I guess, anyway.
So how does your top 3 list go, Spins, Jim Thorpe, Babe Ruth, Trooper?
Help me out here...
Hot, humid, and wet, right now TY.
If you want that Allen you should fuck Florida.
The state. Not the maid on "Maude." Just sayn'
Sixty, I will give you my Top 5 and I can abide them in any order. Thorpe, Ruth, Mays, Jim Brown, Jordan.
Nick - No Hank Aaron? What's that about?
Mays and Ruth were better than Aaron. I love Hank, he just isn't in the Top 5 athletes. He is in the Top 5 baseball players.
Spinelli- there is a good book called Carlisle vs Army that is about Thorpe and Ike who played against each other in college. It tells a lot about the young lives and background of both of them. I highly recommend it.
AJ, Thanks much. That's a book I will read.
Rename them the Washington Blue Eyes. Or, the Washington Commanders-in-Chiefs. In other words: winners.
The two greatest athletes of all time are Muhammad Ali and Babe Didrikson.
"Mays and Ruth were better than Aaron. I love Hank, he just isn't in the Top 5 athletes. He is in the Top 5 baseball players."
I'd throw in Ted Williams and Micky Mantle. Not to mention Ernie Banks.
Aspergers?
rc, Banks was a great player and a great man. But dude, he is not even Top 25. Gehrig, Cobb, Walter Johnson, Wagner, DiMaggio, Clemente, and others are ahead of Mr. Cub.
Greatest athletes of all time?
Babe Ruth
Sonny Jurgensen
Cecil Fielder
John Daley
William Perry
Because it is easy to be an athlete when you are in shape!
Sonny lost that Milwaukee tumor when Lombardi was his coach.
Crap.
I left off Mickey Lolich.
Terry Forster, Sherman Plunkett, Two Ton Tony Galento, Tony Gwynn, Pablo Sandoval. Shit..there are a TON of them.
Richard Petty shod be on anyone's list of top athletes.
Haz, You're correct, but he's way too skinny for our fat boy list.
correction: the greatest athlete of all time was not even a human. He was a gelding named Charisma.
"Richard Petty shod be on anyone's list of top athletes."
Yes — but not anyone's list of top barefoot athletes.
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