The woke got Washington and Cleveland. Could Florida State University be next?
After years of pressure from liberal activists, the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians abandoned their nicknames, surrendering to claims, mostly from outsiders, that their monikers were racist and offensive to Native Americans.
Now, a new survey by a logo company could put FSU on the block.
Earlier this month, the sports marketing company Quality Logo Products surveyed 1,266 people about which of 128 college football mascots were the best, worst, sexiest, creepiest, and most offensive.
The outcome: respondents declared FSU’s Osceola, who symbolizes the historic war chief of the Seminole Tribe in Florida, and his horse Renegade were deemed most offensive.
The list of the top 10 in that category also included an Aztec warrior from San Diego State, Notre Dame’s renowned Leprechaun, two cowboys named Pistol Pete, West Virginia’s Mountaineer, and the Cavalier at Virginia.
Before FSU home games, Osceola rides in on Renegade carrying a flaming spear and plants it at midfield.
“While the school says the act serves as ‘a tribute to the great Seminole Tribe of Florida,’ many outsiders have taken issue with the act, often calling it racist,” the company noted on its blog.
But to their credit, they pointed out that the people who matter most – Seminoles themselves – are fine with Osceola.
“It’s important to remember that the Seminole Tribe of Florida has endorsed the school’s use of the name and representation,” the company noted.
Some don’t see it that way.
For example, left-wing sports writer Dave Zirin wrote a piece in 2014 declaring FSU the “champions of racist mascots.”
In arguing how awful FSU was to honor a seminal part of Florida’s history, Zirin pointed out that Seminoles do wholly object – at least the ones who live in Oklahoma.
In Florida, not so much.
Zirin quoted then-Florida Seminole Tribe Chairman James Billie, who said, “Anybody come here into Florida trying to tell us to change the name, they better go someplace else, because we’re not changing the name.”
In February 2020, FSU student Matty Mendez revived the issue with a column at FSUNews.com, wondering after the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl if he was feeding the racist yoke the woke want to hang on FSU.
Mendez noted the school often reiterates it has the blessing of the tribe, and he quoted Andrew Frank, an FSU history professor and expert on the Florida Seminoles.
“The Seminole Tribe of Florida has officially and repeatedly supported FSU’s use of their name and the representation of Osceola,” Frank told him.
“(O)ver the past few decades, they have repeatedly made it clear to FSU and the media that its leadership would let everyone know if FSU acted inappropriately and that they have the right to make this determination.”
Mendez called the school’s defense and Frank’s explanation “credible.” But he noted, “Nevertheless, this will not deter criticism as FSU will be, time and again, implicated as an unwilling accomplice in the offensive culture.”
Well, maybe that implication would stop if people would quit taking ridiculous surveys about what supposedly offends them, and actually listen to those who are most affected – in this case, the Seminole Tribe of Florida. If they’re not bothered by it, why should anyone else be disturbed.
After years of pressure from liberal activists, the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians abandoned their nicknames, surrendering to claims, mostly from outsiders, that their monikers were racist and offensive to Native Americans.
Now, a new survey by a logo company could put FSU on the block.
Earlier this month, the sports marketing company Quality Logo Products surveyed 1,266 people about which of 128 college football mascots were the best, worst, sexiest, creepiest, and most offensive.
The outcome: respondents declared FSU’s Osceola, who symbolizes the historic war chief of the Seminole Tribe in Florida, and his horse Renegade were deemed most offensive.
The list of the top 10 in that category also included an Aztec warrior from San Diego State, Notre Dame’s renowned Leprechaun, two cowboys named Pistol Pete, West Virginia’s Mountaineer, and the Cavalier at Virginia.
Before FSU home games, Osceola rides in on Renegade carrying a flaming spear and plants it at midfield.
“While the school says the act serves as ‘a tribute to the great Seminole Tribe of Florida,’ many outsiders have taken issue with the act, often calling it racist,” the company noted on its blog.
But to their credit, they pointed out that the people who matter most – Seminoles themselves – are fine with Osceola.
“It’s important to remember that the Seminole Tribe of Florida has endorsed the school’s use of the name and representation,” the company noted.
Some don’t see it that way.
For example, left-wing sportswriter Dave Zirin wrote a piece in 2014 declaring FSU the “champions of racist mascots.”
In arguing how awful FSU was to honor a seminal part of Florida’s history, Zirin pointed out that Seminoles do wholly object – at least the ones who live in Oklahoma.
In Florida, not so much.
Zirin quoted then-Florida Seminole Tribe Chairman James Billie, who said, “Anybody come here into Florida trying to tell us to change the name, they better go someplace else, because we’re not changing the name.”
In February 2020, FSU student Matty Mendez revived the issue with a column at FSUNews.com, wondering after the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl if he was feeding the racist yoke the woke want to hang on FSU.
Mendez noted the school often reiterates it has the blessing of the tribe, and he quoted Andrew Frank, an FSU history professor and expert on the Florida Seminoles.
“The Seminole Tribe of Florida has officially and repeatedly supported FSU’s use of their name and the representation of Osceola,” Frank told him.
“(O)ver the past few decades, they have repeatedly made it clear to FSU and the media that its leadership would let everyone know if FSU acted inappropriately and that they have the right to make this determination.”
Mendez called the school’s defense and Frank’s explanation “credible.” But he noted, “Nevertheless, this will not deter criticism as FSU will be, time and again, implicated as an unwilling accomplice in the offensive culture.”
Well, maybe that implication would stop if people would quit taking ridiculous surveys about what supposedly offends them, and actually listen to those who are most affected – in this case, the Seminole Tribe of Florida. If they’re not bothered by it, why should anyone else be disturbed.
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The Seminole tribe of Florida fully supports Florida State. I wonder if you even know the history of Chief Osceola and the Seminole tribe. Educate yourself before you post this garbage.