NCAA Stands Firm Against U. of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux Nickname

August 12, 2011, 6:01 pm

A delegation of political and education leaders from North Dakota was unable to persuade the National Collegiate Athletic Association to back away from its insistence that the University of North Dakota either stop using the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo for its sports teams or face penalties, the Grand Forks Herald reported. Gov. Jack Dalrymple said he would ask the Legislature in November to return authority over the nickname to the State Board of Higher Education. That body had earlier approved a nickname change only to have the Legislature order the university to keep its Fighting Sioux moniker. The NCAA was to impose sanctions against the university on Monday if it refused to follow the lead of other Division I institutions and do away with “hostile or abusive” references to American Indians.

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navydad

I assume the NCAA is going after the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. That ought to be interesting.
old nassau’67

Observations:
1. An example of PC run amok. From the Grand Forks Herald link: “…The 2007 settlement …gave UND three years to win the approval of the two namesake tribes or drop the nickname.
The Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe gave its blessing through a referendum, but no such endorsement came from Standing Rock. Nickname supporters, including Standing Rock members who collected more than 1,000 signatures on a petition, have denounced Standing Rock tribal leaders for not allowing a referendum on their reservation.” So much for letting the people vote.
2. “sanctions against UND…would prohibit the university from hosting a post-season tournament and athletes would not be allowed to wear the logo in post-season play….sanctions also will result in (NCAA) member schools refusing to schedule games with UND, and the university will not be allowed to join the Big Sky Conference.” Let me see now, in the last few months: Ohio State has fired its coach, Jim Tressel, for multiple NCAA violations and outright lying; SoCal’s Reggie Bush returned his Heisman, but I don’t remember either of these schools being even threatened with no Bowls and no Conference. Oh, two-time Fiesta Bowl Champ Boise State, after firing its AD yesterday, “…. reported a major violation in women’s tennis after acknowledging dozens of minor violations in other sports, including impermissible housing, transportation and meals benefits for incoming football recruits…Boise State also was charged with a lack of institutional control.” But, no problem with Boise State upgrading to the Mountain West Conference. Yep: the NCAA knows what’s PC, and what’s $$$$C
jffoster

The NCAA are so stupid that they weren’t satisfied with forcing the University of Illinois to get rid of Chief Illiniwek but wanted them to drop the name _Illini_ too. They backed off when it was pointed out to the Noxious Collection of Arrogant Assininity that _everybody_ from the State of Illinoi is called an _Illini_.

So here’s a modest proposal for UND — give the Noxious Collection of Arrogant Assinity what they’re asking for — change your name from the “Fighting Sioux” to “The Fighting Dakota”. (Or Fighting Nakota, or Fighting Lakota).
goxewu

Florida State Seminoles (a chief comes out and throws a spear into midfield before a football game). How does FSU get away with that? (Think: How much money do FSU sports bring in as opposed to University of North Dakota sports?)

Also:

Illini, Braves and Warriors and Chiefs (all obviously Indian-derived), Blue Devils and Sun Devils (Satanism, anyone?), Boilermakers and Cornhuskers and Wheatshockers (if Indian names are derogatory, what about attitudes toward blue-collar and rural occupations?), Black Flies and Bo Weevils and Fire Ants (we want more of them around, right?), Gamecocks and Toreros (dog fights are bad, but cockfights and bullfights are OK?), Keelhaulers (cruel and unusual punishment; so how about Torturers or Waterboarders or Lashers?), Fighting Irish and Ragin’ Cajuns (ethnic prejudice turned into a boast; to get more specific, how about Drunken Fighting Irish and Backward Ragin’ Cajuns?).

And we won’t even get into “Lady”-this and “Lady”-that dimunitions for women’s teams.

My personal favorite: Elon College (now University) Fightin’ Christians. (They changed it to Phoenix–a pagan firebird, but never mind–in 1999.) What does a Fightin’ Christian look like? http://deadspin.com/365789/bring-back-the-fightin-christians
jffoster

Morning Goxewu,
In answer to your last question, I don’t know. But I guess their Fight Song must be “Onward Christian Soldiers”

Re Florida State, , as I understand that situation, the Seminole Nation made it very clear to the NCAA that they liked, relished, and gloried in FSU’s adoption of their tribe as it’s symbol. And unless I be mistaken, which hard as it may be to believe I occasionally have been, the Seminoles, having never concluded a treaty, are still technically in a State of War with the United States.
bigjoe

The NCAA is led by a bunch of idiots. “Fighting Sioux?” I am sure that General Custer would have agreed with that term on a certain day at the Little Big Horn River. It was history, get over it.
dopefein

Tell me how that is equivalent? Once again, those who do not understand logic engage in illogical argumentation. The fallacy of equivalency is a favorite of consevatives like yourself. Yet, it remains a fallacy.
dopefein

The responses to the NCAA’s actions have been absolute vitriol. This situation is a perfect example of why we are not a post-racial, “healed” society, and why so many white Americans in particular (but many people of color, too) are woefully ignorant of the terrible racist history (and present) of America.
jffoster

Since facially the two cases appear to be quite similar, it would seem that the burden of proff is on you, Mr. Dope, to show why they are not.
jffoster

Are the Seminole Indians “racists” or perhaps racist collaborationists, because they like having Florida State University using the Seminole Nation as its symbol?
willynilly

WAKE UP CALL, WAKE UP CALL for the NCAA. The public has moved on. Right now they could care less what any team’s nick name is. They are more concerned about jobs, employment, taxes, gas prices, etc. and the general health of our nation. The NCAA still being stuck on an issue, which has been relagated by the public as totally passe, makes the NCAA appear to be hitting the hood of a car with a buggy whip because it won’t start. Why must the NCAA continue to work so hard to appear stupid?