Replies

One commentator pretty much destroyed this guy:

Stephen Plainte
• 16 hours ago

"I would hardly call the name "Seminole" racist....not even a little. The Washington Redskins is definitely a racist name, being most used as a racial slur against all tribes of Native American peoples.(ed. another poster pointed out that the word "Oklahoma" means Red People in Choctaw) The Seminoles are a nation of Native Americans of specific ethnic decent, like the Cherokees or the Iroquois. There is no such thing as the Redskin Nation, or the Chiefs Nation (referencing the Kansas City Chiefs - and not a racial slur, either).

There are a number of things factually incorrect in this article, such as the notion that ALL Oklahoma Seminoles are against the use of the word by FSU. It's simply not true. There is an ongoing debate within the Oklahoma Seminole Nation about the use of the word by FSU, and as such does not mean that the entire Seminole Nation of Oklahoma is against it. Even more, the Oklahoma Seminole Nation and the Seminole tribes in Florida are separate entities, having completely separate legal recognition from the US government obtained at different points in time. There are no fewer than three Seminole Tribes officially recognized. And finally on this particular factually incorrect gibberish, the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, voted 18-2 not to oppose the use of Native American names and mascots by college sports teams in July 2005.

Here's another: There is no NCAA restriction on naming college sports teams after Native American Tribes. The ban only concerns sports teams involved in NCAA postseason tournaments, and only bars "hostile or abusive" nicknames and logos. And guess what, Mr. Moral Authority? The NCAA doesn't run the BCS, it's run by....the BCS, which is a completely separate entity has no such ban. And guess what else? The NCAA gave FSU an exemption to this rule, citing its close and supportive relationship with the Seminole Tribe of Florida as a major factor in its decision. AS A SPORTS COLUMNIST, YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW THIS.

One misleading (and I'm willing to bet out of context) quote in the article is the comparison of Nelson Mandela to Chief Osceola. Yes, Osceola was captured in a deceitful way by the US government. Yes, he did die in prison. But if Mandela were to have contracted quinsy during his time in prison and he was not given antibiotics (something that wasn't around in the early 1800s), he would have died too. There isn't a Nelson Mandela mascot at Springboks games, but there was a time when South Africans were prepared to vote in favor of changing the name to leave that country's apartheid history completely in the dust. Do you know what happens next? I do! Mr. Mandela personally stepped in and urged the committee voting on the name change to vote against it.

You ask why people aren't clamoring at the gates demanding a name change. The answer is pretty simple: The Seminoles of Florida are the ONLY Native American tribe to force the US government to abandon their efforts of forced relocation. They literally fought to the death, with only 100 or so tribe members left at the end of the Third Seminole War, with the rest being bribed (not forced) to relocate. Chief Osceola was the leader of the Seminole Nation in Florida, and he is a certified badass. FSU fans may not know it, but the war chant, the tomahawk chop, and Chief Osceola's symbolic opening at the beginning of the game REALLY ARE a tribute to the badassery of the real Chief Osceola and the Seminole Native Americans they represent. No other sports team pays tribute like they do."