NCAA deems Utah's "Utes" nickname to be "hostile or abusive"

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 8/5/2005 | Tribune staff and wire services

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

"Florida State University is stunned at the complete lack of appreciation for cultural diversity shown by the National Collegiate Athletic Association's executive committee. ... That the NCAA would now label our close bond with the Seminole Tribe of Florida as culturally 'hostile and abusive' is both outrageous and insulting," Wetherell said Friday in a statement.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida passed a resolution in June supporting the school's use of the nickname and tribal images.

Link here: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2125735

[AnAmericanMother]

We had the same hoo-rah down here over the Atlanta "Braves" the first time they went to the World Series.

The chief of the Eastern Band of the Cherokees went on the TV (I think it was Turner in those days) and in the most cheerful way told the liberals to stuff it. IIRC, he said something like, "Look, we have the franchise for the souvenirs at Atlanta Stadium, and last year we sold x thousand feather headdresses, x thousand beaded headbands, and x thousand tommy-hawks. So I say, if they want to chop, let 'em chop!"

[bourbon]

I believe you are correct re: Gov. Alcorn. There is also a county named after him in N.E. Mississippi.

[Utah Girl]

Great point about Ward Churchill.

[Utah Girl]

In the Deseret News today, it said the U of U has been toying with the idea of replacing "Utes" with "Hawks." It also said that they are waiting for official notification from the NCAA before they do anything. Personally I hope the U of U follows Florida State and thumbs their nose at them.

[bubbleb]

There are a few American Indians who disagree with this PC stupidity. Mr Yeager is one of them. He has a web site with a forum and has been fighting the this victim mentality, but unfortunately this brave man lost his job because of it.


Liberal Academia Shuns a Comanche Patriot
By Richard Poe
FrontPageMagazine.com | February 20, 2001

IS THERE A PLACE FOR PATRIOTISM in American universities? Judging by the experience of Dr. David A. Yeagley, maybe not.
A Comanche Indian with a divinity degree from Yale, Yeagley is losing his job as an adjunct professor of humanities at Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City. His conservative politics seem to have played a role in his ouster.

"As a neo-conservative American Indian columnist, I guess I'm one of a kind," says Yeagley, who recently joined our editorial team at FrontPageMagazine.com. "They always told me that I didn't fit in at the school. I guess it was just a matter of time."

OSU-OKC spokesman Tony Vann said that state law prevented him from confirming or denying Yeagley's termination.

However, Yeagley says that his supervisor told him that he will no longer have a job after May. Inside sources also told Yeagley that his extracurricular activities as a spokesman for conservative causes contributed to his termination.

For months, Yeagley has been lobbying to institute a patriotism course in Oklahoma public schools. Things came to a head in December, when he posted a letter to David Horowitz on our FrontPageMagazine.com message board.

"I am a Comanche Indian teaching college at Oklahoma State University, OKC" he wrote. "I have recently submitted to Governor Keating a proposal and plan for the teaching of patriotism in the public school systems of Oklahoma. The Governor is quite supportive Clearly, patriotism is the missing element in our country right now I feel, as an Indian, it is my sacred honor to save the white man again, this time from himself. Before he gives this country away, thus defeating me twice, I want to try to save what he built out of my land. Have any suggestions?"

Needless to say, we were intrigued. I called up Dr. Yeagley to sound him out.

What followed were many delightful hours on the phone, listening to Yeagley expound on patriotism, Zoroastrian theology and classical harmonics.

He is a kind of American Indian Leonardo da Vinci.

In addition to his masters of divinity from Yale, Yeagley holds degrees in music, art and ancient humanities. He has written a grand opera on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising; exhibited pencil drawings of his Comanche ancestors; and composed an epic poem on the life of Farah Diba Pahlavai, wife of the deposed Shah of Iran, which has been serialized in Persian Heritage magazine.

"When I met the Empress, she asked me one question: Why?" laughs Yeagley.

How did such a multitalented fellow end up in Oklahoma?

"My mother," says Yeagley. "When my father died, I came here to take care of her."

Yeagley helps support his 78-year-old mother with his meager $800 per month stipend from the university. That runs out in May.

Years ago, Yeagley could have chosen a more lucrative career as a "professional Indian."

When he first arrived at Yale, an Episcopal priest proposed to Yeagley that he get involved in speaking out against America's mistreatment of the red man.

"We could make a career of this for you," offered the priest.

Yeagley turned him down. "My parents brought me up to love America," he explains. "As a child, I used to choke back tears when I said the Pledge of Allegiance."

Eschewing the path of professional victim, Yeagley chose hard work and serious scholarship instead.

"I ended up going into academic fields where being an Indian didn't help me. I had to succeed on my own merits."

It was Yeagley's mother who suggested that he write to David Horowitz.

A great-granddaughter of the Comanche war chief Bad Eagle, Mrs. Yeagley admires Horowitz for his warrior spirit.

"He's very brave," she says. "The first time I heard him on the radio, I knew he was telling the truth. Hating Whitey and Radical Son are terrific books."

Thanks to his mother's advice, Yeagley has now joined the FrontPage team. He has written hardhitting commentaries on gun control, eco-extremism and the false idol of civil rights.

In his latest column, Yeagley warns fellow Indians against walking "the black man's path."

"It's all about playing the victim It's not the way of our warrior ancestors."

That sort of talk has made Yeagley an instant hit with conservative talk show audiences. Sadly, it has not been popular among some of his academic colleagues, who have accused Yeagley of generating "bad PR" for the school.

Regarding his dismissal, Yeagley is upbeat. "My whole life has been about facing hardship and conflict. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead."

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Personally I hope the U of U follows Florida State and thumbs their nose at them.

I hope so, too. I'd rather see teams refuse to change their nicknames and be denied bowl games than just cave in with little more than a whimper.

The NCAA is going to get such an earful on this issue. It will be much more than they expected. They will probably amend their ruling to offer teams some sort of out. Maybe waivers if they can show that local Indians support the teams. I think the NCAA grossly underestimated the impact of this.

[Manic_Episode]

I was thinking the Utah Polygamists.

[F105-D ThunderChief]

NCAA Bans Scoring!

In an effort to support "positive reinforcement" the NCAA will restrict teams from scoring so that the "losing" team won't suffer humiliation!

Instead each team will compliment the other on the color of their uniforms, wave politely and then retire to the locker room.

The BCS will allow every team to appear in a Bowlgame and every team will be the National Champion!!

[sayfer bullets]

Excellent point.

Then of course Oklahoma State, University of Wyoming, and Gerry Jones must give up "Cowboys" as they were oppressors of the weak and all-around bad white men.

I hope someone sends the NCAA your list. The pansies.

Time for new collegiate athletic leadership, folks.

[incredulous joe]

Lest we forget, as previously pointed out, the Fighting Irish, as well as the Ragin' Cajun's of Southwest Louisiana University.

[Miss Behave]

This country has Liberals to thank for all of this TOTAL BS.

Bottom line.

[bk1000]

(Fred Gwynn from 'My Cousin Vinny) "What's a yoot'

[Miss Behave]

If I was an awesome athlete looking at schools, I'd consider Southeastern Oklahoma State just because they're the "Savages."

[Miss Behave]

And Liberals are such Weenies.

Oops, I called them Weenies. I better change that to Wieners.

[elc]

If the Illini have to change, I will have to change my trivia question. It's been so long since I've given it to someone, so I'm not sure if this is the correct question anymore - But, name the Division IA College football teams (5 of them), who's name is not a color, not an animal, and doesn't end in "s". Illini was one of the answers

[elc]

I'm sure FSU will sue. I heard from a fellow FSU grad that the Seminole tribe is also going to sue. Apparently, although I've not verified this, its a Seminole tribe in Oklahoma that is causing all the fuss with FSU's name.

Has anyone found any websites set up yet so we can get some organized protest going?

[incredulous joe]

University of Connecticut should be forced to change it's name from Huskies so as not to offend the PLUS-size set.

My suggestion the UConn BIG & tall.