"U. of Mass. Mascot, ''Minutemen,'' Offensive to Some" (barf, retch, hurl, blood pressure, alert)

ChronWatch ^ | 8 MAY 03 | JIm Sparkman

[tomakaze]

"U. of Mass. Mascot, ''Minutemen,'' Offensive to Some"

Posted by the ChronWatch Founder, Jim Sparkman

Thursday, May 08, 2003

Ron Chimelis, writing in the Amherst Republican, tells us of the campaign to change the University of Massachusetts nickname for tis sport's teams. It seems the current name, the Minutemen, is offensive to some.

AMHERST - Having stood up bravely to the British more than 200 years ago, the Minuteman is finding he may be no match for 21st century political correctness and marketing savvy at the University of Massachusetts.

By September, the UMass Gray Wolves men's and women's teams may be charging onto the field, while the gun-toting, single-gender Minuteman - a UMass symbol since 1972 - is sent to the showers for good.

Not since the arrow was removed from the pilgrim's hat on the Turnpike signs has such a debate raged over how the Colonial period is being portrayed in modern Massachusetts.

"Am I for the change? I'm for the process," UMass Athletic Director Ian J. McCaw said. That process began with the hiring of Phoenix Design Works of New York City, which introduced the Gray Wolves to eight focus groups involving 85 people.

The passion of the debate has not matched the levels reached in 1972, when the Minutemen nickname replaced the ethnically controversial Redmen name.

"Gray Wolves would be unique in Division I college sports, and it's indigenous to the area," McCaw said. "The design company expressed some concern with the single-gender ethnicity of the Minuteman, and the fact he's carrying a firearm (in the logo) is also a concern."

McCaw said social and practical reasons exist for change. For one thing, the women's teams are called the Minutewomen, even though no colonial Minutewomen ever actually existed.

McCaw said the design experts are looking into using two different Gray Wolves logos. One would reflect an aggressive, ferocious animal, suitable for the competitive sports.

The other could be a more child-friendly and marketable animal mascot, which are very popular in sports.

According to Springfield Republican outdoors writer Frank Sousa, however, the portrayal of a cuddly wolf is ridiculous.

"Wolves attack only the sick, injured and helpless," said Sousa, one of the region's foremost outdoors spokesmen.

"Besides, the last gray wolf sighting around here was in the late 1890s, in a barrel outside Thompson's Clothing Store in Amherst after being shot in Northampton," Sousa said. "And those were skinned."

UMass is the nation's only college that calls its teams the Minutemen. Locally, changes have been made at Springfield College (Chiefs to Pride), Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (Mohawks to Trailblazers) and a high school, Frontier Regional in South Deerfield (Redskins to Redhawks).

The Minuteman may be the next to go.

"Nobody wants something that looks too much like the UConn Husky," Krohn said. "But whatever they pick, I'm sure some people won't like it."

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[Zavien Doombringer]

Untrue. The typical Minuteman was a Organic vegetable eating, unarmed transgendered black lesbian woman in a wheelchair.

You forgot that they were at a peace rally at Lexington Green on April 19th,1775.

[Zavien Doombringer]

Evidently the Minuteman doesn't sell well in terms of their merchandising so off he goes.

HOw right you are, go to the UMass website and if you can find the Minuteman Mascot, you win the box of cookies!

[Kenton]

There just were no "MinuteWymyn" in the Massachusetts Militia.

Untrue. The typical Minuteman was a Organic vegetable eating, unarmed transgendered black lesbian woman in a wheelchair.

Really? Then how did she push herself around in her wheelchair if she didn't have any arms? Huh, smarty? ;)

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

That's simply pathetic. Sounds like Massachusetts is the east coast equivalent of California....

You're always welcome to move to Maryland. :-)

[Lazamataz]

Really? Then how did she push herself around in her wheelchair if she didn't have any arms? Huh, smarty? ;)

She was gassy.

So that makes the typical Minuteman into a Organic vegetable eating, unarmed, methane-producing transgendered black lesbian woman in a wheelchair.

[SAMWolf]

Erasing more of our history, forgeting more of the heros who gave us our Freedomn, removing our National Identity denigrating our National symbols, destroying patriotism.

[Kenton]

She was gassy.

So that makes the typical Minuteman into a Organic vegetable eating, unarmed, methane-producing transgendered black lesbian woman in a wheelchair.

Of course! She was organically-produced methane powered from all those veggies!

Thanks for clearing that up, all I could think of was that maybe that's what the white guy in the tricorn hat (the Minuteman) was there for, to push her unarmed, methane-producing ass around!

[cloud8]

"...Minuteman as a vegetable-eating unarmed black transgendered female being buggered by a gay guy while balancing on a wheelchair."

Do I detect the foul odor of Ageism here, hmmm? Surely the idea of the Minuteperson balancing in a wheelchair is offensive to Seniors who can only sit in a wheelchair.

[myrabach]

Didn't you mean to say "Minuteperson?"

[Lazamataz]

Didn't you mean to say "Minuteperson?"

Minuteperson is specist, implying that humans are better than any other species. The correct term is Minuteorganism.

[headsonpikes]

That will look cute! LOL!!

[Media Insurgent]

I've always wondered why some indignant Irish Catholics didn't try to make a stink over the Syracuse Orangemen.

[sphinx]

How about someone who's life has been devastated by natural disasters - Hurricanes, Cyclones, Tsunami would all represent names that will or could offend that group.

Not necessarily. Griffin, Indiana was devastated by a killer tornado way back in the waybacks (1920's or earlier). Their teams subsequently were the Griffin Tornados until school consolidation erased the moniker.

Of course, that was a saner time in a saner part of the world.

[SpinyNorman]

I am smack dab in the middle of this liberal snake pit, and I can tell you, the whole thing reeks. No student, staff, or alumni input. Instead, they hired a company (in the middle of a severe budget crunch no less) to come up with "Grey Wolves" as it was once indigenous to the region. Gray Squirrels would be more apropos, as it is the only animal living on this campus that I can see!

Amherst is a "progressive" cauldron of race baiting, flag and U.S. hating, politically "correct" liberal hacks. With the notable exception of the courageous Republican club, the campus is rife with liberal expressions of "thought" and practice.

Maybe they should call the teams the UMASS Pu$$ies, as that is what they are, and no name change is going to make a $64 sweatshirt palatable! Of course, the males of the campus would never complain about that name, since it honors the "wymyn" that have them so whipped! (of course, you would be afraid too if you could see a few of those bull dykes on campus.......)

[mhking]

You're always welcome to move to Maryland. :-)

LOL -- been there, done that....[g]

I'll stick with Georgia...

[honeygrl]

Change it to a minuteman chasing a redman with a gun and tell them all where to go.

[honeygrl]

"So that makes the typical Minuteman into a Organic vegetable eating, unarmed, methane-producing transgendered black lesbian woman in a wheelchair. "

That would cause the environmentalists to be offended.