Long Live Chief Osceola

Doesn’t the NCAA have anything better to do? Instead of dropping the hammer on a VERY dirty Ohio State football program (more on that another time), the NCAA bans Native American mascots for its Championship Tournaments. This sort of half handed and sloppy “feel-good” legislation has created an issue where one didn’t exist. Let’s get this straight, we are not talking about money or property or personal liberty. Essentially a select group of individuals at the NCAA have decided that Indian nicknames are offensive and must go.

The fundamental problem is that you CAN NOT legislate “feelings” or "emotions." The NCAA has banned all mascots that are “offensive, hostile or abusive.” Ok, so who decides this? What one man finds offensive, another man will eagerly embrace. Why are the Florida State Seminoles banned, while the San Diego State Aztecs given a free pass? Why is Chief Osceola banned when the Seminole tribes of Florida and Oklahoma endorse the University’s use of the mascot? Shouldn’t the Seminoles decide if they are being demeaned or offended?

The elite liberals in this country KNOW they are smarter than the rest of us and feel very comfortable telling us how WE should live. They are comfortable dictating to the uneducated and crude “lower classes” on issues such as religion, gender and in this case, offensive mascots.

I happen to think Chief Osceola is a fantastic mascot and getting to Doak Campbell Stadium to see him throw his spear down at the 50 is on my list of things to do before I die. One of the bigger problems I see is the gradual elimination of all candid thoughts and comments in the media and in public for fear of offending some person, group or entity. Here the NCAA seeks to dictate to a select number of universities its own morality. In their quest to become more enlightened, all they do is become more oppressive and dare I say communistic? Where does this lead? Getting rid of the Fighting Irish? Do we get rid of all mascots because some folks way out on the left (yes you PETA) are offended because we chain up animals and use them as a novelty act?

At this point you are saying, “Well, that is just going to far. That is ridiculous. There is a difference between a race of people and animals.” And evidently there is also a difference between races in the NCAA’s mind. I guess the Aztecs are made of heartier stuff than these Seminoles whose land we took so long ago. (Don’t forget about the Spartans and Trojans. But I guess since they are all dead now it’s OK to use them as mascots.)

I’ll handle my morality myself thank you. If I am offended by something I see I will change the channel, turn the page or draft my own blog. I don’t need the NCAA, the federal or state government or anyone else for that matter telling me how I should feel.