It seems that after a long (one whole year, apparently) process in which many Inuit communities and leaders were consulted by the team, the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League will be keeping their name, and TTS thinks that's a good thing. The fact that this even came for debate is kind of silly in itself, but at least it's over. I will make a few points about this below, and what my take is of it.
1) It's a team name/moniker. The Edmonton Eskimos have been in existence since 1949, and yet this problem with their name has generated more noise in only the last few years. People need to understand that this is a team name for a sports franchise. No one is purposely trying to slag anyone of a certain ethnicity as such.
2) When did we start taking everything so seriously? There was a time when you could joke about things and find humour in them without anyone freaking out and crying foul. Sports teams with certain names these days are facing unwarranted backlash, and/or some sort of issues related to said names. Why are we all so sensitive and unwelcoming these days? Sports teams are not named for derogatory reasons! In fact, I will go so far as to say that some franchises have honoured certain groups or peoples by keeping their names in the limelight, so to speak.
3) Let's all be friends. I have always had great respect for the Inuit, and they have proved yet again with this situation that they are an interesting people that don't seem to get all hot and bothered like other aboriginals over anything. I personally have never once referred to the Inuit as 'eskimos', and I don't know anyone that has. I believe that they see this as a minor thing, knowing that it's a sports team that is not trying to relate the moniker to some kind of politics.
There are no ulterior motives here, and both sides have seen that. Now, let's move on and get ready for June. Football awaits us!
Got a take on this? Leave a comment below!
No comments:
Post a Comment