I’m late to this blog swarm but I feel I just have to put my two cents in the pot regarding this extraordinarily stupid ruling by the NCAA that will ban Native American mascots for “March Madness” next year:

The National Collegiate Athletic Association banned the use of American Indian mascots by sports teams during its postseason tournaments, a ruling the president of Florida State University called “outrageous and insulting.’’

The NCAA’s executive committee said the organization, which governs college sports, is limiting the prohibition to tournaments it controls. It doesn’t have the power to institute an outright ban, said University of Hartford President Walter Harrison, chairman of the committee.

Effective immediately, nicknames or mascots that are determined to be ``hostile or abusive’’ can’t be shown on uniforms or other team-related clothing, Harrison said. He wasn’t specific about which nicknames or logos would be affected.

I’m totally with Jeff Goldstein on this:

The problem is, decisions like this are more than simply insulting, because they strengthen the political hand of prononents of identity politics, which in turn weakens individual rights and drives the PC culture that leads to the kind of balkinization and clash of cultures we’re now beginning to see all over Western Europe.

Quite a sad day for America, and another embarrassment to come out of our increasingly gutless academy.

My question for the NCAA is why stop at Native Americans? There are a whole host of mascots and symbols out there that are incredibly insulting and demeaning. Try these on for size:

FIGHTING IRISH OF NOTRE DAME

Anyone who thinks that picture of the leprechan with his fists balled up as if ready to fight isn’t an ethnic caricture, think again. It was a common cartoon as recently as the 1930’s to portray the Irish as drunken sots who loved to fight and always got into brawls. Besides, looking at my beloved Irish’s mascot, I detect that the little guy may have had a wee too much of a nip of the “crature.” Then again, because I’m Irish, maybe I’m just looking in a mirror.

USC TROJANS

Have you ever seen a more demeaning characterization of condoms in your life than the “Trojan” sitting on the horse? I must say, the least they could do is take the element of beastiality out of their mascot presentation. And have you noticed when the “Trojan” rides around the LA Collesium how he’s always waving that sword? Doesn’t that look just a little bit too phallic?

Imagine what would happen if the NCAA were to ban all the sexually demeaning mascots out there! Say Goodbye to the Washington “Huskies” and the Arizona State “Wildcats.”

OKLAHOMA SOONERS

Making a mascot of the famous Oklahoma “Sooner” is a travesty of AntiAmericanism. The “Sooner” was a nickname given to people with the true American spirit who were involved in the Oklahoma land rush in 1889. Thousands of people lined up at a starting point waiting for the signal to begin a mad rush to claim a portion of millions of acres of land. Then, when the cannon boomed…

The riders on horseback burst ahead of the droves of land seekers, but as they spread across the horizon they were discouraged to see that covered wagons and even men on foot had already occupied many prime places. As many as nine out of ten of these settlers had jumped the gun, earning themselves the name “Sooners”.

HOW DARE THEY! To demean the all-American traits of exhibiting initiative, imagination, and being a real “go-getter” is an affront to all of us who value what makes America great. Yes, they sort of violated the rules but we Americans know instinctively that unless you bend the rules a little, you’ll never get ahead in this country. Just look at Ken Lay.

BOSTON CELTICS

While we’re banning college mascots, how about going after the pros? The shamrock is an insult to every living Celt who treasures their past.

At one time, the Celts ruled an empire that stretched from the Black Sea to England. And yet they reduce that glorious past to a representation of one tiny Island in the Atlantic Ocean? Ridiculous.

BTW…if there are any living Celts out there please let me know. Since there are so many idiots in Europe who think we should give all that land back to our own Native Americans, maybe we can wangle a few million acres from some of those Euro-twits by laying a solid guilt trip on them for stealing Celtic lands.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Hah! Patriots? In Massachussetts? Are you kidding me?

Is there any bluer state than the deep, dark, blue of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? I think serious consideration should be given by the NFL to yank that moniker from the two time Super Bowl champs and replace it with something more appropriate. Like the New England Chowderheads or how about the Boston Baked Beans?

To insult our patriot past by comparing the moonbats in Massachusetts with the brave fellows who endured Valley Forge, threw the British Army back 3 times at Bunker Hill, and pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor towards the noble goal of human liberty is unconscionably demeaning to today’s patrtiots. The moonbats today don’t even go to Valley Forge unless it’s in their heated RV. And the only thing they’re willing to pledge their fortunes to is the ACLU or Moveon.Org.