Rocker occupant grew a touch weary of viewing the goings on of governmental types. Finding anything different from what one would consider the absurdity of the ignorantly arrogant elite can be mentally draining. What better avenue to just relax and be entertained than a little football, right? Wrong.
Now we know a bunch of you have given up on football, primarily on the professional level, since NFL execs decided politically correct was the correct way to present itself to the masses. Boycotting televised games became quite popular. But up here on the hilltop, Rocker and all the Rockerites still enjoy the gladiatorial aspect of the game. Our motto: If you ain’t capable of beating somebody up, watch somebody else do it.
But, alas, the game has become a toy for those who have taken one word in the American language and made it a hammer with which to bash the big toes of we, the undereducated and uninformed. That word, “offended.” And the offended police are everywhere.
On the tube last week was the gridiron group representing our nation’s capitol, the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins. Now, following years of moaning by Indian (aka, Native American) activists, this racial slur was unceremoniously tossed into the burn barrel of history. Washington is now, The Football Team. How original.
Rocker has an ancestor on each limb of the family tree that was a member of an American Indian tribe. We are not offended when sport teams use us as nicknames unless, of course, there were teams calling themselves Red Scalpists or Long Knife Killers or such. There is nothing threatening to the psyche about the use of Native names. There is something sinister when the loudest voices prevail.
Other teams are coming under pressure to change their offensive American Indian monikers, most notably the now world champion Atlanta Braves. Also receiving attention from the perpetually offended are the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Blackhawks and collegiate squads like Florida State (Seminoles) and North Dakota (Fighting Sioux). Surprisingly, there are many more. Those offended folks have their work cut out for them. So many perps, so little time.
An aside: when the NCAA told North Dakota to change the name or face potential consequences, Sioux nation leaders politely asked the association to “bug off.” Message to the NCAA: remember Little Big Horn.
After the success in changing the name of Washington’s NFL pretenders, the offendeds found another win in Cleveland. The team promised to drop their “Indians” name as soon as they can come up with a suitable replacement. Fans are being asked to submit ideas. Rocker likes Cleveland Clowns. Just think of the uniform possibilities.
We’re spending way yonder too much time being offended in this little corner of the world. We’d be hard pressed to believe society will crumble and our culture/heritage will be permanently stained by nicknames of teams that pay big men unthinkable amounts of money to play kids games. Same goes for those teams that now allow athletes to make money on something called Name/Image/Likeness.
Games are for fun. Teams are entertaining, and so should be their names. If we truly want accuracy and emphasis, let’s have the NFL’s Washington Grafters (where payoffs replace playoffs), MLB’s Atlanta Gappers (tribute to Stacey Abrams), the NHL’s Chicago Crime (no explanation needed) and NCAA representative, the Florida State Tofu (vegans need love too).
We don’t know if the lack of being offended means a person is ignorant of what’s happening or indeed does know what’s happening but can prioritize events and their impact. While the relentless pursuit of finding something offensive is orgasmic to some, it’s a genuine pain in the brain to others.
While the offended seem to be running amok, there are some in our nation who believe it’s their job to be offensive. Those could be called members of Congress and the bureaucrats who feed off government like pilot fish. Offensive. It’s either a noun or an adjective, depending on your view of things.
