Sons of Washington – Vote! Vote! Vote!

Not all Irish should be pre-judged to agree that “the Leprechaun already is a character the particular group likes”. [See: Negra, Diane; The Irish in Us]

And here in Boston, we are sometimes reminded in print, radio and TV of the 150 year old signage that read: “Irish Need Not Apply.” For $24 you can buy a poster of one on eBay. Someone of Irish heritage must have felt oppressed.

But what is perplexing to me is, why do some think they are the authority on who can be offended and which people shouldn’t be (“Somewhat similar the Padres’ Swinging Friar, who was far, far more an extended version of Friar Tuck (or that padre who always knows Zorro’s true identity) than a parody of Catholicism.”). Of course.

The list of team nicknames that might offend just grows and grows on Uni Watch. Lately, about two out of seven blogs primarily focus on this subject. What a cryin’ shame. I long for a retro, vintage, old school, TBTC Uni Watch.

Maybe the MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA, NCAA, Little League, Pop Warner and every other like-minded group should just get it over and go back to early-1900 baseball where official nicknames didn’t exist. Happy now?

Maybe some readers here should consider rallying to abolish many of the attached city names that offend. Houston, Columbus – offensive. Dallas Cowboys, oooh, a proverbial double-header! Jacksonville, and by extension Jackson, MS, let’s make them history in more ways than one. Corpus Christi – don’t get me started. Providence, and Saint, Santa or St. Anything – too religious. The Twin’s TC logo, that I used to like until now, really seems bad in that light. Fort Collins, CO – not under my rules.

Tell me who among us should be the arbiter of whether or not any these city names are offensive (or not).

Whadayasay we get a rename the city thing going too? Exactly, of course not. Because it would be almost as lackluster as today’s post.

Ricko, first, I truly respect and appreciate your tremendous contributions to Uni Watch. My point is: Who knows anymore? And, apparently, you feel that you do.

I don’t know where to draw the line, but I think it is fair statement, that according to your logic, it is somewhere between Chief Wahoo and the Swinging Friar – which you today wrote is “somewhat similar” to what is now known as “Lucky” the Celtics’ leprechaun. And, I’ve referenced that leprechauns are offensive to at least one Irish scholar Professor Diane Negra, of the University College Dublin. Land of the leprechauns.

Where does it stop? I find the subject tedious, when debated here, and hope we will be reading more about UNIFORMS, and less about what offends people. I can just hear the masses saying, “Well you don’t have to read it if you don’t like it.”

Well, none other than Joan Kroc, a spectacular philanthropist, who donated millions to Catholic charities tried to kill off the “Swinging Friar” because it was “unprofessional”. Translation: SHE was offended (or slighted, affronted – pick your synonym). No one’s perfect, she too, offended a few when she offered Ozzie Smith some gardening work if he wanted to earn a few more bucks during a contract dispute.

I agree with you that “a Catholic would have to have [an extremely thin skin] to think the “Swinging Friar” was making fun of his religion. But what would we say (since we are in agreement) if the logo was, I dunno, a “Swinging Muslim”? Thin skin?

My point with the Friar is that there is a LONG history of monks/priests having a little fun once in while, of playing a game or two…or wielding a sword if necessary. So that becomes more of a familiar “character”, both in fiction AND fact.

Know what I mean? Friar Tuck is no more a slam on the Saxons than he is on the Roman Catholic church.

Now, if some prefer the image of a somber man of the cloth who never smiles and spends all day in repentance, reflection and prayer, then I suppose they’ll find fault with a friar ripping a liner to left.

One professor gets honked off about Leprechauns. She after General Mills about the Lucky Charms box, too? She suing Disney to destroy the negatives of DARBY O’GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE?

Sometimes characters transcend their original origin and become a positive part of the mainstream. They end up kinda belonging to everyone…not because we think they slight someone, but because we enjoy them and like them.

“Sometimes characters transcend their original origin and become a positive part of the mainstream. They end up kinda belonging to everyone…not because we think they slight someone, but because we enjoy them and like them.”

Great post. And humorous too. In a perfect world, all could enjoy the ‘skins and Chief Wahoo in the same manner.