Eskimos: change your name

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Toppy Vann
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Some of the key points that I gleaned from what those who oppose all name changes that I resonate with are:

> there are agendas with respect to the demands that team names change and they're not grassroots movements from individuals who collectively feel wronged.

> the intentions of these names are to represent outstanding characteristics not portray them as savages.

As a kid growing up in North Van in the 50s and 60s (born in late '45) I've always thought of names like old Stanford University Indians (now Cardinals) or North Shore Braves and North Shore Indians - (the two latter teams were both lacrosse teams with natives and non-natives) as emblematic of natives' bravery, courage, skill, togetherness, and who survived harsh weather, etc.

Now I 'm being told that those names depict savagery, debauchery or cultural misappropriation and demean indigenous peoples so I'm like WTF - that was never in any ones mind and I'm old enough to grasp that.

Eskimos is similar to me.

I do admit the war hoops with the US fans and their indian named teams might be culturally a nicety but that seems to me more of an educational issue and OPPORTUNITY -something getting missed in the zest to cleanse the names.

-----

Now we know the history of Canada is also filled with issues like mistreatment. That's solved by education and talking about it - not eliminating team names and sweeping it under the rug.
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WestCoastJoe
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I've stood on the sidelines with the Washington Redskins name issue. I liked the team under Beathard and Gibbs. And I am not personally subject to ethnic abuse as a minority.

It seems I am gradually changing my views.

Now I hear about the kids local team back east, the Nepean Redskins, following the Washington Redskins name. Should a man's daughter have to wonder about respect for her ethnicity? I think not. They changed the name of the team. Good, IMO.

It seems there are degrees of disrespect and sensitivity. Eskimos as a team name ''might'' not be as offensive as Redskins or some others.

As noted, this is not an issue I am personally passionate about. But I think it is time for some of these names to go.

Edmonton Eskimos? With the media attention, from what I hear so far, I think its days are numbered.

Time to find another alliteration. Edmonton Empire? Arrogant? Edmonton Eagles? Cliche? OK, not my job.

Not passionate about this team name issue, but I do have a few opinions.

Irish ancestry for me. Some Scottish. Any sensitivity there? Not much in my life. Forty years ago, in a new job, I sat down for a company meeting. Next to me was the reincarnation of Andy Capp. Hilarious and rude. He greeted me, snarling quietly: ''F***ing Irishman,'' with a big grin on his face. One could not help but laugh, but somewhere in the back of my mind, it made me wonder a bit. The separation in his mind. It seemed pointless as we were both Canadians, with fair skin, and a common language.
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B.C.FAN
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How about the Edmonton Elk? It’s a large mammal native to Alberta. It even sounds like Esks and wouldn’t require a change to the team’s EE logo.
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Sir Purrcival
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I was thinking the Riggers myself but a few others crossed my mind, not all kindly. Maybe they could sell a sponsored name. What about the Edmonton Exxons? Save money repainting helmets. All sorts of derogatory names come to mind. Prairie Oysters topped my list. I thought Tundra might work but ET? Phone home about it. Some one suggested Inuit but then all I could see is Employment Insurance. Then the chants started. I can hear it now.

Edmonton they have the ball E I E I O.
And with that ball they had some plays E I E I O
With a pitch out here and a screen pass there
Up the gut, up the gut, everybody up the gut.
Edmonton they have the ball E I E I O

Ok. Clearly I have too much time on my hands these days.

If they change, it that's alright by me. Don't really consider it my business as it isn't my team or city.
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B.C.FAN
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Sir Purrcival wrote:
Sat Nov 11, 2017 8:46 pm
Some one suggested Inuit but then all I could see is Employment Insurance. Then the chants started. I can hear it now.

Edmonton they have the ball E I E I O.
And with that ball they had some plays E I E I O
With a pitch out here and a screen pass there
Up the gut, up the gut, everybody up the gut.
Edmonton they have the ball E I E I O
:rotf:
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WestCoastJoe
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Sir Purrcival wrote:
Sat Nov 11, 2017 8:46 pm
I was thinking the Riggers myself but a few others crossed my mind, not all kindly. Maybe they could sell a sponsored name. What about the Edmonton Exxons? Save money repainting helmets. All sorts of derogatory names come to mind. Prairie Oysters topped my list. I thought Tundra might work but ET? Phone home about it. Some one suggested Inuit but then all I could see is Employment Insurance. Then the chants started. I can hear it now.

Edmonton they have the ball E I E I O.
And with that ball they had some plays E I E I O
With a pitch out here and a screen pass there
Up the gut, up the gut, everybody up the gut.
Edmonton they have the ball E I E I O

Ok. Clearly I have too much time on my hands these days.

If they change, it that's alright by me. Don't really consider it my business as it isn't my team or city.
Yes. Some funny, rude names crossed my mind, too. Not going there.

I like Sir P's idea of E I E I O. Love the chant. :thup:

So, Edmonton Impact. E I E I O LOL

Or to keep the EE, the Edmonton Emerald. Shade of green, at least.

E I E I O Now that is just disrespectful. Yes.

Edmonton Farmers. With a hay pitch here, and a cow pie there, E I E I O Will that work? Stop it.

Edmonton Ice Breakers. E I E I O

If they went with Emerald, they could work in a theme of Emerald Isle, with loads of potential, some of it, of course, offensive to the Irish. Reilly might not like it. Dayum ...
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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DanoT
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I always refer to them as the Esks, so why not change the name to Eskies? I don't know what a Eskie is, but then again I don't know what a REDBLACK is either although in the warped PC world that we live in, REDBLACK could be perceived as a slur on two races.
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Sir Purrcival
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You know, that is probably the best suggestion yet.
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Toppy Vann
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DanoT wrote:
Sun Nov 12, 2017 6:32 am
I always refer to them as the Esks, so why not change the name to Eskies? I don't know what a Eskie is, but then again I don't know what a REDBLACK is either although in the warped PC world that we live in, REDBLACK could be perceived as a slur on two races.
Someone would be offended as "eskie" in something's cultural background or language means something bad!

I used to order a ham dinner set on Sundays in Hong Kong at a deli counter in a high market and I'd order the "ham set" which said the wrong way sounds like 'sex addict' to my Cantonese friend. I did that repeatedly every Sunday saying it as close to how he said 'sex addict' sounded to where they eliminated it from the menu!!! lol

The local lottery ticket seller was "PK Boo" and my friend said it was said by me like "Drop dead on the street'.
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maxlion
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DanoT wrote:
Sun Nov 12, 2017 6:32 am
I always refer to them as the Esks, so why not change the name to Eskies? I don't know what a Eskie is, but then again I don't know what a REDBLACK is either although in the warped PC world that we live in, REDBLACK could be perceived as a slur on two races.
Eskies is if anything more insulting than eskimo.

Red and black are just colours. Don't be so paranoid, nobody is going to try to eliminate colours or animals from sports teams' names.
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A good editorial last week in the Toronto Star on this:

"Yet in Edmonton, team ownership has given no sign of mustering the courage to change. And recent polls have suggested Albertans are happy as things are, while across the country there is actually considerable support for retaining the current Edmonton nickname.

But those days are numbered. Count on that. Names and identities are precious things. Caricaturing them for sport is a game whose time is passing.

In Edmonton, Mayor Don Iveson, who clearly understands the power of words, favours changing the team’s name. And, as he has said, “I don’t think this issue is going to go away.”

Right on both counts."

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editori ... -name.html

Time for this team to join the 21st century. What an embarrassment for the city and province.
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CardiacKid
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One thing that has always popped into my mind when seeing team names like "Braves", "Indians", etc. is the name even somewhat representative of the city to which it applies? I am no expert on the the history of Cleveland but to have their team called "Indians", is that even a descriptor of the area's history?

I certainly expect there were native peoples that lived in and around Cleveland but is that even a distinct aspect of Cleveland's history and the context of its becoming a major US city?

As for Washington Redskins, I have to believe there are far better words or terms that can evoke thoughts of Washington DC. I always thought they were completely unrelated and wondered how the heck the name even got applied to a team from Washington? It never made sense to me.

If a team got its nickname through some bullsh*t process or a complete whim, then its fair game IMO.

Edmonton Explorers? At least bit of a nod to the history of Edmonton as a gateway to the north.....
Edmonton Elks as noted by BC Fan? They can be the "herd" and cheered on with cries of "Go Wapiti's"!
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Toppy Vann
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Giving this topic a bump here as it seems the zest for the name change isn't an easy topic.

Mike Reilly is the voice of this infomercial on Edmonton by their Econ Dev't Office I think. Knocks Calgary in his typical joking fashion.

"We’re a city of grit. Of love. A city that gets up while it’s still dark to do what we have to do. And a city of champions, always. Edmonton Eskimo Mike Reilly talks Edmonton like the locals know it."

"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
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Robbie
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Going back to the issue of political correctness for sports teams, a Nelson high school's sports team wants to change their name from the Bombers as they feel it is too violent.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british- ... -1.5094810

I wonder if that will trigger a chain reaction for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as well.

McGill University students are also petitioning to change their sports team from Redmen.
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Robbie wrote:
Sun Apr 14, 2019 9:27 am

McGill University students are also petitioning to change their sports team from Redmen.
Obviously they were successful as McGill announced on Friday that they will be replacing the Redmen nickname, new name TBA. The name was once two words Red Men and was changed to the single word Redmen many years ago. While the origination of the name never had an association to indigenous people apparently in the 50s the mens and womens teams were often referred to as "Indians" and "Squaws".
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