21msullivan's Waterfall
Well it seems that people do get offended by mascots but some don't understand that it's trying to do the opposite and according to an article by Ezine people should feel happy and proud when their race or culture is featured as a mascot.
Also with changing mascots sometimes it takes the fun out of it. Think about going to a school for almost 4 years and them then changing it. A mascots role at sporting events is to get the crowd in the spirit of the game. Most people think that a person just puts on a suit and jumps around and acts silly. They can get the sports fans into the spirit of the game.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5427925
I do see where you and this girl and her father are coming from but it does not mean they saw the best insight. These mascots of the Native Americans can give people good and educate them about the history of the Natives. And according to a poll, 4 out of 5 Americans don't think the name should have to change while only 11% said that the names should change. This is referring to the Redskins.
I also believe that people often have a lot of love for their favorite teams. With changing the mascots comes a lot of difficulty and money because you would have to change and take out all your merchandise, you'd have to change all sports wear for teammates, change the stadium, and a lot of other things this would cost money for the team, state, town, country, and could even potentially raise taxes. Also changing a mascot would be bad because you would have to now make and think of new team colors, name, etc.
We need to keep mascots the same because they are very important and Mascots hold history and meaning to towns and schools. One of the biggest well-known controversies is the Washington Redskins. There are a lot of different opinions on why the Redskins may be an inappropriate name. But team owners strongly dispute any racism behind the mascot and won't change it, saying the Redskins name honors "where we came from, who we are." This shows that the redskins hold importance to the area and meaning to a lot of people. Washington team owner Dan Snyder stepped up his defense of the moniker this month. Last spring, he told USA Today he will "never" change the name.
"Our fans sing 'Hail to the Redskins' in celebration at every Redskins game. They speak proudly of 'Redskins Nation' in honor of a sports team they love," Snyder wrote in a letter to fans. "After 81 years, the team name 'Redskins' continues to hold the memories and meaning of where we came from, who we are, and who we want to be in the years to come," he continued. "I respect the feelings of those who are offended by the team name. But, I hope such individuals also try to respect what the name means, not only for all of us in the extended Washington Redskins family, but among Native Americans too," Snyder said, citing several polls conducted in recent years that show that a majority of people do not want the name changed.
