# My baseball team the New York Negros and my football team the Houston Hebes **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 26, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203 "2003-03-26T03:33:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/1 "2003-03-26T03:33:14Z")
I didn’t ever really pay much attention to the American Indian protestors complaining that the use of the term “Redskins” was truly offensive. I mean…how could it be, no one really _meant_ to denigrate them with the term. As time has gone by, however, I’ve begun to question the wisdom and validity of this perspective. How would it feel if someone named a sports team after a group we identified with, and did so with a somewhat insulting or condescending take on our ethnic or belief background. Would we be OK with the Pittsburgh Polacks, the Washington Wops, the Houston Hebes, the Miami Micks, the Detroit Dagos, the Kansas City Krauts, the Wilmington Wogs, the New York Negros or the Fort Worth Fundies? I think not. I think Washington ought to drop the Redskins name. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/2 "2003-03-26T03:49:46Z")
Every once in a while, there’s a call for the Atlanta Braves to change their name. Usually when they are having a winning season. ---
**Author:** ![rexnervous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/3 "2003-03-26T04:20:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*I didn’t ever really pay much attention to the American Indian protestors complaining that the use of the term “Redskins” was truly offensive. I mean…how could it be, no one really _meant_ to denigrate them with the term. As time has gone by, however, I’ve begun to question the wisdom and validity of this perspective. > > How would it feel if someone named a sports team after a group we identified with, and did so with a somewhat insulting or condescending take on our ethnic or belief background. Would we be OK with the Pittsburgh Polacks, the Washington Wops, the Houston Hebes, the Miami Micks, the Detroit Dagos, the Kansas City Krauts, the Wilmington Wogs, the New York Negros or the Fort Worth Fundies? I think not. > > I think Washington ought to drop the Redskins name. \*\* My question is - does **anyone** anywhere use the term _Redskin_ to refer to anything other than the football team? I’ve never heard it used in any other (current - meaning outside some 1950’s cowboy movie) context, and I’m in my mid-30’s. In other words, has the definition of the term “Redskin” changed, and if so, how does that affect the Native Americans’ argument? ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/4 "2003-03-26T04:22:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \* > \*\*Every once in a while, there’s a call for the Atlanta Braves to change their name. > > Usually when they are having a winning season. \*\* Maybe they could change it back to the _Boston_ Braves. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TexasSpur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@TexasSpur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexasSpur)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/5 "2003-03-26T04:40:03Z")
Why is no one insulted by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish? ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/6 "2003-03-26T07:48:15Z")
Don’t worry. Wherever you go, someone will be offended. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/7 "2003-03-26T08:48:10Z")
Don’t forget, we do have the [Fighting Whites!](http://www.fightingwhites.org/). My view? Indians, Redskins. let em go. Braves and Chiefs, those can stay. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/8 "2003-03-26T14:05:31Z")
Why aren’t the people who complain about the Redskins also complaining about the Cowboys? My high school team was the Settlers. My college team was the Dutchmen. My graduate school was the Danes. Why aren’t you complaining about them? Why are variations on “Indians” the only thing that causes snotty remarks? You see, my friend, “Redskins” refers to a football team. If the players on the team have no problem with the designation, why should you? ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/9 "2003-03-26T14:29:49Z")
The Houston Hebes? Would Kinky Friedman be the owner? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/10 "2003-03-26T14:32:50Z")
The Pittsburgh Polocks? That might be enough to turn me into a baseball fan! ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/11 "2003-03-26T15:17:25Z")
Hmmmm…and here I thought **astro** was going to give the lowdown on his fantasy baseball teams. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/12 "2003-03-26T15:25:24Z")
the Celtics? Do they count? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/13 "2003-03-26T15:26:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > \*\*Hmmmm…and here I thought **astro** was going to give the lowdown on his fantasy baseball teams. \*\* Sorry to dissapoint, although I imagine the Fightin’ Fort Worth Fundies vs the Joltin’ Jersey Jewboys might draw a good sized baseball crowd to the bleachers on some muggy summer night. I don’t even want to think about the mascot possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/14 "2003-03-26T15:31:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rexnervous \* > \*\*My question is - does **anyone** anywhere use the term _Redskin_ to refer to anything other than the football team? I’ve never heard it used in any other (current - meaning outside some 1950’s cowboy movie) context, and I’m in my mid-30’s. > > In other words, has the definition of the term “Redskin” changed, and if so, how does that affect the Native Americans’ argument? \*\* No, the _definition_ of the word has not changed. The reason you don’t hear the word being used anymore outside of the football team is because civilized people have _deemed the word to be offensive._ Oh, and **DesertGeezer** , the Milwaukee Braves has a nicer ring to it, don’t you think? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/15 "2003-03-26T15:37:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TexasSpur \* > \*\*Why is no one insulted by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish? \*\* When I was a student there, my Irish American History professor was trying to drum up support to get rid of the nickname. The leprechaun mascot we use is frighteningly similar to derrogatory charicatures of the Irish from the mid to late 1800s, when they were socially on par with African Americans. The nickname “Fightin’ Irish” was coined by a Chicago sportswriter in the 1920s when he described the Notre Dame Ramblers by saying “they play like a bunch of fighting irish.” It stuck. However, I don’t see ND changing back to the Ramblers anytime soon, as the school is so connected to its adopted Irish heritage. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/16 "2003-03-26T17:52:12Z")
I always thought the term “Redskin” was in reference to a kind of bean. See, they’ve got the Indian on the helmet because he’s suppossedly riding a “Pinto”. ---
**Author:** ![Hugh\_Jass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Hugh\_Jass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hugh_Jass)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/17 "2003-03-26T18:03:54Z")
Don’t have anything to back this up, but a friend of mine in the military was stationed near an Indian reservation and he said a great majority of the residents there (of those that were football fans, that he spoke to) were Washington Redskins fans BECAUSE of the name. I don’t say this as an argument for keeping the name, but I thought it was kind of curious. ---
**Author:** ![greck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ab992/32.png) [@greck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greck)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/18 "2003-03-26T19:55:54Z")
“I hope in the future that Americans are thought of as vicious and warlike, that way they’ll get pro sports teams named after them” -Jack Handey Is it too soon to start naming teams after current evil figures? I mean, we can name teams after the devil. And that’s just as evil as it gets. Although there’s often a color that gets attached to devils. Maybe: the springfield high school “blue taliban” or The “sun taliban” The Duke university “blue terrorists” has a nice ring to it. The california “oppressing communists” or maybe “fighting communists” their colors could be red and khaki. Maybe some middle east soccer teams will name their mascots “Americans” soon. hmmmmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/19 "2003-03-26T22:03:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spiff \* > \*\* > > Oh, and **DesertGeezer** , the Milwaukee Braves has a nicer ring to it, don’t you think? 😉 \*\* That depends. Since the franchise started in Boston in 1876 and only moved to Milwaukee in 1953, I guess Bostonians might think “Boston Braves” has a nicer ring. I was ten years old when they played their last game in Boston. I’m not from there, and I’ve never even been much of a baseball fan. But, being a geezer, I remember lots of really old stuff! 😃 [Check this out.](http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/alltime/franchise?team=atl) ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203/20 "2003-03-26T22:10:15Z")
Maybe the Houston Hebes’ band could be Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys? 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-baseball-team-the-new-york-negros-and-my-football-team-the-houston-hebes/164203.md?page=2)