Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

[mnstate0fhockey]

The small group of students who started those chants crossed the line, period. Would the line be somewhere else if UND had a different mascot, sure. But the students are not mindless drones, they chose a specific historical event to use as a cheer knowing it was going to get a reaction. As adults (presumably somewhat educated adults) they should know when they've crossed that line from funny innuendo into the vulgar/offensive/obscene. The school took appropriate action and members of the student section have since sent out an apology.

I think a lot of the defensive mindsets from tPB and others is that UMD is taking a lot of heat for this when many fanbases have made similar chants in the past. I have been at Gopher-UND games and heard such chants, as well as Wisconsin-UND games. That does not make it ok, but I understand people trying to defend it as "why are we getting blasted by national media?" The nickname is a very hot issue and many who are opposed to it are using the initial blog that started all this as ammo in their attempts to remove the nickname. Like it or not, UMD is being used as the proof that the nickname creates a hostile and abusive environment. UMD fans should simply file it in dumb things college kids do/have done and move on. Yes it makes us look bad, but it was our student section that got caught and put in every headline. Attempting to deflect the blame simply looks as if you're condoning the actions.

I should emphasize that from all accounts the vast majority of the student section did not chant these cheers and due to a lack of participation they quickly faded away. In the end, I think that this type of peer pressure works best to discourage poor sportsmanship. Everything else becomes overkill and will likely receive pushback.

I haven't heard other fan bases do it, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. If it has happened at Gopher games, then as a Gopher fan I am upset.

I don't think anyone is trying to say that the UMD fan base is worse than other fan bases. I know I'm not trying to paint any fan base with a broad brush. Even UMD's as it pertains to this instance.

I don't take issue with UMD's fan base. I take issue with the individuals that used these chants. And if they apologized, I think we should ALL learn from this and put it behind us.

[duper]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

I wasn't aware UND has/had a mascot, I know they have/had a nickname.

Can I quote the definition of a mascot again please pleasepleasepleeeeaaase! It was so much fun the first time!

[burd]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

I think we should petition the NCAA for a ruling on this.

[Flashy Man]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

Can I quote the definition of a mascot again please pleasepleasepleeeeaaase! It was so much fun the first time!

I prefer the Oxford definition, that refers to a singular person or thing as opposed to the Webster definition that has room for plurals.

[duper]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

I prefer the Oxford definition, that refers to a singular person or thing as opposed to the Webster definition that has room for plurals.

The version I quoted was from the OED. It was the online version, but the OED nevertheless. And you appear to know enough about the subject to know that there is no more authoritative source than the OED.

[bigmrg74]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

I'm kind of worried what would happen if Minnesota-Duluth ever played Delta State? Surely they would do something to annoy the Fighting Okra, the world's most violent vegetable. Delta State's Fighting Okra - Fear the Okra!

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

The version I quoted was from the OED. It was the online version, but the OED nevertheless. And you appear to know enough about the subject to know that there is no more authoritative source than the OED.

We're talking about college sports here. In the realm of college sports there are nicknames, mascots and logos.
In the realm of college sports this is a logo:
*****http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/5/1/516133953.jpg******
In the realm of college sports this is Michigan Tech's nickname:
*****http://www.huskylink.mtu.edu/s/349/images/editor/Huskies%20text.jpg******
In the realm of college sports this is Michigan Tech's mascot:
*****http://www.admin.mtu.edu/alumni/techalum/images/2008-09/featured/blizzard.jpg******
No matter what the dictionary might say, this is the standard so therefore, North Dakota DOES NOT have a Mascot.

[bigmrg74]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

mascot

[dogs2012]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

The small group of students who started those chants crossed the line, period. Would the line be somewhere else if UND had a different mascot, sure. But the students are not mindless drones, they chose a specific historical event to use as a cheer knowing it was going to get a reaction. As adults (presumably somewhat educated adults) they should know when they've crossed that line from funny innuendo into the vulgar/offensive/obscene. The school took appropriate action and members of the student section have since sent out an apology.

I think a lot of the defensive mindsets from tPB and others is that UMD is taking a lot of heat for this when many fanbases have made similar chants in the past. I have been at Gopher-UND games and heard such chants, as well as Wisconsin-UND games. That does not make it ok, but I understand people trying to defend it as "why are we getting blasted by national media?" The nickname is a very hot issue and many who are opposed to it are using the initial blog that started all this as ammo in their attempts to remove the nickname. Like it or not, UMD is being used as the proof that the nickname creates a hostile and abusive environment. UMD fans should simply file it in dumb things college kids do/have done and move on. Yes it makes us look bad, but it was our student section that got caught and put in every headline. Attempting to deflect the blame simply looks as if you're condoning the actions.

I should emphasize that from all accounts the vast majority of the student section did not chant these cheers and due to a lack of participation they quickly faded away. In the end, I think that this type of peer pressure works best to discourage poor sportsmanship. Everything else becomes overkill and will likely receive pushback.

Glad a UMD fan posted a response like this. I don't think anybody here at UMD is questioning whether or not the chants were offensive. I would, however, argue that they are racist. They are based off historical events. "Trail of tears"? That didn't even happen to the Lakota and Dakota Indians. If we had chanted something like, "(Insert negative stereotype about Native Americans here) Natives", that would have been racist, because we are using a stereotype and generalizing it about a whole group. I think this is somewhat where RWD's argument is aiming at. The UND logo and mascot is inherently racist, and the logo invokes students to dig up historical events that mock that logo. Everyone at UMD admitted that the chants were offensive. We got thrown under the bus for a cause, and that's fine. I think everyone has taken the appropriate steps, and hopefully the entire incident can just be resolved and over with.

[Dirty Bottles]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

Also people have this Pavlovian response to my name. They immediately see red, fly into a rage, and can't think clearly. Well, some of them can't think clearly with or without my Internet presence. I could say "kittens are cute" and 20 different people would $hit a brick about it.

I can't control your impression, or anyone else's.

So it seems we all suffer from the same affliction. We see your name and our brains turn to mush and when UMD fans see the sioux nickname their brains turn to mush. Just as the real problem is the Sioux nickname perhaps the real problem is you?

I agree with Stauber1 - I get what you're trying to say but it was poorly worded in my opinion and gave the appearance of trying to duck the issue of what happened in Duluth.

[duper]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

We're talking about college sports here. In the realm of college sports there are nicknames, mascots and logos.
In the realm of college sports this is a logo:
*****http://photos-ak.sparkpeople.com/5/1/516133953.jpg******
In the realm of college sports this is Michigan Tech's nickname:
*****http://www.huskylink.mtu.edu/s/349/images/editor/Huskies%20text.jpg******
In the realm of college sports this is Michigan Tech's mascot:
*****http://www.admin.mtu.edu/alumni/techalum/images/2008-09/featured/blizzard.jpg******
No matter what the dictionary might say, this is the standard so therefore, North Dakota DOES NOT have a Mascot.

The realm of college sports doesn't get to define words. As I said in the original post, I like the fact that North Dakota has stayed away from what people think of as a mascot, in what I give the benefit of the doubt was an intent to avoid offensive stereotypes. Well done.

But as for getting upset that people call the combination of name and emblem a mascot, that doesn't make a lot of sense.

That said, I generally go with the desire of UND people not to call it a mascot, and I will continue to do that as I always have (with this one exception that was prompted by someone trying to be a stickler, so I decided to out-stickler them because I'm an arrogant sot). But don't correct me on a semantic argument when I am, in fact, correct.

[willythekid]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

Glad a UMD fan posted a response like this. I don't think anybody here at UMD is questioning whether or not the chants were offensive. I would, however, argue that they are racist. They are based off historical events. "Trail of tears"? That didn't even happen to the Lakota and Dakota Indians. If we had chanted something like, "(Insert negative stereotype about Native Americans here) Natives", that would have been racist, because we are using a stereotype and generalizing it about a whole group. I think this is somewhat where RWD's argument is aiming at. The UND logo and mascot is inherently racist, and the logo invokes students to dig up historical events that mock that logo. Everyone at UMD admitted that the chants were offensive. We got thrown under the bus for a cause, and that's fine. I think everyone has taken the appropriate steps, and hopefully the entire incident can just be resolved and over with.

Everyone at UMD admitted that those chants were offensive? I must have missed that...

[dogs2012]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

Everyone at UMD admitted that those chants were offensive? I must have missed that...

You must have, because I haven't heard a single person who said they were okay.

[willythekid]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

You must have, because I haven't heard a single person who said they were okay.

I have heard a lot of UMD fans justifying it, and not condemning it. BTW, have you ever been over to here?

[Goon]

Re: Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants

No matter what the dictionary might say, this is the standard so therefore, North Dakota DOES NOT have a Mascot.

Correct 1+