The NCAA should focus on student althlete graduation rates and point shaving scandals. How can American Indian names be bad but we can have a bunch of catholics at Notre Dame calling themselves the “Fighting Irish” and having a little white guy with a red beard – green tights as their mascot? Maybe I can hire the ACLU to represent me in my ethnic/religious defamation suit against the NCAA for allowing this type of travesty to continue at the sporting events they sanction?

Some of the leftists at Champaign/Urbana tried to remove the Ilini name from the University of Illinois via the board of regents. They repeatedly failed and took their case to the NCAA. Your response was to ban a respectful dramatic display by a student posing as Chief Illiniwek during football and basketball games.

I guess it is a bad idea to remind the largely European ancestry student body @ Illinois that a unique, but extinct political confederation once dominated the center of our nation(The Illini). The same arguement can be made of Trojans and Spartans(extinct European tribes/political confederations), but they are o.k. under the new standard adopted by the NCAA. Did anyone find an authenic Trojan and/or Spartan to ask them for their permission to use their respective names/images/symbols? If the answer is no, why are they not on the NCAA list of banned names/mascots?

The last time I looked a large portion of sovereign States West of Appalachia had American Indian names including Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North/South Dakota, ect.. In numerous instances each of these sovereign States use native American symbols and images in official documents, tourist brochures, official government seals, and even school text books. Will the removal of these native American images benefit our self esteem or will it merely deny an important part of our nation’s cultural heritage?

Maybe someone in the State of Nebraska should file suit against the prominent display of the “Cornhusker” mascot. I imagine the State of Nebraska is spending millions of dollars for psychological counseling to blond males with blue eyes. Oh I forgot, it is a sign of disrespect to promote a relevant American Indian name/image for a region/institution, but it is o.k. to make a caricature of European “tribes” such as the Vikings, Patriots, Pirates, Trojans, Spartans, Buccaneers, Raiders, Cowboys, and Padres to market your team.

The display of American Indian symbols and images are a key part of our nation. How does banning their use via NCAA sanctioned events promote a positive message for our society?

The NCAA should stick to its core mission of promoting healthy minds through healthy bodies. When you get student althlete graduation rates up and the money scandels out of your association, then you can come back and have the discussion about how we honor/recognize all members of this great nation.

John Patrick McGrail
Asheville, NC