August 27, 2005
A win for tribe and team
It doesn't pay to get too upset over any decision the NCAA makes -- just be patient, wait awhile, and it's sure to reverse itself.
Florida State University sports fans found that out this week when the NCAA announced that it was changing its mind and removing FSU from the list of universities facing bans for their "hostile and abusive" use of Indian nicknames. The Seminoles still can be the Seminoles.
Three weeks ago, the NCAA announced it was banning FSU and 17 other schools with Indian mascots from participating in post-season competition unless they covered their logos and removed references to their nicknames. The ruling also prohibited the schools from hosting post-season events. The NCAA withered under a furious counterattack by FSU, however. University President T.K. Wetherell threatened legal action, which always gets the NCAA's attention, but perhaps more compelling was the case made by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The tribe says it likes its relationship with FSU and benefits from merchandise royalties, national exposure and scholarships. The NCAA found itself in the awkward position of trying to identify a victim where there wasn't any.
After further review, the NCAA said it considers FSU's relationship with the Seminoles to be "unique" -- a description the school and the tribe both embrace. While the NCAA has a responsibility to promote sensitivity and prevent exploitation, it also has to listen to the people it's trying to protect. College athletics has enough problems without creating them for sanctimonious crusades.
Posted by Opinion staff at August 27, 2005 8:21 AMWhat really happened is even more embarrassing to the NCAA. Orignally, they claimed to include FSU on "the list" because even though the Seminole Tribe of Florida was supportive, the Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma was not. A week later, the NCAA found out that the Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma also had voted to support FSU, by a vote of 18-2. One of those two went forward to the NCAA and essentially mislead the NCAA by either stating or implying that their personal opinion was the offical position of the Oklahoma Tribe. The NCAA, in its zeal to be politcally correct, didn't even bother to check on the facts.
And they penalize others for not following the rules......what a joke.
Posted by: Max Bouknecht at August 27, 2005 1:00 PMCould someone please remind me why we should care what the NCAA says about anything? With the possible exception of the Motion Picture Rating Association, is there any organization that is bigger joke?
Posted by: Gary Bokelmann at August 27, 2005 9:00 PM
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