We have been discussing the dropping of mascots and team names due to claims of cultural appropriation and insensitivity. The latest school to do so is Marist College which is dropping the upstate New York school’s longtime mascot “Shooter the Fox.” Marist Athletic Director Tim Murray said that “Unfortunately, in our culture today, there is a negative stigma to that term ‘shooter.’ And I just didn’t think it was appropriate for us at this time to perpetuate that term.” However, Shooter would often appear at basketball games to “shoot” baskets. Now “Shooter the Fox” will be called “Frankie the Fox.” Does this mean that we will change the lexicon of basketball to drop references to “shoots?” Marist students can now be described as taking a Frankie for a basket.
Murray however set the standard quite low: “if our mascot creates any issues with any person, it’s not worth having that nickname.” Really, any person? What if PETA objects to the Fox? Is that now the standard? Anyone objecting will force a change regardless of the conflict with historical or objective meaning.
What do you think?
Marist football is 4-6 on the year with no notable wins. It needs to worry less about its offensive mascot and more about its offenseless team.
The New York Giants are insensitive to large people.
I thought the fox played pool.
How about the Holy Cross Crusaders! Now that’s racism.