Sports Fans Don’t Love Native American Mascots, They Just Resent ‘Political Correctness’

While Most See the Names as ‘Questionable,’ They’re Angered by the Power of an Organized Opposition

Is the permission of a local tribe enough to justify the use of Native American mascot names, logos, and rituals by a university’s sports teams?

That’s the rare case presented by Florida State University (FSU) and its Seminoles mascot and Chief Osceola emblem. FSU’s mascotting situation is unique in that its school and teams benefit from a special relationship with an indigenous nation, the Seminole Tribe of Florida (STF). The STF has cosigned FSU’s mascotting practices for over 40 years, thus providing credibility that most teams and schools simply do not …

Why Samoans Are So Overrepresented in the NFL

It All Started in Hawaiʻi on Oahu's North Shore, Where Plantation Managers and Mormon Elders Nurtured Generations of Football Stars

Long before Oahu’s North Shore became a global hot spot for football, it was a pu`uhonua, a refuge under the protection of priests. Fugitives and villagers escaping the carnage of …

You Hear About Sarkisian?

Hiring an Armenian Football Coach Is the Most Brilliant Move USC Has Ever Made

“Sarkisian” is one of the most common Armenian last names. But when my cousin Greg called this week and opened with “You hear about Sarkisian?” I knew he wasn’t talking …

The Diminished USC-UCLA Rivalry

In a Global City, a Local Football Fight, Too Often Lopsided, No Longer Packs the Same Punch

I confess: I’m a diehard USC football fan. I braved 29-degree temperatures in Boulder last Saturday night to witness my Trojans conquer Colorado. This week we—I’m class of 1995 and …