Manfred misses the mark with Braves

[Diamond_Dog]

“The chop has to go, the chant is deplorable and all of it is racist, even if not a slur.”

HOUSTON — “It’s important to understand that we have 30 markets around the country. They aren’t all the same. The Braves have done a phenomenal job with the Native American community.”

Those were the words of Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred Tuesday before Game 1 of the World Series between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros. He followed up that whopper with another staggeringly misinformed deduction, a summary dismissal of the matter.

“The Native American community in that region is wholly supportive of the Braves program, including the [tomahawk] chop. For me, that’s kind of the end of the story,” Manfred continued. “In that market, we’re taking into account the Native American community.”

As a native of the nation’s capital, this is a refrain I’ve heard plenty of times before. In that case, yet another team from Boston that was moved held onto a moniker that eventually was understood to be unseemly — and the team removed it after decades.

But the case of Atlanta’s baseball team is one of a little more nuance.

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https://theundefeated.com/features/manfred-misses-the-mark-with-braves/?addata=espn:mlb:index

[Hugh_Lebowski]

1. I find the name questionable but not terrible, but the chant and chop are lame

And as is often the case with me, I don't know that I'd call any of it 'inherently racist'.

Offensive cultural appropriation ... I'd go with that.

[NoRethugFriends]

3. it's fucking racist and nauseating.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

4. We might have slightly different definitions

I really am not a fan of taking very serious words/accusations ... and cheapening their impact by calling every edge case ... that word.

Examples:
Having a pic taken where your hand appears to be on a sleeping woman's breast (thru a flak jacket) is not 'sexual assault'
An adult sleeping with a 17 year old is not 'pedophilia'
Having a team named after a positive/supportive term like 'Braves' ... is not 'racism'. The WFT teams previous name ... THAT was racist.

I find the chop and chant nauseating and fully understand if the Native population finds it offensive, and I do not approve.

That said, I don't know that it ascends to the level of 'fucking racism'.

You feel differently, I understand.

[Casady1]

2. Other brilliant ideas from Manfried

Start extra innings with a man on second, one game playin after 162 games.

[Auggie]

5. Manfred is a profiteer and bullshit artist

Don't expect him to do or say what is morally or ethically right.

His actions are pushing me away from a game I love.