Whether people like it or not, the sports world — for the most part — has bent over for cancel culture and does pretty much whatever the very vocal minority on social media dictates for them to do. Despite the fact that some of the changes are going to happen no matter what, there are some that are still speaking their mind about the change itself being a difficult pill to swallow.
The son of the Native American man who created the Washington Redskins logo, which the team had used since 1971, says his father’s creation was not offensive and that his family “was pretty upset” about the decision to make the change.
“Everyone was pretty upset (about the change)," Lance Wetzel told WUSA. "Everyone understood the name change we were all on board with that. Once they weren't going to use the logo, it was hard. It takes away from the Native Americans. When I see that logo, I take pride in it. You look at the depiction of the Redskins logo and it’s of a true Native American. I always felt it was representing my people. That's now gone.”
While Wetzel said that the replacement of the logo his father Walter “Blackie” Wetzel created to “depict a member of the Blackfeet tribe,” he did acknowledge that the name change is probably warranted.
“The Native Americans were forgotten people. That logo, lets people know these people exist," Wetzel said. "If it were changed and it removed any derogatory feelings toward any person, then I think it’s a win. I don’t want that logo to be associated in a negative way, ever.”
That’s fair. The name might have negative connotations to it, but the logo was designed specifically to commemorate and honor Native Americans.
According to WUSA:
Wetzel grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and was eventually elected president of the National Congress of American Indians in Washington, D.C.
He was instrumental in the Redskins franchise logo change from an “R” to the current depiction of a Native American[…]
The Redskins logo is a picture of John "Two Guns" White Calf, a Blackfeet Chief who also appears on the Buffalo Nickel.
Think about that. The logo was originally just the letter “R,” but was changed to the one we all know today as a sign of respect.
While I can agree with Wetzel that the nickname of the Washington franchise is probably in poor taste, the removal of the logo shows that respect for the context of historical figures — much like statues of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln — is all but gone from our society. Or at least that’s what the subversionists outrage mob wants you to think.