eff Wilpon: Indian Giver

[batmagadanleadoff]

Mets� Day for American Indians Offends Group


Braves fans doing the Tomahawk Chop. The Mets were planning a heritage celebration for July 25,
when they host Atlanta.


By SCOTT CACCIOLA
Published: July 9, 2013

It has not been an easy season for the Mets, who are lurching toward the All-Star break with a losing record. Opposition has come in the form of hard-throwing pitchers, mounting injuries and marathon-length games, but the team suddenly finds itself facing heat from an unexpected source: an American Indian organization. Related When the Mets approached American Indian Community House, a New York-based nonprofit organization, in March about helping to organize a Native American Heritage Day, the proposal struck members of the group as a good opportunity to celebrate their involvement in the community. A date was selected � July 25 � and they began to plan pregame festivities that included traditional dancing and singing outside the stadium. But there was a glitch, as far as the Mets were concerned: they were scheduled to host the Atlanta Braves that day. So in the past week, concerned that such activities might be interpreted by the Braves� organization as a form of protest over their nickname, the Mets drastically reduced the day�s activities: no singing, no dancing. And now, there won�t be any American Indians, either. On Monday, the A.I.C.H. pulled out of the event altogether, citing frustration with the Mets for thwarting months of planning. �Being a nonprofit in the city, we�re not in the business of making enemies,� said Kevin Tarrant, the deputy director of the A.I.C.H., which describes itself as an organization that aims to �cultivate awareness, understanding and respect� for thousands of American Indians who live in New York City. �This whole thing wasn�t even our idea. But it just feels like we�re being marginalized again within our own community.� A Mets spokesman said the team �opted to forgo the group sale in this case as our multicultural days and nights are celebratory versus political in nature.� The Mets host multicultural events throughout the season as a form of community outreach. During the first week of August, for example, the team will stage Irish Heritage Night and Taiwan Day. Tarrant said his group originally hoped to stage the festivities in early June so that the game would coincide with an area powwow, a traditional American Indian gathering. But with the Mets on a road trip that week, the group suggested July 25 as another option. It was a 12:10 p.m. game, Tarrant said, which meant more youngsters were likely to attend. Also, another powwow was planned for the next weekend in Queens. That the Mets were scheduled to face the Braves that afternoon was coincidental, Tarrant said, though the group was not so na�ve as to ignore the political overtones. Various groups have criticized the Braves for their use of American Indian imagery, in particular the team�s Tomahawk Chop chant. �It wasn�t like we were planning to protest anything,� Tarrant said. �We just thought it would be great to show natives in a positive light � that we�re human beings, and we�re not from 300 years ago. We�re visible.� He added: �It was a win-win situation. We�d be supporting the Mets, the Braves and Major League Baseball.� On March 27, a Mets ticket sales representative, who was working with the A.I.C.H. on the event, sent an e-mail requesting that the group draft a letter explaining why it had chosen a Braves game. The Mets� foremost concern, at least at the time, appeared to be squarely on the sensibilities of the American Indian community. �It is good to inform others that the Braves do not make a profit off of the sale of the game,� the Mets representative wrote in the e-mail, �and no money would be going to support their organization.� She attached an invoice for payment. As part of the deal, the A.I.C.H. agreed to pay a $2,000 deposit to cover roughly 15 percent of the cost for a block of 500 tickets, which the group would then help sell. In exchange, the A.I.C.H. would be free to stage pregame festivities outside Citi Field, including traditional dancing and singing as fans made their way to the stadium from the subway station. Rick Chavolla, the A.I.C.H.�s education and development officer, said the performances were largely intended to raise awareness for Native Americans living in the city. �Not a lot of people invite us to step on a great stage like that,� Chavolla said. �We were really looking forward to it.� The Mets also agreed to print 500 T-shirts (proposed design: the team logo adorned by feathers) and to broadcast two public-service announcements for the group on the stadium�s video boards. Tarrant said the A.I.C.H. soon decided to make the game the centerpiece of an annual Native American Week, with events across the city like panel discussions and dance performances. NativeOne Institutional Trading, an American Indian-owned broker dealer based in New York, signed on as a co-sponsor. Tiani Osborn, a managing member at NativeOne, said the logistics required �months of planning.� As for the game, the A.I.C.H. began to promote it in early April. In an e-mail to the Indian Country Today Media Network, the group pitched the event as �a great opportunity to educate the public about the stereotypes professional sports teams continue to promote through logos, mascots and fan traditions, such as the �tomahawk chop.� � But if Mets officials harbored concerns with that type of language over the coming months, they chose not to express them publicly. It was not until July 1 that the Mets contacted the A.I.C.H. to inform the group of significant changes to Native American Heritage Day: no public-service announcements of any kind, and no pregame festivities outside the stadium. The group could still attend the game and do some fund-raising, but that would be the extent of its involvement. The Mets, Osborn said, suddenly seemed �only to be interested in holding a Native American Heritage Day without the culture.� Last Wednesday, a member of the Mets� group sales department e-mailed the A.I.C.H. in response to a series of questions from the group, which sought an explanation. �It was brought to my attention that we need to be sensitive to the Braves being a partner MLB team and can�t put them in a situation for a potentially negative environment to be brought upon them,� the Mets official wrote. �I know this is not the plan, but sometimes people come to events under different agendas than expected. I�m not referring to [A.I.C.H.] or any of the organizations involved, but more about unknown groups that may want to change the perception of the event.� The Mets official wrote in the e-mail that the Braves had nothing to do with the decision. The Mets later proposed two alternate dates: Aug. 8 against the Colorado Rockies and Aug. 25 against the Detroit Tigers. Tarrant said the A.I.C.H. had already planned a full week of events around the game scheduled for July 25. On Monday, the A.I.C.H. decided to call the whole thing off and ask the Mets for a refund. The team has removed the special day from its online schedule. �We�re not trying to be overly sensitive,� Chavolla said, �but it seems like we fall into this type of thing a lot. We�re led to get enthusiastic about something, and then it�s like, �Oh, never mind.� It�s disappointing, but it sort of amplifies a pattern of what we�ve been dealing with for hundreds of years.�

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/sports/baseball/mets-day-for-american-indians-offends-group.html?pagewanted=all

[Edgy MD]

This is going to totally throw a shadow over Cougar Night.

[Ceetar]

classic over politically-correctedness. It actually seems similar to the Cougar thing, in that a peon in the organization plans this great idea and the corporate suits finally find out what's going on and get all political on it. screw 'em.

[Guest d'Kong76]

I dunno, probably an event best scheduled against the
Marlins or whoever and not the Braves.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

The Braves game was-- or became-- part of the point, at least from the group's view.

I do think that the Mets are an outlet/franchise of a little-c conservative entertainment corporation, and can be counted on to make decisions as such.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Not to get a big thing going, but I don't particularly like having
sports teams called the Braves, Redskins, Indians, etc.

The outrage over a team called the Dayton Darkies, or Hoboken
Heebs, or whatever would make the internet explode. The Native
Americans have always been fair game.

[metsmarathon]

the mets were in a no-win situation on this.

think how clueless they would have looked had the event gone on as planned/anticipated, and a bunch of bad publicity came the braves' way courtesy of the #lolmets scheduling an american indian festival when their caricature is in town, inviting controversy and politicizing.

i don't think raining a shitstorm, no matter how large or small, upon a visiting fellow mlb franchise is the proper place for a business such as an mlb team.

the biggest critique, really, is that the mets didn't alight to the impending situation sooner, if not immediately. but i think they eventually followed the corporate playbook well enough.

[metsmarathon]

Kong76 wrote: Not to get a big thing going, but I don't particularly like having sports teams called the Braves, Redskins, Indians, etc. The outrage over a team called the Dayton Darkies, or Hoboken Heebs, or whatever would make the internet explode. The Native Americans have always been fair game.

i'd be utterly shocked if those were NOT the names of teams participating in adult kickball leagues.

[nymr83]

metsmarathon wrote: Kong76 wrote: Not to get a big thing going, but I don't particularly like having sports teams called the Braves, Redskins, Indians, etc. The outrage over a team called the Dayton Darkies, or Hoboken Heebs, or whatever would make the internet explode. The Native Americans have always been fair game. i'd be utterly shocked if those were NOT the names of teams participating in adult kickball leagues.

Sign me up for the "Hoboken Heebs" t-shirt please! will they wear matching yamulkas instead of hats?

Mets really dropped the ball here... the plan was a good one and WHO GIVES A FUCK if the whole thing offended the Braves organization? I'd call that an added bonus.

the team will stage Irish Heritage Night and Taiwan Day.

Someone tell Wilpon he had better cancel Taiwan Day before he offends the communists!

[Lefty Specialist]

The key here is that somebody needs to do their homework before the ball starts rolling. I mean, come on, you don't do this when you're playing the Braves. How hard is that to figure out?

[metirish]

No worries, the Mets have a crack PR guy to handle it......

[Ceetar]

Lefty Specialist wrote: The key here is that somebody needs to do their homework before the ball starts rolling. I mean, come on, you don't do this when you're playing the Braves. How hard is that to figure out?

Yeah, this is where the failure is. It's really on the ticket grunt that didn't think it through. Or the process that doesn't have these things double-checked by authorities earlier. But I'd still rather the Mets err on the side of "Respecting our commitments and honoring these folks is more important than avoiding political fallout for the Braves insensitive logo."

I mean, it sucks that they scheduled a whole week around it and now it can't happen (that week), but these things do happen. It's not the Mets fault, nor did they likely really even know, that there was all sorts of outside events happening in conjunction.

[soupcan]

You know though, the Mets did offer alternate dates.

I think its perfectly fine to do what the Mets did in deference to the Braves. Notwithstanding that in my opinion The Braves shouldn't be named 'The Braves' and the screaming Indian and Tomahawk chop shouldn't be things associated with the organization.

Should the Mets have checked the schedule and seen that the opponent that day was The Braves and figured out that maybe Native American Day and the Atlanta Braves probably wouldn't be a good mix? Yeah, they should've but I'm not going to kill them for it. Eventually they did see it and - again - offered several options to the Native American group including doing it on another date.

I like The New York Times but they can be just like The Post in that they often reach to make a story out of very little in order to further their own agenda.

[G-Fafif]

After realizing shining a spotlight on the concerns of Native Americans might cause some discomfort to the Braves, the Mets are also postponing next weekend's Scholars Day so as not to offend those fans coming up from Philadelphia to see their favorite team.

[Edgy MD]

I think we can safely assume that the team has tried and will try to have a makegood.

And really, it's an oversight, but I'm sure that's exactly the mistake I'd make. I mean, we're expected to go around acting as if having teams built around offensive caricatures is OK. So it's a little morally confusing to suddenly be told "No, this is the day it's not OK. This is the day we're supposed to care." Oh, OK. Shit, I really had the ball rolling.

For the record,

The name Braves = not the greatest thing, but OK
The screaming warrior in their logo = kind of a caricature but not really bad
The tomahawk chop = a pathetic festival of bad taste and crass insensitivity

The name Indians = kinda dumb, and easily correctible
The grinning idiot logo of the Indians = highly offensive

The name Redskins = shameful

The Celtics logo (a malicious Fenian? a sleazy clubhouse politician?) = pretty dumb
The Notre Dame logo (brawling Leprechaun) = very stupid and embarassing if you give it any thought
The name Fighting Irish = pretty stupid and counterproductive too

The name Fighting Illini = OK
The name Seminoles = OK

[ashie62]

G-Fafif wrote: After realizing shining a spotlight on the concerns of Native Americans might cause some discomfort to the Braves, the Mets are also postponing next weekend's Scholars Day so as not to offend those fans coming up from Philadelphia to see their favorite team.

BOC

[bmfc1]

G-Fafif wrote: After realizing shining a spotlight on the concerns of Native Americans might cause some discomfort to the Braves, the Mets are also postponing next weekend's Scholars Day so as not to offend those fans coming up from Philadelphia to see their favorite team.

BAZINGA!

[Edgy MD]

You know, the French trappers and settlers called the Eriechronon group of Native Americans the Nation du Chat, or Catpeople.

THAT would be a great name change. Comes with it's own theme song and everything.

[batmagadanleadoff]

"What are you blaming me for? I was just following orders".

[soupcan]

I'm not a big fan of singular names for teams like 'The Heat' or 'The Liberty', but The Atlanta Braves could just rename themselves 'The Atlanta Brave' and be done with it.

[batmagadanleadoff]

"Please accept these blankets as a measure of our deepest apologies".




http://deadspin.com/mets-try-to-honor-american-indian-culture-upset-americ-730028326

[bmfc1]

I agree with the title of this thread: F Wilpon!

[Edgy MD]

So, you would have been supportive of Fred Wilpon and the Mets had it gone forward, even if a PR nightmare ensued?

[batmagadanleadoff]

"What? I'm supposed to keep track of the schedule, too? Do you
realize how unwatchable this team is? Shaun Marcum was our #2 starter
and I Don't Know plays Centerfield. Please. I'm wearing a $180.00 pin-dot
tie from Barney's".

[Centerfield]

soupcan wrote: You know though, the Mets did offer alternate dates. I think its perfectly fine to do what the Mets did in deference to the Braves. Notwithstanding that in my opinion The Braves shouldn't be named 'The Braves' and the screaming Indian and Tomahawk chop shouldn't be things associated with the organization. Should the Mets have checked the schedule and seen that the opponent that day was The Braves and figured out that maybe Native American Day and the Atlanta Braves probably wouldn't be a good mix? Yeah, they should've but I'm not going to kill them for it. Eventually they did see it and - again - offered several options to the Native American group including doing it on another date. I like The New York Times but they can be just like The Post in that they often reach to make a story out of very little in order to further their own agenda.

I have to disagree with you. Any time you set up something like this, you have to anticipate that emotions are going to run strong. It boggles my mind that no one would think that the Braves and American Indian Heritage night might be a bad mix. Or that no one would bother to check. It is the type of thing that leads to people being fired, and if the Mets are incompetent enough to let this happen, they should get their just criticism.

They also butchered the situation by trying to curtail the festivities, instead of just immediately proposing the alternative dates. This is just a cop out instead of admitting their mistake about scheduling this against the Braves.

To be fair, the A.I.C.H. is acting like a bunch of spoiled brats. If the cultural message is that important, it can be delivered in August just as well as July. And I'm sure there are logistics to be worked out, but if they wanted to do it, it could be done.

[seawolf17]

Fuck, Mets. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. They did the best they could here, I think. Someone should have caught that conflict earlier, but they didn't, so they were stuck. If they went ahead with Native American dancing outside a Mets/Braves game, somebody would have given them shit -- the fans, the press, someone in the Braves org for making them look bad, or all of the above. They caught it, offered a reasonable change for another date. I think that's all you can do at this point.

Really, fuck this fan base sometimes.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Fuck, Mets. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. They did the best they could here, I think. Someone should have caught that conflict earlier, but they didn't, so they were stuck. If they went ahead with Native American dancing outside a Mets/Braves game, somebody would have given them shit -- the fans, the press, someone in the Braves org for making them look bad, or all of the above. They caught it, offered a reasonable change for another date. I think that's all you can do at this point.

Agreed. I don't think it was the dancing or music that was an issue. Here's the quote that, if I were the Mets, would have caused the most concern:


As for the game, the A.I.C.H. began to promote it in early April. In an e-mail to the Indian Country Today Media Network, the group pitched the event as �a great opportunity to educate the public about the stereotypes professional sports teams continue to promote through logos, mascots and fan traditions, such as the �tomahawk chop.� � But if Mets officials harbored concerns with that type of language over the coming months, they chose not to express them publicly.


Would they express this publicly? Would you? Wouldn't you try to handle it one-to-one?

Really, fuck this fan base sometimes.

Amen. Some more than others.

[batmagadanleadoff]

"Fuck the fan base is right! If they think they're more patriotic
than I am, let them try and grow an American flag from their
scalp. (I mean head.)"

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Is it cool and damp under your bridge?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Which bridge? I don't own a real bridge at the moment,
but I've got enough dough to buy any bridge out there.