Ottawa TomaHawks considering name change

[Thanato]

Ottawa TomaHawks considering name change after outcry

Ottawa's new basketball team could be dropping its TomaHawks name, less than a day after its unveiling raised concerns with Ottawa's aboriginal community.

The team, part of the fledgling nine-team National Basketball League of Canada, unveiled the name at Ottawa's city hall on Tuesday afternoon.

Bytown Sports and Entertainment, the owners of the team, say they took the name from a type of slam dunk in basketball, and not from the fighting axe used by First Nations people.

But it wasn't long after the announcement that people on Twitter and other social messaging forums called the name racist and offensive.

"It sets Ottawa back almost thirty years, when the NCAA is on its way to remove names like this. Here we are starting new teams with names like Tomahawk, it's...it's backwards," said Ian Campeau, an Ottawa aboriginal and a DJ with Ottawa musicians A Tribe Called Red.

Team co-owner Gus Takkale said on Tuesday First Nations groups were consulted beforehand.

"I want to make sure I'm clear with everybody, this is the name that we have, it's a tomahawk dunk with no intended native reference, and that's clear," said Takkale.

But an official at Bytown Sports and Entertainment told CBC News on Wednesday morning that the team is now considering changing the name.

The team's inaugural season is to begin in November at Scotiabank Place. The league also features teams from Windsor, London, Oshawa, Montreal, Moncton, Saint John, Halifax and Summerside.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2013/02/27/ottawa-tomahawks-basketball-team-name-change.html

Oh come on. The bloody team is named after an AXE! How the hell is this 'racist'. Keep the name, then educate others that the team is named after a tool.

~Thanato

[Hasina]

[Corp]

They've decided to change the name. The whole thing is just massively stupid. People being offended because they want to have something to be offended about. I wonder if the team was called the Katanas if it would be racists towards the Japanese.

[+OverSword]

Ridiculous!

[hatecraft]

Some people are so easily offended.

[Princess Serenity]

[bangs head] Oh my god. Get over it you stupid idiots! For heaven's sake. Why is this a bad thing after it's been there for so long? Ugh!

[F3SS]

This is what you get when political correctness and liberalism infect your community. Yes, infect.

[Hasina]

'THERE BETTER NOT BE A TEAM CALLED THE UNICORNS. MY FATHER'S STEED SHOULD NEVER BE INSULTED.'

This is how silly this is. North Korea silly.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

They should change the name to someone proper and acceptable like the Assault Rifles or something like that.

[Indiogene]

The word "Tomahawk" has obviously different connotations than "Redskin", an ethnic slur directed onto Native Americans and First Nations people, and still there is the Washington Redskins of the NFL decidedly kept their name out of support by fans. What should the team get called: the Ottawa Axes? Come up with a clever team name as long it doesn't potentially "offend" anyone (LOL).

[F3SS]

The Ottawa Native American Assault Hatchets.

[+and-then]

The Ottowaxes? Nah, that'd make people think of hairless Otters... If natives find such things so insulting then maybe history should just be ignored and no references be made to their accomplishments or heritage at all. No, wait, that'd be offensive too

[Myles]

Fine, now I'm not going to watch any of their games.

[Taun]

The Ottawa We-Were Going-To-Have-A-Cool-Sounding-Name-But-To-Avoid-Potentially-Insulting-Anyone-Anywhere-For-Any-Reason-We-Will-Have-No-Names-Oh-Wait-Isn't-Ottawa-An-Aboriginal-Name-Itself..

I like it... Lets see that on the jerseys...

Edited March 1, 2013 by Taun

[Rafterman]

Good to know that all issues within the First Peoples (isn't that what you guys call them up there?) community are so well in hand that they can move on to issues like this.

[Thanato]

Good to know that all issues within the First Peoples (isn't that what you guys call them up there?) community are so well in hand that they can move on to issues like this.

Oh you have no idea.

[tapirmusic]

How in the world is 'axe' racist?

Seriously, lemme axe yall a question....

Imma axe it one time and then I'm not gonna axe it again.

How is the word 'axe' racist?

[Corp]

Some have put forward the theory that this was nothing more than a publicity stunt. In Ottawa most sports that aren't hockey have a hard time getting coverage. Before this story I didn't even know we were going to have a basketball team. And all the articles only quoted one why why was outraged. Not sure if they later commented but larger groups like the AFN were rather quiet. Some the theory that came up on the local message boards is that the team came out with a name, got some guy to be super outraged and generate a big media buzz, then quickly change the name. Kind of hope that theory is true since if not there's some really dumb people out there.

[Taun]

Some have put forward the theory that this was nothing more than a publicity stunt. In Ottawa most sports that aren't hockey have a hard time getting coverage. Before this story I didn't even know we were going to have a basketball team. And all the articles only quoted one why why was outraged. Not sure if they later commented but larger groups like the AFN were rather quiet. Some the theory that came up on the local message boards is that the team came out with a name, got some guy to be super outraged and generate a big media buzz, then quickly change the name. Kind of hope that theory is true since if not there's some really dumb people out there.

Hadn't thought of that possible angle... Hmmm.. Sounds plausible...