Eugene’s post about piracy repeatedly makes the point about the heinousness and seriousness of piracy as a crime, which is lost in the mythos of eye patches and bottles of rum and parrots.
So that led me to wonder, in only half-seriousness (maybe only 37 % seriousness), whether pirate nicknames for sports team have become inappropriate. Obviously they are not racially or ethnically charged or offensive, so people are not going to get worked up about this. Still, it does refer to a class of anti-social people who commit what are widely regarded as crimes against the entire world. Isn’t calling your team “Pirates” equivalent to calling it “Hijackers” or “Guerillas” or “Terrorists”? Or at the very least “Armed Robbers”?
Posted by Howard Wasserman on May 12, 2009 at 07:19 AM
Comments
This could be hard on the NFL. In addition to the Raiders and Buccaneers, I suppose the Vikings (with both ethnic and criminal aspects) would have to go. Also, of course, the Giants, whose mythical namesakes aren’t generally well-regarded. But what about the Titans?
Posted by: JP | May 12, 2009 3:44:08 PM
Howard, why only half-serious? I think you’re onto something. The Cleveland Indians is the equivalent of, say, the New York Jews; the Pittsburgh Pirates is akin to the Texas Terrorists. Both are offensive, both should be changed!
And while we’re at it, maybe we should stop calling illegal downloading piracy.
Posted by: Vladimir | May 12, 2009 12:28:30 PM