"The college football season is over and the professional season ends with Super Bowl XL on February 5. But with March Madness approaching mascots are still in full bloom on basketball courts across America.

2005 was a pretty bad year for teams still using human beings (Native Americans) as mascots. In baseball the Braves and the Indians fell by the wayside and in college football the notorious Seminole of Florida State ran into a Nittany Lion and were devoured.

The Kansas City Chiefs and the Washington “R” Words didn’t have much luck in making the playoffs or advancing in the playoffs.

That leaves the Seattle Seahawks, named after a seafaring bird, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, named after a profession, i.e., men working in the steel mills, involved in professional football’s last hurrah of ’06.

Lions, Tigers and Bears, oh my! Well, the Lions were also-rans, the Bengals (another name for Tiger), bit the dust early as did ‘Da Bears.’ Note that all of these teams are named after animals."

Get the Story:
Tim Giago: Notes from Indian Country (The Native American Times 1/30)

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