Category: US Politics

The Chicago Blackhawks have again committed to keeping their more than 60-year-old name despite pressure from activists to make a change.

The pro hockey team put out a statement on Friday confirming that they are sticking with their name.

According to Sports Business Journal’s Mark J. Burns, the team said:

“We continue to deepen our commitment to upholding our namesake and our brand. The work we’ve been doing over the last several months in expanding and deepening conversations and partnerships within the native community, we continue to feel really positive about the types of works we can do, the way which we can be better stewards of the namesake and the history, and to use our platforms to be educators, not only for our fans, but for our internal teams and making sure that we provide that reverence and respect that we talk about that we want to see come to life in everything we do across so many dimensions, both from a marketing standpoint, for a learning and education standpoint and by all means a community standpoint, in the ways on which we integrated native voices onto the lot of those efforts, We’re going to continue down this path and continue to hold our brand up in the highest levels of honor.”

The Blackhawks have been under some pressure to change their name but have steadfastly refused to do so. The team notes that it was originally named after its founder’s World War I Army unit, and only tangentially named after the Indian chief made famous in the 1830s with his brief war against the states of Illinois and Wisconsin. The team also said that the name honors Native Americans.

Still, the Blackhawks did recently put out an “indigenous land” statement in November that essentially claimed that the team is playing on “stolen” land.

“The Chicago Blackhawks acknowledge that the team, its foundation, and the spaces we maintain, work, and compete within, stand upon the traditional homelands of the Miami, Sauk, Fox, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, and the council of the Three Fires,” the team said in its statement.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston.

The Secretary of State and Governor of Georgia, both so-called “Republicans”, aren’t allowing Fulton County to go through the vital Voter Signature Verification process. Also, they are not allowing Republican “watchers” to be present and verify! @BrianKempGA

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2020

Just because the sports world somehow navigated the 2019-2020 season, doesn’t mean they’ve got the 2020-2021 season figured out.

One of the possibilities the National Hockey League is reportedly considering when it comes to combating strict coronavirus protocols, involves the creation of an all-Canadian division. Such an arrangement would keep the Canadian teams in Canada and the American teams in America.

Yet another possibility, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, is that all NHL teams could play all of their games in the United States.

According to Johnston, the league would likely opt to play all games in the U.S. if they can’t figure out the all-Canadian division in time for the season to start.

“However, the plan requires approval from health authorities in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia. They need to be comfortable with the league’s protocols, which have been an ongoing point of discussion with the NHL Players’ Association,” Johnston explained.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun also touched on the need for additional realignment if the Canadian division doesn’t materialize.

The league’s targeted return date is January 13th.