July 22

The Edmonton Eskimos gave up their name today. A name I despise, but not for racial reasons. I am a diehard Calgary Stampeders fan. I have hated the Eskimos in a brotherly way all of my life. I am not happy with the change. I understand why they have done it but I question the rationale that is being used. The Washington Redskins gave up their name only a week ago so Edmonton felt compelled to follow suit.

Yet the two names and organizations could not be more different. Redskin has always been an offensive term to the native American, when you call a native a redskin you are insulting him on purpose. To most people, we have always thought of the name Eskimo in a positive light. The power and the respect of the Eskimo people was the driving force behind Edmonton taking the name in the first place. I understand how they are the Inuit, and Eskimo is a slang name. What about Canuck? That is a slang term for Canadian, should Vancouver changes it’s hockey clubs name?

I respect their decision and understand the reason. I just hope that most Inuit people see the difference. Do the Stampeders need to change their name because it describes a cowboy? Or for that matter what about the Dallas Cowboys? The New Orleans Saints? The Boston Celtics? Should we ban all names that reference people of any stripe? Only names of animals allowed? The BC Lions are safe.

Teams have been named over the years in respect of their namesake. No city would name their team after something that doesn’t describe something they respect and admire. Eskimos are very much respected and admired in Canada. By extension so are the Inuit people.

2020 has become a watershed year in many ways. Our world is waking up to many injustices and rightly so. Our world has been restrained by a novel coronavirus that has created much division and unification.

All at the same time.

As a society, we try to accommodate so much, help so many. Yet are we losing our way? There are so many sides to the story, we will never have the right answer.

Now we have my bitter football rival for all my life-changing its identity. Will it ever be the same? I know some may feel I am wrong and that is their right. I don’t know if I am right. It’s just what I feel. I feel I have lost something, Edmonton has lost something. Go Stamps Go. And please bring football back.