Former Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley does not support the efforts to change his former team’s name. Cooley, who hosts a show on ESPN 980 with Steve Czaban, spent a good portion of their Wednesday show ridiculing sports writers who are calling for the Redskins to change their nickname.
Czaban and Cooley criticized the “guilt-ridden white liberal sports writers” for trying to take a stand. Keep in mind ESPN 980 is owned and operated by Dan Snyder’s company Red Zebra Broadcasting. Dan Steinberg of DC Sports Bog transcribed some of the highlights (lowlights?) of the segment for us.
Czaban: It’s a cause. They need a cause to feel good about themselves. They will then say it doesn’t matter if it’s 70, 80 percent — if one person is offended, then that’s enough.
Cooley: You know what, Steve? We need a cause. You and I need a cause. And you know what that cause is going to be? I don’t like the Chargers because I want to protect the ozone, all right guys? I feel like there’s a global warming issue, and I don’t like the name Chargers, because they’re promoting electricity. Eff electricity, and eff the Chargers name. I have a problem with them. All I’ve got to do is a pamphlet and 10 percent of a couple people and maybe a Senator or two that wants to protect the ozone and we’re off and running.
Galdi: Call Olbermann. Call Deadspin.
Their rant seemed to be aimed more at upper class sports writers who are trying to take a righteous stance, but the way Cooley and Czaban went about making their point came off as arrogant and insensitive. Not surprisingly, the National Congress of American Indians found the remarks offensive and addressed them in a press release.
“Chris Cooley’s comments represent a sadly typical attempt to dehumanize Native Americans by pretending we do not exist,” the statement read. “In this case, Mr. Cooley insultingly pretends that the Native American groups representing hundreds of thousands of Native Americans haven’t been leading the fight to end the Washington team’s use of a racial slur. In this Mr. Cooley proves exactly why this slur is such a problem – in defending the team’s insistence to retain the name and profit off a racial slur, he apparently sees Native Americans not as people, but as mere mascots to be ignored and denigrated. These kinds of degrading comments are completely inappropriate and unacceptable in today’s society, and we as Native peoples should not be subject to such characterizations.”
Chris Cooley an obnoxious loudmouth? Nooooo….
