buffalo b-ball team changes logo

[offthepost]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20061102/1000162.asp

i came across this article and thought would be interesting reading...

as we all know the ABA doesnt have the best logos..but this one now isnt so bad..

except what the heck is it....with the team name Silverbacks...

[Dilbert]

I dont see anything racist about their old logo. Whats so bad about a Silverback Gorrilla?

[slapshot]

What the hell is this thing supposed to be? A hyena? A panther?

Bah.

[Burning River]

Wow... I'd relly like to hear the explanation as to why it was racist. A gorilla is racist? Please Explain why.

Is someone going to now complain that they are offended by a logo of a "Black Panther"??

[oz615]

Does anyone have a copy of the old logo so i can see for myself.

[eriqjaffe]

Does anyone have a copy of the old logo so i can see for myself.

I don't get it.

[lilgump]

Id say the new logo is an upgrade but I think this pretty much sums it up, as written in the article.

A silverback is an adult male gorilla that serves as the respected leader of his tribe

and

There is no such thing as a silverback panther

[eSabre]

Not bad. I don't quite get it (why is a panther a logo for a team named the Silverbacks?), but I guess it's okay.

I could do without the gradients though.

[eriqjaffe]

Not bad. I don't quite get it (why is a panther a logo for a team named the Silverbacks?), but I guess it's okay.

I could do without the gradients though.

Wait a minute. That new logo doesn't feature the ABA ball anywhere. I call shenanigans!

[powersurge]

Why does Green Day's 'American Idiot' come to mind when I read a story like this?

Can our country get any more conservative? Jesus H. Christ!!!! (The 'H' stands for Horatio by the way)

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Considering long-held stereotypes against black Americans and the various names that white people have used to degrade them, any reference to a large ape-like creature pertaining to a team of predominately black men is probably a bad idea.

That's not to say the team owners were scheming to put black people down. I'm sure their intentions were pure. The broader context, however, is that calling black men, in effect, gorillas, isn't good.

Of course, like said above, I'm not exactly sure how black panthers is much better. I guess at this point you throw your hands in the air and write it all off as that craaaazy ABA.

[FiddySicks]

Considering long-held stereotypes against black Americans and the various names that white people have used to degrade them, any reference to a large ape-like creature pertaining to a team of predominately black men is probably a bad idea.

That's not to say the team owners were scheming to put black people down. I'm sure their intentions were pure. The broader context, however, is that calling black men, in effect, gorillas, isn't good.

Of course, like said above, I'm not exactly sure how black panthers is much better. I guess at this point you throw your hands in the air and write it all off as that craaaazy ABA.

*this post may ofend some!!! if you are VERY easily offended stop reading now!!!*

Seems kindof strange to me. Its almost if stupid people are going to start sueing the democratic party for using a donkey (jackass) as their mascot. And BTW, does this remind anyone else of the "PorchMonkeys" scene from Clerks II?

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Seems kindof strange to me. Its almost if stupid people are going to start sueing the democratic party for using a donkey (jackass) as their mascot.

No, it's not like that at all. You can call someone stupid, ignorant, a jackass, a moron, an idiot, etc. and they take that as the insult that it is. You're not making value judgments based on the color of the skin.

Throughout the history of our country black Americans have been marginalized as second-class citizens and one constant insult has been to call them monkeys of some sort or another. Traditionally, calling a black American a "monkey" is a racial slur. Again, I'm not saying the owners of the Buffalo Silverbacks are bad people. I'm just saying it was an unfortunate choice and they're trying to make it better. Trying, at least.

[eRay]

if you don't see why it is racist, you haven't been keeping up on recent sports news. anybody else read about Mutombo getting into it with a fan over being called a monkey? anybody remember that Mutombo didnt get in trouble and the fan got banned? eh, nevermind, if you dont get it you probably never will.

[FiddySicks]

Seems kindof strange to me. Its almost if stupid people are going to start sueing the democratic party for using a donkey (jackass) as their mascot.

No, it's not like that at all. You can call someone stupid, ignorant, a jackass, a moron, an idiot, etc. and they take that as the insult that it is. You're not making value judgments based on the color of the skin.

Throughout the history of our country black Americans have been marginalized as second-class citizens and one constant insult has been to call them monkeys of some sort or another. Traditionally, calling a black American a "monkey" is a racial slur. Again, I'm not saying the owners of the Buffalo Silverbacks are bad people. I'm just saying it was an unfortunate choice and they're trying to make it better. Trying, at least.

Oh no I get that for sure. But I still think its a bit of a stretch. To me it seems like more of an unfortunate and ironic coincidence. I mean if this was a kockey team would the change have happened? Probably not. I just think while there is merit to complaint, it still seems a bit oversensative.

Oh and BTW, that whole Jackass Democrat thing wasnt meant in any way to be a slam at Democrats. It was just an example.

[logodawg]

I probably didn't help that the gorilla in the logo was dunking, which is suggests that it's a black player since we all know that white men can't jump.

Yeah I can see why it was viewed the way in which it was.

[McCall]

Why does Green Day's 'American Idiot' come to mind when I read a story like this?

Can our country get any more conservative? Jesus H. Christ!!!! (The 'H' stands for Horatio by the way)

Conservatve? It's accusing a sports logo of being racist. This is LIBERALISM at it's worst. It's a damn gorilla. Look it up in the dictionary. The Gorilla was red with a silver jersey, in NO WAY did it emulate african-americans. I'm sorry, but this was ridiculous. A proud, respected animal (see definition of Silverback once again) is considered racist. What's next?

[Cyclopsis Joe]

The logo and term are only going to be seen as racist because they changed it for that reason.

Like one of those hidden picture things. You don't see it until someone points it out to you.

[BuddyLane]

Okay. Here's more stupidity at it's finset. The Gorilla was racist. I don't get it. A gorilla is a very powerful creature in the wild. The black community went too far on this one.

Here is the stupidity part. No one saw this. Couldn't the panther (black panther), I know some light bulbs just went off, be associated with the Black Panther Party of the 1960's? Most of the players on the Buffalo team are black. This could be seen as racist to the white communitys.

I'm just saying.

Can some one tell me how some black people were offended by Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars Episode 1. I asked a friend of mine about that, he is black by the way, and he told me I had to be black to understand.

Sorry to disappoint everyone. I'm a white guy. I just can't make the connection.

[ebod39]

regardless of your position on either of these "logos"( and I use that term lightly ) being racist, they both equally suck the polliticaly correct hairy beanbag from a design standpoint.