Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

The locals are resisting the cries for a nickname change. Is anyone surprised with the resistance?

Consider the situation:

1. You are born in a place.
2. You grow up there.
3. You cheer for the home team.

Nothing surprising in how the first two items lead to the third.

One day, some outsiders shout:

The nickname of your home team is evil.

“Evil?” you ask. “What do you mean?”

Before any discussion occurs, those outsiders, in a not-so-subtle manner, also say,

If you cheer for that evil team, you are also evil.

Wait a minute. I was just drinking a cup of coffee and now I am called “evil.” I don’t like that. Who is calling me evil? I protest.

Such is the case with the Washington D.C. NFL team (I won’t print the nickname as that is evil in the opinion of some.). Some people are saying the name is evil. Hence, the team is evil. Hence, the fans of the team are evil. The fans are shocked. And, the fans are opposed to those outsiders and everything they say.

Is anyone surprised at the opposition?

Perhaps those who want the name changed could have used a different approach.