Native American Hockey Player Refuses to be PC (my title)

canoe.ca ^ | November 12, 2002 | Pierre LeBrun

[bourbon]

Simon feels re-born in Chicago

Proud to wear Blackhawks jersey


By PIERRE LeBRUN -- Canadian Press

For Chris Simon, it just feels right.

"Being a North American Indian, it's just great to wear the Blackhawks uniform," says the native of Wawa, Ont.

While native activists in the U.S. have vehemently complained to pro sports teams with native logos, such as the NFL's Washington Redskins or major league baseball's Atlanta Braves, Simon is not offended by the Blackhawks crest.

"No, I don't," he says over the phone during his team's recent road trip. "I think it's an honour to wear the jersey. It's out of respect that they have the Blackhawk on the jersey. I take it as a compliment."

Not that he grew up a Hawks fan in the Northern Ontario town.

"The Leafs were my favourite team," he says. "Lanny McDonald was my favourite player. I always wore No. 7 as a kid. But then again, we only had one channel in Wawa."

It's fitting that he's ended up in Chicago, one of his favourite road stops as an opponent, and where he played his first career NHL game at the old Chicago Stadium with the Quebec Nordiques in 1993.

"I had a scoring chance playing on a shift with Mats Sundin," he recalled.

Simon is about as happy as he's been in a long time. The six-foot-four, 235-pound winger was buried on the fourth line of the Washington Capitals before being saved by the Hawks in a Nov. 1 trade that also featured centre Andrei Nikolishin coming to Chicago and centre Michael Nylander heading to the Caps.

[bourbon]

I just thought this was a very interesting article. It's not often that you see someone refuse a journalist's invitation to political correctness.

[Tired of Taxes]

I never understood the complaint against team names. Obviously, a team wouldn't take a name if they had no respect for it.

[Chad Fairbanks]

The whole idea of political correctness, with regard to american indian sports team names is just a modern extension of the liberals attempting to further eradicat our culture - they did it in the 1930s as well, with their High Priestess of Eugenics, who went on to found Planned Parenthood...

Liberals are racists. Bottom line.

[Badger1]

Only a minority of Native Americans are ofended by team names. But of course, they are a vocal minority that is trying to force their opinions on the majority.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

But of course, they are a vocal minority that is trying to force their opinions on the majority.

They need SOMETHING to do while coming down from huffing paint thinner. (How's that for un-PC?)

[RonF]

Unlike many teams that use some kind of Native American motif, the Chicago Blackhawks reference a specific Native American selected for specific honorable characteristics, and they don't caricturize him. The logo is a reasonably accurate portrayal of a Native American face in profile. The feathers and paint portrayed, while using colors not normally found in nature, are shown the way he'd have actually worn them. And there are no ridiculous abuses of the culture; there's no "Tomahawk chop", there's no "Chief Blackhawk" mascot, etc.

Instead, what they do during intermissions is bring out three people from the crowd to try to shoot the puck into the goal from center ice for airline tickets. First, some guy walks out. He is booed when he walks out. If he hits the goal, he's cheered, but if he misses he's booed mercilessly. Then some kid walks out. He or she is cheered, and if they hit the goal they get a standing ovation. Then some babe, usually teetering across the ice in 3" heels, comes out. She's cheered in direct proportion to her figure and the salaciousness of her attire, which means that she's usually cheered pretty loudly. If she hits the goal the players will hear the crowd in the locker room. Billy Wirtz ain't PC and says the logo and the name are here to stay.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"The logo is a reasonably accurate portrayal of a Native American face in profile. "

I am an Illinois alum with our "Chief" completely authentic in his dress. BUT the liberals have been after the "Illini" to become the Ducks or something equally as stupid. Being accurate counts for nothing in PC lala-land.

[CollegeRepublican]

As an interesting side note....Last year Simon allegedly issued some racial slurs towards the Oiler's Forward Mike Grier. Simon apologized, but then a funny thing happened. The Captials traded for Grier and then Simon was traded. Coincidence? Probably. Simon was an injured player, a tough guy who thought he could score goals like a skill player. I liked his toughness, but I also like Michael Nylander. I say good luck to him. He was a good Capital.

[E Rocc]

Only a minority of Native Americans are ofended by team names. But of course, they are a vocal minority that is trying to force their opinions on the majority.

They and their liberal friends should go try to persuade the Amerind gangs in western cities that use Washington Redskins and Cleveland Indians gear as "colors". No fair going armed, that would be "unfair stereotyping"....hehehe.

-Eric

[bourbon]

Yup. I too am proud to wear my Blackhawks sweater. And, you're right that the Indian head logo is probably the most honorable portrait of a Native American in major league sports.

BTW, although I like Chris Simon, I just wish they hadn't traded Nylander to get him. :-)

[bourbon]

Yeah. That's an interesting story. Wasn't Simon himself the target of slurs at some point? Or am I mistaken? I seem to remember some other tough guy said something bad about him one time.

Simon definitely had some good games as a Cap. I saw him play a great game at MCI Center during the 1999-2000(?) season, the same year he had 29 goals. Not bad for a "goon!"

[Alberta's Child]

If I were the general manager of a new NHL team I'd make sure a healthy Chris Simon was one of my top five picks. I've never seen a "goon" player with goal-scoring skills like his. As a 19 year-old rookie with Quebec he once scored a hat trick in a playoff game against the Rangers, and all three of them were remarkably pretty for a goon.

Simon is from an Ojibway reserve up near the small northern Ontario town of Wawa. From what I've heard his past is a bit checkered -- lots of problems in his younger days with drinking. Not an uncommon story on those reserves, but here's hoping he's turned the corner.

[bourbon]

Yes. I think that it's fitting that in the same year that Bob Probert retired the B'hawks picked up a player who is so reminiscent of him. Just like Probert, Simon is a fearsome tough guy with a checkered past who has the ability to score goals. Granted it was a long time ago, but Probert had a 20+ goal scoring season too.

[arly]

I think the Blackhawk's emblem looks cool!

[bourbon]

Oh, it's cool. So cool that it needs to be posted!

[Dr. Luv]

Oh yes, all North American indians sniff gas, all of us black folks are stoopid, and wimin should stay in the kitchin where they belong...</sarcasm>

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

Hey, I said I was being un-PC. And besides, I was only referring to the small number with too much time on their hands. Just like picking on rabid feminists doesn't speak for all women. No offense intended to any groups as a whole.

[alaskanfan]

Blackhawkfan since the early sixties. I just wish old dollar bill (Wirtz) would sell the team to someone who gives a dang about the team and the fans.