Chief Wahoo Debate: Bomani Jones Wore a Shirt. So What?

On Thursday, ESPN personality Bomani Jones wore what is being perceived as an incendiary spoof of the Cleveland Indians mascot, Chief Wahoo. In case you missed it, check it out below:

Even in 2016, the Chief Wahoo logo has stirred up controversy. From the Opening Day protesters to the Dolan’s announcement that they will continue to roll back the use of the image, it has never been a tougher time than being a fan of Chief Wahoo. It’s harder than ever to find Tribe gear that doesn’t feature that dreadful block C logo or the boring typeface Cleveland scrawled across the chest. But that is the reality of today’s climate, where awareness of cultural sensitivities is at an all-time high.

I’ve been an Indians fan almost 30 years. I’ve covered the team for three years for various sites and will proudly say that an Indians World Series is my ideal Cleveland championship. I get why people are mad at Jones, who has a history of speaking out on cultural issues and using his celebrity to advocate for causes he believes in. To be honest, I couldn’t care less about the “Caucasians” shirt he work on television at all, and really, neither should you.

Ignore the fact that the logo is itself offensive, whether you yourself are offended or not. Ignore the fact that our nation’s history is littered with ugly interactions with Native Americans. Ignore the fact that even today’s Chief Wahoo is not nearly as ridiculous as the yellow faced image used before it. You shouldn’t be offended or bothered by the shirt because of all of the reasons you want to say people shouldn’t be offended by the image of Chief Wahoo. Let’s run down some of the responses I’ve heard over the course of the last few years:

• It’s just a logo for a sports team
• It’s a caricature, not a real picture
• It’s meant to be a good thing
• It doesn’t bother me, so it shouldn’t bother anyone else
• It’s honoring Native Americans
• Why do we need to be politically correct?
• Native Americans played for the team!

Sound familiar? I’ve said them myself, in the spirit of honesty. Chief Wahoo doesn’t bother me, but I also understand why it bothers people. I’m empathetic enough to realize there’s a bigger world view out there than my own.

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Just look at the list. In the fervor over Bomani Jones, the same can be said about his shirt. It’s a caricature, could “honor” Caucasians, doesn’t need to be politically correct, and Caucasians have absolutely played for the Indians. The way people have responded to Jones has been absolutely ridiculous. Need proof? Just look through his Twitter feed and read the misdirected venom being sent his way.

So before you paint your face red and shout at a protestor like it’s 2015 and buy as many “Keep the Chief” shirts that you can, know that I too don’t want Chief Wahoo to go anywhere. I’m simply choosing to remain level headed about the whole thing and not get offended by what Bomani Jones wore on television.

I don’t understand the backlash over what Jones wore on television. He wore a shirt with a bad cartoon and the word Caucasian across the chest.

Next: Chief Wahoo Still A Best Seller

If you want to be up in arms and rampage on social media, you are more than welcome to. Just remember to go through the list of all the reasons why you say people shouldn’t get mad about Chief Wahoo and the word Indians before you do. Otherwise, all you’ve done is be a hypocrite. Please, people, toughen up a little. You can’t have it both ways.