Week 8 Blog Post
Dec. 2, 2025
Teams that keep Native American or Indigenous mascots continue to hold racial stereotypes, reducing entire cultures to symbolic representations. The images of war paint, headdresses and chants which Lind examines in Arguing Over Images: Native American Mascots and Race don’t accurately represent traditional Indigenous practices. Native people become comedic stereotypes for entertainment purposes, especially when used as mascots instead of receiving respectful treatment. The most ethical solution demands permanent removal of Native mascots together with financial support and actual consultation for Native communities instead of superficial brand modifications.
Sports and political activities have maintained a connection throughout history despite fans who want to keep them separate. We’ve seen this in our current news, with major busts happening in the sports gambling world. The silent protest of Colin Kaepernick received different interpretations from viewers who saw it as either a defense of his beliefs or an attack on American national values; two complete polar opposite beliefs. The #Bamasits case study shows how sports media enables activism to spread through Twitter, which becomes a space for public discussions about racial issues, police conduct and national pride.
The documentary by Dave Zirin shows how American sports have consistently displayed the ideological conflicts which include segregation and gender-based restrictions. Sports media continues to discriminate against women athletes because of established media prejudices that have existed for many years. Media outlets tend to present female athletes through their physical appearance (Angel Reese) and emotional responses (Sophie Cunningham) instead of showing off their athletic skills. Women journalists (especially in broadcast) experience maltreatment, which differs from the typical experiences of their male counterparts in the field. Look up the Erin Andrews hotel incident- no one would do that to a man.
The Minnesota Lynx organization demonstrates successful women's sports leadership through their strategic use of their platform to advocate for social justice initiatives. The sports culture silently supports being homophobic towards men because wants to enforce traditional masculine norms. Sports culture supports powerful and forceful conduct, but it does not welcome people who show their emotions in ways that don’t align with sports. Sports media can establish equality through two methods": Removing stereotypes and showing support for marginalized voices, and by acknowledging their ability to drive social transformation through their platforms.