There is Nothing to Editorialize About :-)

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As noted, time and time again.

The Washington Post is amped up. It is its own story now.

It writes stories; generates headlines; creates blog posts; creates polls; and publishes editorials. It created ripples in its own affiliated media pond. It has become its own community of interest.

I have had my say on the matter. To everyone. To the Post directly in meetings and via my blog and via emails to them. In fact, the editor who wrote this editorial told me that if we ever decided to change the name he would write this very editorial.

We haven’t changed the name. :-)  We haven’t made a decision. We haven’t done any work on it. It is “under consideration” because of the volume of emails that argue both sides of the debate.

But this is not a decision that I need to focus on. As noted we have many items completed in our To Do list; many items in progress; and a few items that we are considering due to the volume of email and suggestions. My issue is thus: There is now very little discussion on what we have done or this season. The focus is on what we have noted as input from our fans. Hence it is “under consideration.” The Post talks about it all of the time. I don’t. In fact, I don’t think much about it as I have my hands full with the seasons starting for the Caps and the Wizards.

You all now know where the Washington Post stands on this matter. At least in its editorial page. But it was also debated on PTI. Former and present day Washington Post columnists talked about it on ESPN. It was the subject of the Washington Post’s Mike Wise radio show, too. The DC Sports Bog has blogged about it. The monster has been fed. ”Hmmm. Tasty. Monster like.”

You now all know what the Washington Post audience feels about it due to their own poll. Go to Wizards Insider to see.

But I am focused on the here and now.

I believe this has all been blown out of proportion.

I understand both sides of the argument via the Washington Post itself. Good thing I am not being argumentative. :-)  Drop the puck. Get to jump ball.

7 thoughts on “There is Nothing to Editorialize About :-)”

  1. Anything can be made so that it is politically incorrect. There are many ways that can make the name “Wizards” politically incorrect for the same reasons why many Christians parents don’t like their children to read Harry Potter (dark arts, magic, etc). In addition, think of who are called wizards this day and age. The leaders of Ku Klux Klan are referred to as wizards, aka grand wizards. Personally that’s the first thing that came to my mind when the wizards name were announced. You cannot get more politically incorrect than that. Just as Eric said that if anyone thinks the name Bullets condones violence is just foolish.

  2. Here is a paper I have done on the origin of the Bullets. It has color pictures, but your email option won’t show them, so I provide links to the photos instead.

    It establishes that the origin of “Bullets” is a basketball shoe, meant to connote speed, not a gun projectile.

    The T. & A. Bata Shoe Company was founded in 1894 in Czechoslovakia by Tomas Bata. It is still going worldwide today.

    In 1934, Bata opened a factory/city with worker housing in Belcamp, Maryland, in Harford County MD, just north of Baltimore, becoming a haven for many Czechoslovakians fleeing Nazi invaders. Founder Thomas Bata had brought the shoe business to the United States, to Belcamp, for just that reason, and encouraged others from his homeland to follow. The Bata Shoe Co. buildings were considered architecturally significant because they were among the early examples in the United States of the Bauhaus school of design.

    [ Picture of factory, also at link

    http://www.kilduffs.com/BATA.html

    At its height it employed as many as 3,400 workers to manufacture shoes such as the Bata Bullet sneaker. One of its best selling shoes was the Bata Bullet, a canvas shoe used by basketball players, similar to the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars (“Chucks”).

    See picture of Beta Bullets shoes, also at link

    http://www.icollector.com/Oversized-Advertising-Tennis-Shoe-Bata-Bullets_i5415397

    Here is a link for a commercial for Bata Bullets, http://www.filmarchive.org.nz/sellebration/view.php?id=133

    Bata has bankrolled many athletic teams around the world, such as the Malawian football/soccer team, the “Bata Bullets,” still known as the Bullets.

    Well, another team it bankrolled was the Baltimore Bullets, who wore the Bata Bullets shoe from the 1940′s even through the 1960’s.

    [ Picture of Beta Bullets shoe box, as worn and endorsed by the Baltimore Bullets.

    also at this link

    http://cgi.ebay.com/Vtg-1964-Bata-Bullets-Chino-Boot-Canvas-Sneakers-w-Box-/310260472138

    scroll down to see box.

  3. Ted, use it as a learning experience. The reaction was 100% predictable. If it is interesting people will talk, and any discussion of name change is interesting.

  4. Ted,
    This does not address the issue that the Wizards name stinks.

    Anyone who says that the team name “Bullets” condones/promotes violence is about as illogical as some crazy person using heavy metal music as an excuse for violence.

    Let’s get sensible and change the team name back to Bullets and watch the merchandise and jerseys fly off the shelf. At the very least change the colors to the red white and blue combo that doesn’t suck. BTW, please don’t resurrect those puke-worthy gold and black uniforms again.

    Thanks so much.

  5. This is an example of the PC culture run amuck. Please answer me this, when the name was changed, did gun violence drop dramatically in DC? No it did not. Restore the tradition of the team. Unseld and Hayes never played for the Wizards. If you want to restore a winning tradition, you have to restore our teams heritage. If the name comes back, so will I, till then I will watch the Red, White and Blue Capitals.

  7. I can’t stand the Post and could care less what they think, say or write. Please change the name back to the Bullets.