Florida’s Bush blasts NCAA ban on Seminoles nickname
“The insult those people by telling them, ‘No, no, you’re not smart enough to understand this. You should be feeling really horrible about this,”‘ Bush said on his way into a Cabinet meeting. “I think It’s ridiculous.”
“How politically correct can we get?” he added. “The folks that make these decisions need to get out more often.”
Florida State, Illinois and Utah are among 18 schools with an American Indian nickname or logo that will be prohibited by the NCAA from displaying them in postseason events, starting in February.
The nicknames will not be allowed on team uniforms and mascots will not be allowed to perform at games. Cheerleaders and band members will also be barred from using American Indians on their uniforms beginning in 2008.
“We recognize this is an emotional issue in Florida, and in other parts of the country there are people who feel just as strongly being opposed,” NCAA spokesman Bob Williams said Tuesday. “We believe this decision was made on sound ground legally though as I said before there is an appeal process in place.”
The school’s board of trustees are scheduled to meet Wednesday in emergency session to discuss elements of its formal response to the NCAA.
The university has until Feb. 1 to make a formal appeal to the NCAA executive committee.
Meanwhile, attorney Barry Richard, who successfully led the legal challenge on behalf of Republican George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential recount in Florida, has agreed to represent the school in its case against the NCAA, Florida State President T.K. Wetherell said Wednesday.
Bush said he fully agrees with Wetherell, who will sue the NCAA if their decision on the use of Seminoles is not rescinded. Tribal officials also support the school in its stance against the NCAA.
“If you have the Seminole Tribe and Gov. Bush on your side, how can you go wrong?” Florida State University Vice President Lee Hinkle said Wednesday.
For example, the costuming and rigging of the school’s symbols, Chief Osceola and the Appaloosa horse, Renegade, are designed by the Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida.
Bush said the NCAA must have better things to do that sit around worrying about the nicknames adopted by its member institutions.
“You know what they ought to be worried about? The graduation rates of most college athletes,” the second-term Florida governor said. “Maybe if they had some suggestions on that, that universities could apply and could implement, they could be doing a service to all of us.”