Why is using Native American names for sports teams considered racist?

[liberalhistorian]

15. God, I hated that damned logo every

day of the thirty years I lived in the Cleveland area. Just trying to find something of the Indians (cap, tee-shirt, what have you) without that damned embarrassing piece of shit racist caricature grinning from it was damned near impossible. And what was even worse was trying to explain to others why we felt that way, and why we'd never wear anything of the Indians with that on it. You'd have thought we were planning to destroy the team or something, it was unbelievable.

And it remains sickening that they continue to use that. When they were in the World Series twice in the 90's, that was used as their "logo" on tv; every time the Indians' team name flashed on the screen, for scoring or whatever, there it was, embarrassing us before the nation. We caught a lot of national shit for that, rightfully so, but that just caused the city to double down even more. And what was really infuriating was that I was often asked "why do you even care, what's it to you?" Translation: you're a middle-class white gal, what the hell is it to you? Like I couldn't care about the feelings of other groups and the way they were depicted without their consent unless I was a member of the group myself.