Meet the Boston Raider, the team mascot for the Prince Albert Raiders, a junior hockey team from Saskatchewan, Canada, in the Western Hockey League. Meet him, and cherish him: this mascot, this epically shitty idea that betrays a complete lack of common sense, sensitivity, and any contemplative thought whatsoever.
Whoops, did we say "meet"? Too late.... it appears someone clued in and decided this was a bad idea. The mascot's triumphant unveiling occurred on November 14, but by November 21, seven presumably painful days later, this happened....
"The Prince Albert Raiders announced in a statement Friday on their website there will not be a team mascot at home games until further notice. The Western Hockey League (WHL) team is considering feedback it's received this past week."
No, wait, they can explain! Sort of.
Back in 1982 to 1996, in the Raiders' glory days which included a Memorial Cup victory, this was the team's logo: a charming visage of a man in a keffiyeh, wielding a frightening-looking sword and a hockey stick.
You mean someone thought this was a good idea as recently as 1996? Oh my.
But no matter, because the real motive here was... wait for it.... nostalgia! Just ask Raiders spokesperson Amber Pratt:
"The intent of using this character as our mascot was to bring back an icon from the glory days of the Prince Albert Raiders and to bring some nostalgia back to the fans," she said."
Yes, yes: nostalgia: namely, for a time when people just did stuff involving racial imagery for cheap entertainment of the ignorant masses without giving an ounce, nay, a picoliter of thought on this subject. Minstrelsy! Stepping Fetchit! Arabic Man! It all makes sense.
Not that some spoilsports agree:
Rhonda Rosenberg, executive director of the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan, said the mascot plays into possible discrimination.
"The idea of a somewhat violent Muslim man is a stereotype that is really difficult for a lot of people to live with," she said.
Any doubt this is offensive? Example: go to the comments page of the Toronto Sun article on the Boston Raider. It says more than snark can.
And if you're decoding the name "Boston Raider" and wondering how "Boston" got into this, know that Boston Pizza and the Raiders are partners in a cross-promotion. Did they know about this in advance? BP certainly has the presence of mind to wash its hands of it:
Perry Schwartz, spokesman for Boston Pizza International, said the franchisee in Prince Albert has a long-standing relationship with the Raiders.
"Our franchisee didn't see the new mascot or logo prior to it being unveiled on the weekend," Schwartz said in an email. "This was simply part of their sponsorship package as a supporter of junior hockey in the community."
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