I've had my head buried so deep in Olympic hockey that I failed to notice an absolute travesty taking place deep in the heart of Texas, where a small knot of politically correct buffoons have browbeaten MLS into changing the fantastic name of their new franchise:
Many Hispanics have voiced their dislike for the controversial name, claiming it carries an anti-Mexican sentiment and lends itself to be a divisive tool among Houstonians.Although 1836 was meant to symbolize the year Houston was founded, it also has links to other significant events some Mexican-Americans might find offensive. Those include Texas' independence from Mexico, the Battle of the Alamo and the defeat of Gen. Antonio L
Wouldn’t Houston 1996 (the original team founding) or Houston 2006 (the Houston team “founding”) make more sense?
I would think that given you are the author of Free Market Sports Fan Manifesto #5, you would understand why an entertainment business may not want to risk offending a large segment of its customer base, regardless of whether those feelings are allegedly irrational.
Furthermore, while I know nothing about soccer, I am guessing CD Chivas believes its best way to make $$ is to market itself as a “Hispanic” team regardless of whether Anglos in the LA area care. Whether that is smart marketing remains to be seen. Whether it is morally reprehensible/legal to refuse to sign non-Hispanic players, ala the Red Sox initial refusal to integrate, is an entirely different question than which you posed.
At times I wish you were this biting when it comes to the NHL.
I think Ninja’s onto something, though without all the heavy breathing: Houston 1836 expects (or wants) most of its fan base to be Mexican-Americans. Therefore, when grievance-mongers crop up claiming that something is offensive to Mexican-Americans (and/or using that publicity to gin up “offense” among Mexican-Americans), the corporate response is: “Uh oh, this will threaten our income. Change the name.”
My opinion is that it’s craven and a terrible insult to local pride. However, corporations are routinely craven, easy targets for “diversity” hustlers of any stripe, and more concerned with income than pride, local or otherwise.
They can always call them the San Jose Earthquakes again.
Chivas isn’t just named for the Guadalajara Goats (that’s what Chivas means literally)–they are in fact owned by that Mexican side. (And MLS has always sought to put Hispanic players in areas where many fans speak Spanish, as well as assigning Irish and Italian players to the Revolution and Metrostars and Poles to the Fire.)