As this is my last Webb Weekly column for 2020, the most appropriate sendoff I can think of is — good riddance!!!

Each year we have been blessed to receive many Christmas cards from friends and loved ones. While the welcomed tradition may not be as prominent as it once was, it is always nice to welcome those greetings, in many cases from distant folks we only hear from at this time of the year. One of those cards was quite unique and definitely spoke to the theme all of us share about the soon to be exited 2020.

The card featured the Grinch’s hand holding a Christmas tree ornament ball marked with the year 2020. Inside, the card had three words – stink, stank, stunk. Truer words may have never been spoken. Let’s all move on to a better 2021, and thanks to all who have kept us in your thoughts.

We all would like to leave many things of 2020 behind as we move forward. For two professional sports franchises, they took that leaving behind thing to extremes; they left their long-established identity in the rearview mirror. Both the Washington Redskins of the NFL and MLB’s Cleveland Indians have bowed to years of public pressure and political correctness and have indicated they will change the long-established nicknames of their teams.

This has been a hot-button topic for several years. The former logo of the now “Washington Football Club” was first proposed in 1934 by Walter Wetzel, a former Blackhawk tribal chairman and past president of the National Congress of American Indians. It took the likeness of the image used on the Buffalo nickel.

The Cleveland Indians are said to have been named after former player Louis Sockalexe, a Penobscot Indian so respected, that one year after his passing in 1914, Cleveland took the name to commemorate him. There have been some that have disputed this claim, reasoning why the team would be named after Sockalexe, who only played 96 games for the team.

The Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL have recently announced that they will continue to use their long-standing nickname. Chicago first joined the NHL in 1926 and got its moniker from team owner Frederic McLaughlin, who was a commander during World War II serving under the 86th infantry division. It was named “Blackhawk Division” after Chief Black Hawk. The team’s logo has been unchanged since 1959-60.

A statement released by the team stated, “We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation. Moving forward, we are committed to raising the bar even higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important contribution of all Native American people.”

While there are certainly those who view sports teams containing American Indian nicknames as disrespectful, including many Native American Indians themselves, it can be reasoned that those nicknames were established out of respect and honor rather than a discredit to their namesakes. But that ship has left port, and new team names are being established, which the teams have every right to do.

However, left behind, there are countless professional, college, high school, and sandlot teams still identified by similar nicknames. Perhaps the two most prominent are the Florida State Seminoles and the Atlanta Braves, both of which have shown no intention of changing their names. Closer to home, there is no indication that the Montoursville Warriors, Muncy Indians, or Sayre Redskins are making a change.

William Shakespeare long ago asked, “What’s in a Name?” Let’s take a look at what our professional sports teams are calling themselves.

In the 32-team NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers might need to be investigated for their insensitive names. Nine teams are named after animals, and five after birds. Six teams carry local or historical significance: the Patriots, Texans, Steelers, Cowboys, Packers, and 49ers.

In the 30-team NBA, only one politically incorrect name can be found, the Golden State Warriors, while there are four teams named after animals and four after birds. Local significance team names included the 76ers, Magic, Pistons, Rockets, Pacers, and Suns.

Major League Baseball’s 30 teams include the aforementioned Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians. Perhaps that insensitive list should be expanded to include those swashbuckling dudes of yesteryear, the Pittsburgh Pirates. On the calmer side, there are three teams of animals and three of birds. Local pride shines through with the Twins, Astros, Rangers, Mariners, Nationals, Brewers, Rockies, D-Backs, and Padres.

Houston wins the local pride naming award with the Astros, Rockets, and Texans representing the city well.

After further review, there are two teams that need their name changed immediately, the New York Yankees and our very own Williamsport Crosscutters. The term “Yankee” originated in 1683 as a name applied disparagingly by Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam (New York) to English colonists in neighboring Connecticut.

As for the Crosscutters, how could the environmentalists accept such a destructive name? Maybe we should ask Rusty Roughcut.

It’s all in fun. We sure need a little of that to escape 2020!

Happy New Year to all!