04/20/24
July 01, 2020
SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle:
A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.
The Mets specialize in albatrosses.
Bernie Madoff will die in prison long before the final installment is paid to Bonilla.
And while Canada Day is being celebrated, a question that has popped into my mind once or twice:
With all the renaming of places and things and tearing down of statues going on here in the US, if the Washington NFL team gets renamed, would some people eventually demand that the Vancouver Canucks change their name?
posted by beaverboard at 12:07 PM on July 01, 2020
That's an apples to oranges comparison. Unless "Canuck" is a racial slur
posted by NoMich at 12:24 PM on July 01, 2020
Happy Canada Day to all. Since I'm half Canadian from my Nova Scotian dad, I feel qualified to offer a half (assed) opinion on the term "Canuck". Here in New England it was only an ethnic pejorative when used with an adjective (dumb, stupid, crazy, etc.), and referring to a francophonic person. This was true back in my younger, drunker, stupider high school days when one of my buddies was of French Canadian descent, and he never seemed upset by it. He was also big enough to beat the crap out of most of us, so it was probably ok with him. Of late I have not heard the term used, so there's no reaction to it.
posted by Howard_T at 01:26 PM on July 01, 2020
Proud Canadian here, Canuck is simply generic slang referring to a Canadian citizen. It has never been associated with any particular racial or ethnic background. We refer to folks from Quebec as "Quebecois" and "Newfies" are people from Newfoundland. None of these terms are considered demeaning in any way unless combined with an additional "dumb, stupid,etc."
There was a short lived comic series "Captain Canuck" about a super hero.
posted by cixelsyd at 12:11 PM on July 02, 2020
When I was in high school in the early 70's (in the US), just Canuck by itself with no adjective was seen as at least semi derogatory. It was jumbled in with all the other derogatory ethnic names that kicked around in common usage at the time. Mick, spic, etc. Damn near every kid I knew was one thing or another.
A friend of mine who had strong Polish heritage was stunned when the Canucks team name was announced as they joined the NHL. I remember him bellowing out: "For Christ's sake! What's the next team going to be called? The Warsaw Polacks?" That's the context I grew up with (being a Mick myself). The name was seen as a perplexing shock at the time, as there was a push going on to clean up all the ethnic name usage, regardless of how mean-spirited (or not) it was.
More recently, the vibe I get from some Canadians is: "Yeah, Canuck is a name. We can use it. You can't." So I'm content to leave it alone, except when it regards the hockey team.
posted by beaverboard at 06:49 PM on July 02, 2020
Happy Bobby Bonilla Day! (15 years to go!)
And, a Happy Canada Day as well !