WEDNESDAY CAT COUNTRY: THE ESKIMO WAY

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)

WITH A SIMPLE TAP OF THE SEND KEY, THE EDMONTON ESKIMOS ARE NO MORE.

THE CFL’S ICONIC EDMONTON FRANCHISE ANNOUNCED ON TUESDAY THEY ARE DUMPING THE NAME ESKIMOS VIA A NEWS RELEASE SENT TO THE LOCAL AND NATIONAL MEDIA.

JUST LIKE THAT, THE ESKS ARE GONE. BUT IS IT REALLY THAT EASY?

CLERICALLY, YES. BUT AN EDMONTON SOURCE TELLS ME IT’S GOING TO COST THE FRANCHISE AT LEAST A MILLION DOLLARS TO MAKE THE SWITCH INCLUDING STADIUM SIGNAGE, LETTERHEAD, GRAPHIC DESIGN AND A REVAMPED WEBSITE WHICH TODAY IS STILL ESKS.COM.

THE BIGGEST ADJUSTMENT WILL BE FOR THE FANS, PLAYERS AND MEDIA. TSN MAY WANNA INSTITUTE A FINE JAR FOR EACH TIME ONE OF THEIR ANNOUNCERS SAYS “ESKIMOS” ON A GAME BROADCAST OR SPORTSCENTRE. A FINE SYSTEM WILL FIX THEIR MEMORIES FAST.

BUT THESE ARE THE SMALL THINGS. THE BIG THING IS THE HISTORY OF A PROUD FRANCHISE WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN SYNONYMOUS WITH CLASS. THEIR 14 GREY CUPS ARE SECOND MOST IN LEAGUE HISTORY. THEY TALK OF “THE ESKIMO WAY” AND “ONCE AN ESKIMO, ALWAYS AN ESKIMO”.

BUT RIGHT NOW THEIR STAFF IS HURTING. IT MEANS SOMETHING IN EDMONTON TO WORK FOR THE ESKIMOS. THE FRANCHISE FOREFATHERS WHO NAMED THE TEAM IN 1949 DIDN’T INTEND TO OFFEND ANYBODY. AS THE CFL’S NORTHERN-MOST TEAM, YOU CAN BET THE NAME “ESKIMOS” WAS CHOSEN TO HONOUR THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN CANADA.

AND SOME RECENT POLLS SUGGEST THE MAJORITY OF INUIT PEOPLE WANT TO KEEP THE NAME AS A NOD TO THEIR HISTORY! THEY DON’T WANT IT TO BE ERASED.

BUT THAT EDMONTON SOURCE TELLS ME THIS NAME CHANGE ALMOST ENTIRELY COMES FROM SPONSOR PRESSURE.

AND THAT, TO ME, IS THE GREATEST SHAME OF ALL.  

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.