One of the special things for me as an Atlanta Braves fan is that the they have not been marred by controversies on and off the field like so many other sports teams—that is, until last Wednesday. That’s when the Braves organization decided that an opposing team’s political activist player could override a 28-year-old fun ballpark tradition: the “Tomahawk Chop.”
Outfielder and star Deion Sanders brought the “Tomahawk Chop” to Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in 1991 from his college alma mater, Florida State, where it is still a tradition. A tradition was born and by 1992 the Chop had become an integral part of the fan experience during the successful season when the Braves played in the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Atlantans who were around at that time will remember how the Braves electrified the city, with everyone coalescing around the team. Doing the “Tomahawk Chop” could be seen in all kinds of public places like restaurants, offices, parking lots and schools.
I don’t think I have ever seen the city more united.
I remember there was a brief discussion about the appropriateness of the “Chop,” but both Ted Turner (who owned the team at the time) and former President Jimmy Carter debunked the criticism and came out in support of it. You can watch old films and see even Jane Fonda (who was Turner’s wife at the time) doing the “Tomahawk Chop,” albeit with her index finger (she just could not bring herself to use the whole arm motion).
Ryan Helsley, an opposing St. Louis baseball player who has no ties to Atlanta has decided he is “offended” by the “Tomahawk Chop.” He claims to be one-quarter Native American (maternal grandfather is a full Cherokee). He was drafted to St. Louis in 2015 where he has been playing minor league baseball until this year when he was called up. Since then he has been back and forth between the major league and AAA. He was down in the minors when the St. Louis team came to Atlanta this year.
Yet this insignificant player, whose sensibilities have been “offended,” is the person whom the Braves organization has decided can have the power to dictate what their fans can and cannot do. Helsley considers the “Chop” an offensive, racist symbol. So the Braves Organization is telling their fans to stop using the symbol.
What does that say about what the Braves organization thinks of their fans– fans like me? The Braves organization is calling all of us — thousands and thousands of fans — bigots and racists.
Baseball games were so much fun to watch years ago. Daddy took me to my first baseball game at Forbes field where we talked with the players and scored the games. Times have changed. Now all of sports is becoming nothing more than a political arena where all kinds of grievances (perceived and contrived) are released and aired. Once an American past-time that unified us, it has now become just another place to divide us.
It was special that the Braves had stayed out of this. But now the organization has turned on their fans, in effect calling us bigots and racist because one person was “offended” and complained. To my knowledge there has been no official protest from the Cherokee Nation. So what has happened is that the Braves organization has let one person change the landscape of Atlanta baseball.
Last Wednesday, instead of a playoff game, the Braves organization turned SunTrust Stadium into a public stage for a political activist and made the fans into a captive audience.
I hope the Braves organization will think about the fans—some of them people who save all year long just to be able to take their kids to one game. What about all the fans that traveled and spent a lot of money to experience SunTrust Park last Wednesday, only to be confronted with the new anti-“Tomahawk Chop” policy when they arrived at the park?
The Braves Organization has destroyed the relationship between their fan base and the Braves. Shame on them for allowing this to happen.
Lynn Irvin is a resident of Atlanta.
