Apparently, a guy named Roger Owen Green from Albany, NY wrote a letter to the editor of the Albany Times Union that was published on December 22nd, 1988, about an issue at a local college. What’s weird about it is that the little snippet of a newspaper clipping seemed to come out of nowhere. Where had it been before? My wife found it on my dresser.
Anyway, it was titled The Siena Senators by the newspaper.
To the editor:
Your reader who did not understand the reasoning for Siena’s sports teams changing their designations from Indians may be interested to know that there are groups who are trying to get the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, and Washington Redskins to change their nicknames.
If these names are not offensive, then why have we not seen the Cincinnati Caucasians, the Oakland Orientals, or the Newark Negroes? The hue and cry would be vigorous and appropriate.
My recommendation for Siena is the Senators, a historic team in north Albany, and a nifty alliteration.
Ahead of the curve
I have no recollection of writing this. It does sound like me, though, so I can’t attribute it to someone else. When she read it, my daughter said, “Oh yeah, Roger’s always been woke.” I was woke before woke was a thing.
The historical reference was to the Albany Senators.
The Cleveland Indians became the Guardians after the 2021 season. Meanwhile, “the NFL‘s Redskins became the Washington Football Team in 2020, then the Commanders in 2022, but the team may return to the identity it previously held for 87 years.”
By the way, the college in Loudonville, Albany County, changed its nickname to the Saints because it’s a private Franciscan institution, which I found to be a reasonable choice.
The timing of the letter is interesting. It was right after I left FantaCo in November 1988 and before I started working for Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield in February 1989. I don’t remember writing many letters to the editor, but I had time then.
Now, I would write something in my blog. And I was a Times Union blogger between 2008 and 2021, so that would have been an appropriate venue.