If You Own the Atlanta Braves...

Tonight the Atlanta Braves come to Philadelphia for a three-game series, which has really got me wondering: how on earth is it still acceptable to have Native American nickname teams in 2011?

Let's do a quick poll. Which is worse (and I'm limiting this to baseball here): the Cleveland Indians and their racist caricature logo (see right) or the Atlanta Braves and their tomahawk chop? Honestly, I'm inclined to vote Indians on the basis of that logo, but it's hard when my hatred of the Braves runs so deep. It was bred into me as a child, when I used to sit in front of the television holding up homemade anti-Braves signs. David Justice was a particular target of my venom. And they had the nerve to call themselves "America's Team" even though their lame, gimmicky cheer is offensive to the people who, like, actually discovered this country in the first place? Not to mention, supposedly stolen from the Floria Seminoles, which just seems way too fitting.

There are plenty of arguments against maintaining Native American nickname teams in this day and age, but I think Philadelphia's own Atom and His Package may have said it best.

Atom and His Package - "If You Own the Washington Redskins, You're A Cock" 

I'm proud to report that I successfully converted my North Carolina-raised, childhood-Braves-fan boyfriend into a Phillies fan (his favorite players are Roy O and John Mayberry Jr.), because you know what they say: if you know a Braves fan who thinks he is your friend, now is the time for your friendship to end.

In other news, I have been too sick to blog (or drink coffee!) for days and a lot has happened. Here's a quick round-up: the Phillies got out the brooms against Jayson Werth and the Nationals, Raul "When It Rains, It Pours" Ibanez broke out of his historic slump (I guess dude finally got around to making some new horcruxes), Cole "2008" Hamels was—in the words of his #1 fan, my mom—great, tremendous, awesome, wonderful, thrilling, and fantastic, moving J-Roll back to the leadoff spot is paying off big-time, Vance Worley continues to impress with both his pitching and his sweet glasses, Roy Halladay has been hugging his Chooch pillow and crying himself to sleep as it looks likely that Carlos Ruiz will head to the DL, and the Philadelphia Phillies are the best team in baseball. (I mean, technically, they're tied with the Cleveland Indians, but that's racist.)