Atlanta Braves Keep the Tomahawk Chop and Chant
Atlanta Braves Keep the Tomahawk Chop and Chant
Why this petition matters
On October 9, 2019, the Atlanta Braves announced that they would not be handing out their legendary red, foam tomahawks at the do-or-die game 5 of the 2019 National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The reason was because 25-year-old relief pitcher, Ryan Helsley, of the St. Louis Cardinals was "shocked" and took offense to the long-running tradition of chanting and chopping that have been signatures of the Atlanta Braves since the early 90s.
The chop and chant are said to have been adopted by the Braves from the Florida State Seminoles when FSU alumnus Deion Sanders played for the Braves in the early 90s. These were the new rallying cry of a team that went from worst to first in the historic 1991 season. The Florida State Seminoles have the full blessing of the Seminole tribe to use this imagery for their mascot and marketing. So, by extension, there should be no problem for the Braves to continue this tradition. (Here's proof of the Seminole Tribe embracing the Florida State Seminoles' use of the mascot, spear, chant, etc. https://youtu.be/INWXaCjKKhc)
Sign the petition to send a message to the Braves front office that Braves country will not stand by as the team's management bends over to the small minority of "woke" culture that is offended by nearly everything. Perhaps the Braves went down in one of the worst beatings in playoff history because the Braves front office took the fans out of the game before it even began. Tradition matters. The chop and the chant are among the most amazing rallying cries in all of sports. DO NOT take these amazing traditions away from Braves Country! #ChopOn