Stop the Bombing! Essendon’s nickname a crass insult to modern society - Tony Mahoney

[McOrist]

The Essendon Hosties? The Tullamarine Luggage Handlers?

The Tullamarine Terminals??

 

[ExTasDeeMan]

Essendon Fokkers might be a good choice. I can see it now; the Ess Fokkers, has a good ring to it.

 

[Gydafud]

I think you'll find the Essendon Football Club are not the 'Essendon Bombers'. The club don't own the name, unlike the Dallas Cowboys would theirs. No more official than Arsenal and "the gunners".

Yeah fair enough. Wasn't sure if it was an official or unofficial nickname. I know Geelong are registered as "Geelong Cats" (much to my annoyance because I much prefer Geelong Football Club). Wasn't sure of the relationship with Essendon and Arsenal for that matter.

 

[Doss]

Yeah fair enough. Wasn't sure if it was an official or unofficial nickname. I know Geelong are registered as "Geelong Cats" (much to my annoyance because I much prefer Geelong Football Club). Wasn't sure of the relationship with Essendon and Arsenal for that matter.

Don't know why Geelong do that.

Or West Coast, Sydney, GWS, Brisbane or Gold Coast either. I guess the Dogs have to, because Western by itself sound a bit silly (personally I'd rather they be Footscray, but whatever)

Everyone knows the monikers. Why the need to incorporate them into the official name?

 

[Borderline]

Ironically, people who want the nickname changed are probably more concerned about that than actual suicide bombers.

 

[Donakebab]

Good to see that somebody has finally put their finger on the real issue ...

... Time to rename the club to "Tullamarine Bombers"

While were at it lets correct the other long standing geographical error, it should really be the Abbotsford Magpies.

 

[Doss]

While were at it lets correct the other long standing geographical error, it should really be the Abbotsford Magpies.

Carlton North Blues, too.

 

[McOrist]

While were at it lets correct the other long standing geographical error, it should really be the Abbotsford Magpies.

...out of date now.

Olympic Park Magpies??
What is postcode 3004 actually called??

 

[MaddAdam]

Isn't that partly the point though? Essendon chose their moniker well before "bombings" became a serious issue in general society, and now we are being asked to change our history because society has changed.

According to your own club website, the Bomber motif first appeared on memberships in 1949.

By which time the world had witnessed the destruction of Guernica by aerial attacks, the devastation of Rotterdam, the Blitz on the UK, the area of bombing of German cities culminating in the destruction of Dresden, the firebombing of Tokyo and the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagsaki.

Dunno about you, but I think people were pretty aware of what bombers did.

 

[yoong]

Don't know why Geelong do that.

Or West Coast, Sydney, GWS, Brisbane or Gold Coast either. I guess the Dogs have to, because Western by itself sound a bit silly (personally I'd rather they be Footscray, but whatever)

Everyone knows the monikers. Why the need to incorporate them into the official name?

I remembered Fremantle had this issue with Levi on the docker name and for a while cannot use the name on the merchandise.

Maybe they are doing it to avoid trademark issues in the future?

 

[MaddAdam]

In all honesty, I haven't either, and am personally fine with the name (Stupid headlines and silly air raid noises aside). I find it an interesting comparison though to the situations of the Washington Bullets and the Redskins. Obviously living in Australia though it's not as much of an issue, but I think in other countries such as American and France, they they would have been pressured to change the name by now.

I was listening to a NYC DJ doing a "best of Biggie Smalls" type mix the other day (coz I am so street yes) and he actually cut out the "time blow up like the World Trade" line from Juicy. Obviously when Big wrote the line in 93 it was very fresh and new and related to a small scale terrorist attack.

But post 9/11 that line has changed context and could be seen as offensive. Its like the current debate over whether the statue of Cecil Rhodes should be taken down at Oxford.

Essendon can call themselves what they want. But let's not kid ourselves as to wqhy they called themselves the Bombers.

They stood out of the comp in WWI because the league wouldn't put the gate towards the "war effort".

They are and always have been a proudly Establishment club. They are the Glasgow Rangers of the AFL.

Interestingly, Rangers also got busted cheating on a massive scale.

 

[Doss]

It also wasn't just Essendon that began to refer to themselves as the Bombers. It was a lot of other people based purely around their location.

I think it's nowhere near as existential in identity a nic as you're making out.

 

[MaddAdam]

The irony of a whinging Pom going on about offensive names when his nation still has a political seat called Londonderry.

Pretty sure greater offenses against humanity have occurred because of that name than the "Essendon Bombers".

Derry City Council?

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/derry-city-and-strabane-district-council

 

[rdhopkins2]

Bombers is the better nickname of the non animal names

Blues Bombers Dockers Suns Giants Demons Power Saints

Those from the Gold Coast worshiping false idols. Their fate will be the same as the Incas.

 

[rdhopkins2]

Wait till he finds out a direct kick to the goal square is sometimes referred to as a "long bomb".

Or a player "on fire" after kicking 5 goals in the first half.

Those from the West must be hauled in to. What thugs they must be having a Bulldog as a mascot.

ACCC should also investigate St Kilda for misleading and deceptive conduct. They are hardly Saints in the off season.

 

[rdhopkins2]

Fulham Cottagers sounds a little dodgy. Someone tell the FA to think of the children.

That's a joke by the way.

 

[sherb]

In relation to Essendon, here is a bit of useless trivia.

The club I followed in Launceston (North Launceston, formerly the Robins and now the Bombers) wears the same colours as Essendon.

That isn't the useless trivia though.

For one season in the late 1890's they were known as Essendon.

 

[TheWoodenSlug]

The wife's stupid ******* cat scratched my eye last night - cancelled my Geelong membership this morning and will be picking a new side tonight.

 

[Jade]

 

[Gydafud]

Don't know why Geelong do that.

Or West Coast, Sydney, GWS, Brisbane or Gold Coast either. I guess the Dogs have to, because Western by itself sound a bit silly (personally I'd rather they be Footscray, but whatever)

Everyone knows the monikers. Why the need to incorporate them into the official name?

Probably so they can control how the moniker is used. Like most businesses, they want to control the brand and how it is used. People can't make knock off "cat" related merch in blue and white because it is too close to "Geelong Cats"? This is all speculation on my part.

 

[Jobe Watson]

According to your own club website, the Bomber motif first appeared on memberships in 1949.

By which time the world had witnessed the destruction of Guernica by aerial attacks, the devastation of Rotterdam, the Blitz on the UK, the area of bombing of German cities culminating in the destruction of Dresden, the firebombing of Tokyo and the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagsaki.

Dunno about you, but I think people were pretty aware of what bombers did.

What you don't seem to get (or do and choose to ignore) is that bomber aeroplanes have functions other than dropping bombs that destroy cites and kill innocent people. They were also used for tactical and strategic attacks on enemy infrastructure and comabt installations which saved the lives of Australian and allied ground troops during World War 2.

If we were called the Essendon Bombs I could understand the outrage, because those are the things actually doing the damage and are objects that ultimately only serve one purpose, but we aren't. No one with a sane mind associates the "Essendon Bombers" with any war campaigns or suicide attacks.

 

[MaddAdam]

It also wasn't just Essendon that began to refer to themselves as the Bombers. It was a lot of other people based purely around their location.

I think it's nowhere near as existential in identity a nic as you're making out.

Neither do I. Essendon have changed their nickname and "home ground" many, many, many times.

 

[MaddAdam]

What you don't seem to get (or do and choose to ignore) is that bomber aeroplanes have functions other than dropping bombs that destroy cites and kill innocent people. They were also used for tactical and strategic attacks on enemy infrastructure and comabt installations which saved the lives of Australian and allied troops during World War 2.

If we were called the Essendon Bombs I could understand the outrage, because those are the things actually doing the damage and are objects that ultimately only serve one purpose, but we aren't. No one with a sane mind associates the "Essendon Bombers" with any war campaigns or suicide attacks.

They were generally carried out by fighter bombers/ground attack aircraft - the Beaufighters/Typhoons/Shturmovik types. I don't care what you call yourselves - we at North Melbourne have our own name for you which rolls really nicely off the tongue after "those Essendon ... " but let's not kid ourselves on about where the name comes from.

 

[Elvis]

You can set your watch that in a thread about Essendon, Kangaroo supporters will be around being the contrary lot. Usually its that Wild Bill goon, but appears he has a new apprentice. It must be hard work to be so consumed by another team.
Let it go man, there are much more important issues in the world than a nickname of a football club

 

[Jobe Watson]

They were generally carried out by fighter bombers/ground attack aircraft - the Beaufighters/Typhoons/Shturmovik types. I don't care what you call yourselves - we at North Melbourne have our own name for you which rolls really nicely off the tongue after "those Essendon ... " but let's not kid ourselves on about where the name comes from.

And we at Essendon don't care about what johnny-come-latelys to our league call us.