It could become a re-run of something which played in Oxford a decade ago ... the effort to change a school's sports team nickname. You may recall the controversial and ultimately successful push to drop the Redskins name at Miami University.
Now, Local 12 Reporter Jeff Hirsh tells us a similar push is under way to change the team name at the local high school.
It's been more than a decade since Miami University changed its nickname from Redskins to Red Hawks, but there are still those who bear a grudge.
"Absolutely, I think there are still people who are sore about it."
Here at Bird Cage antiques in Oxford, you can buy RedHawk souvenirs, but lots and lots of Redskin items as well. Now, the local high school may be changing its nickname as well, if some local activists get their way. Talawanda's teams are called the Braves ... ironically, here playing the Norwood Indians.
The Oxford Citizens for Peace and Justice, along with the NAACP, have a petition drive going, saying Talawanda should come up with another name, which is not demeaning.
Linda Kimball, Peace & Justice Org. "It's essentially using human beings as mascots. It's still a race-based use of a living people and a living culture."
But tradition dies hard anywhere. Many in Oxford agree that Redskins was insulting, but see Braves as a positive, not an insult.
Lisa Westpiser, Oxford Resident: "The word brave, I've never associated with anything negative with the word brave. I would think that as a Native American I might be proud that there are some schools which would like to use part of my heritage to represent them."
The name change petition goes to the school board in March. Those wanting Braves dropped say the students should come up with a replacement name.
So, who knows, perhaps someday when they play the National Anthem before a Talawanda High School football or basketball game, it will still be the land of the free, but it's unclear if it will still be the home of the Braves.
A movement to keep The Braves' nickname has been organized... on the Facebook social networking site... with more than 15-hundred people signing on so far.
