Columnist calls out Chiefs for exploiting Tomahawk chop at Super Bowl parade

A columnist criticized the Kansas City Chiefs for using the Tomahawk chop during their Super Bowl 57 victory parade this past week.

The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl 57 last Sunday, by way of overcoming a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles. That allowed the Chiefs to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in four years. Kansas City held their second victory parade in as many years, and the coaches and players celebrated at Union Station.

Randy Essex of the Detroit Free Press criticized the Chiefs in a recent column about the use of the Tomahawk chop gesture.

“This is no harmless little ritual — especially now that the Chiefs are the transcendent franchise in the nation’s most popular sports league,” writes Essex. “That means more national exposure to the Arrowhead atmosphere, more hero worship of Chiefs stars and more kids picking up the chop.”

Columnists rips Chiefs for continual use of Tomahawk Chop

The use of the Tomahawk chop in sports has been a topic of discussion over the years.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan also wrote a column during the 2021 World Series regarding the Tomahawk chop, calling on the Atlanta Braves to put an end to it. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred talked about the gesture shortly thereafter, saying that the Native American community in the Atlanta area “is wholly supportive of the Braves program, including the chop. For me, that’s the end of the story.”

Back in 2020, the Chiefs released a statement, saying that they talked with the local Native American community, and announced that they were banning fans from wearing headdresses and face paint that “references or appropriates American Indian cultures and traditions” inside the stadium. However, at the time of their statement, they said that they would continue discussions about the Tomahawk chop.

Recently, two professional sports teams changed their names as a way to move on from their controversial nature.

The Washington NFL franchise temporarily changed their name to the Washington Football Team in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In 2022, they permanently changed their name to the Commanders.

The Cleveland MLB franchise changed their name to the Guardians for the 2022 season and beyond. In 2018, they got rid of their controversial “Chief Wahoo” mascot and logo.

While the Chiefs celebrate their latest Super Bowl title, the debate over the use of the Tomahawk chop continues.