Bureaucrats know best?

Here is the simple solution for the University of North Dakota or any other school with a Native American mascot the busybodies at the NCAA have deemed "hostile and abusive."

Just tell the politically correct set one thing about that Fighting Sioux in your logo:

He's gay.

Watch the NCAA try to eliminate him then.

That is a perfectly absurd solution to a perfectly absurd bit of perfectly absurd social engineering by an organization that continues to perfectly define absurdity.

The NCAA recently said it would prohibit teams from using mascots the NCAA has deemed "hostile and abusive" in its postseason tournaments.

The NCAA says the nickname "Seminole" is "hostile and abusive" when used by Florida State even though the actual Seminole tribe's leadership says it isn't. And the tribe both supports and financially benefits from the school's use of the name.

But bureaucrats know best, right?

Now, when it comes to offensive nicknames I am firmly on the fence. I see some of the logos and phrases and I cringe. But some of the logos, phrases and rituals seem quite appropriate and respectful. In some places these are partnerships, not exploitations. And many Native Americans must feel a sense of pride to have their heritage so visible and celebrated.

But that is just me. Mostly I understand that my personal feelings on the subject should not be the law of the land. It is up to the parties involved. If the Sioux and North Dakota or the Seminoles and Florida State think things are fine, who are you, me or some central office in Indianapolis to tell them they are all wrong?

Finding one single voice of protest shouldn't be enough to silence reasonable discussion on the subject either. Everything offends someone. When I was a student at the University of Massachusetts in the 1990s, a guy went on a hunger strike protesting the school's Minuteman mascot because the Minuteman was white.

Obviously he wasn't a history major. He finally ate and the Minuteman mascot survived, even if the school's basketball program didn't.

But this is the kind of foolishness the NCAA has decided to wade into. Can anyone reasonably explain why the NCAA believes the Fighting Sioux of one UND (North Dakota) is bad, but the Fighting Irish of another UND (Notre Dame) is good?

Perhaps, because when it comes to arrogance the NCAA knows no limits.

The NCAA has a mountain of its own pressing issues to deal with – widespread rule breaking, corruption, inadequate graduation rates, rampant commercialization, misplaced priorities, Title IX violations, weak minority hiring records, drug abuse, gambling and a history as one of the most sexist, racist, elitist organizations in American history.

So you can see why it had enough free time to stick its nose in a classic meaningless ivory tower debate.

Next up: If college football indeed is a religion, can we place the Ten Commandments outside the stadium?

Perhaps the NCAA is using this as a PC smokescreen, figuring it provides cover from questions about what it will take for its member institutions to actually believe African-Americans are intelligent enough to coach football, or for schools to actually obey a federal statute that demands equality for women athletes.

Or gee, maybe why there isn't a system that assures more student-athletes receive actual educations.

Then there is the incredulity that comes anytime the NCAA tries to legislate so-called morality.

This particular decision was handed down by the NCAA Executive Committee, which includes eight representatives from Division I-A schools. Of those eight schools, six have been found guilty of major NCAA infractions since 1989. Not the little stuff – we are talking about big-time cheating. We repeat, six of the eight.

This is the NCAA leadership?

The group even includes John D. Welty, president of Fresno State, whose men's basketball program is on probation and under investigation for more recent major infractions and last year had a former player charged with murder.

The Seminole tribal leaders have to listen to this guy? On the subject of supposedly doing what's right?

The NCAA, an organization run overwhelmingly by rich white guys, would be best-served trying to get its yard of squalor in order before trying to tell Native Americans it knows what's best for them.

I think that is how we got in this entire mess in the first place.