Leading off today: Let me say up front I'm not especially thrilled with the juxtaposition of Thursday's blog entries -- earlier today I summarized details of the death of Shoreham-Wading River junior
Tom Cutinella during a varsity football game -- but I guess I've already stuck my foot in it and will proceed:
If the editorial page staff of Syracuse.com (i.e., The Post-Standard) wants to speak out against the Liverpool students who wore headdresses, feathers and similar fare at Friday's football game against Cicero-North Syracuse, that's their prerogative.
After all, the debate over the Washington Redskins' decision to stick with their nickname remains in the news, the subject of how Native American names and images are used in New York high schools has been a source of discussion and the topic has deeper implications in our state than in many others because of our history.
But you know what? It is patently absurd for the editorial page to write "adopting those denigrating and cartoonish images for the purposes of rooting for your team was insensitive and offensive" ... and then illustrate the editorial with a photo gallery containing some of the very images they find disturbing.
It simply reeks of "do as I say, not as I do" journalism, and you don't get dispensation just because you're "the media." Several of the more than 500 comments on the story page make points along those lines, and the authors are right.
If you want to take a more thorough look at the general topic, then I commend to your attention a good piece of reporting regarding Elmira-area schools with Indian nicknames or mascots done last week by Andrew Legare of the Star-Gazette.
Updates to the Tom Cutinella story: Here are a few quick notes today in the aftermath of Wednesday's tragedy at the football game between Shoreham-Wading River and John Glenn:
The Shoreham-Wading River district postponed all of its scheduled Thursday sports contests, Section 11 Executive Director Don Webster told Newsday. A decision on how to handle events for the remainder of the week is likely to come later Thursday.
John Glenn officials also canceled after-school activities.
Section officials in Suffolk and Nassau counties have asked schools hosting varsity football games the remainder of this week to observe a moment of silence in memory of Tom Cutinella, who sustained a head injury while blocking during a running play in the third quarter and was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
• Section 11 has not determined whether the game between S-WR and John Glenn will be resumed.
•Grieving S-WR students were starting to gather at the school's football field for a late afternoon candlelight vigil. Cutinella's No. 54 jersey was displayed in lights on the scoreboard. Counselors were on hand in the school library to address needs of students and faculty members during the day.
At John Glenn, a flag outside the school flew at half-staff as students arrived for classes.
• In Manhattan, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said safety on the field is "a concern to everyone" and one that the state health department studies.
"I'm not familiar with the facts and circumstances about last night's incident, but these are obviously tragic and anything we can do to prevent them, we should," Cuomo
