J.J. Clarke's Nickname

[Pat R]

Originally Posted by packs

I've brought this up before and everyone more or less called me a wuss for thinking PSA shouldn't put "Nig" on their flips. I still stand by that stance. There's no reason for them to put "Nig" on a flip. His name is J.J. so they can just put J.J. I see no valid argument for perpetuating "Nig" since that was not his given name.

PSA labels the cards the way they are cataloged.

[arc2q]

Originally Posted by Pat R

PSA labels the cards the way they are cataloged.

I assume you are referring to the ACC?

I would imagine SGC follows the same catalog in labeling variations and errors. But somehow SGC is smart enough to make an editorial decision and not include Clarke's nickname on their label.

The "that's how we've always done it" argument is not an excuse for PSA or BVG.

[nolemmings]

No he's not referring to the ACC, which would not catalog individual cards. I suspect he's referring to the price guides or online checklists, in which, BTW, some also list Nig Cuppy as part of the Just So set.

[Pat R]

I don't agree with using his nickname on the flip either but I also don't think
it's fair to single out PSA. Long before they started grading cards most
baseball references referred to him by his nickname and still do today.

[arc2q]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

No he's not referring to the ACC, which would not catalog individual cards. I suspect he's referring to the price guides or online checklists, in which, BTW, some also list Nig Cuppy as part of the Just So set.

A price guide seems a reflection of how the TPGs label the cards and not an authoritative source of what is standard or proper.

I just don't see a logical argument for perpetuating this offensiveness. His own wife apparently thought the nickname was offensive, surely 100 years later we've arrived at a point where we collectively realize the absurdity of it.

[Thromdog]

Just wanted to point out.....

According to Wikipedia he played for the Atlanta Crackers in 1903.

[Bpm0014]

Haha Jeff! Pretty ironic....

[Joshchisox08]

Originally Posted by Thromdog

Just wanted to point out.....

According to Wikipedia he played for the Atlanta Crackers in 1903.

Maybe, just maybe, that is where he earned his nickname. And I have seen some of his signatures as well where someone else earlier in the thread pointed out that he signed often with his nickname included. If he accepted it which he must of based off of his signatures I don't see the issue.

[arc2q]

Originally Posted by Joshchisox08

Maybe, just maybe, that is where he earned his nickname. And I have seen some of his signatures as well where someone else earlier in the thread pointed out that he signed often with his nickname included. If he accepted it which he must of based off of his signatures I don't see the issue.

Wait, this is worse. Because he was racist and accepted his obviously racial nickname you are saying we should have no issue with it?

We know better now. Our society has a better sense of racial equality now than we did in 1910. What was acceptable then is not acceptable now.

Because a baseball team in Atlanta had an offensive name does not inversely justify anything. And because Clarke was fine with his own nickname does not make it okay. He was wrong. Baseball was wrong. Our society was wrong then. It is okay to discuss that and to study the role of race in baseball at the turn of the 20th century...but we don't have to perpetuate the racism by continuing to use his nickname as an identifier.