Braves Fans Start Petition to Keep Tomahawk Chop
By Sean Facey
St. Louis Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley, a member of the Cherokee Nation, has woken up a sleeping giant with his concerns about the tomahawk chop at Atlanta Braves games. The Braves organization chose not to distribute their red, foam tomahawks in Game 5 of the NLDS after Helsley expressed his issues with them and the chop, and now Braves fans are in a state of hysteria.
They're so appalled by the perceived attack on their fandom, they've actually started a petition to keep the chop and foam souvenirs alive, and it has garnered the support of over 40,000 people.
More than 35,000 people have signed a petition for the Atlanta Braves to continue to use the "tomahawk chop" and chant after backlash. https://t.co/N7LvBQUrev
— West Cobb Patch (@WCobbPatch) October 16, 2019
The petition, started by Kevin Mooneyhan, details the origin of the chop for Braves fans. It explains how it was adopted from the Florida State Seminoles, who allegedly received the blessing of the Seminole Nation to use it among other things.
It goes on to describe their defense of the chop as the fight back against the perceived threat of "the small minority of 'woke' culture," pinning the blame on both them and the Braves' front office for bowing to their requests.
The Braves' use of the "Tomahawk Chop" could be coming to an end https://t.co/S6BbhKtOdX
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 9, 2019
Time will tell how the Braves respond to the backlash from their fans. Though they pulled the tomahawks in response to Helsley's comments, it was only for one game. How they'll address these two clashing opinions in the next season and beyond will be something to pay close attention to.