Cleveland Indians to change nickname the franchise has used for more then a century

[Calista241]

Source: CBS Sports

Cleveland's Major League Baseball team has decided to change its nickname, moving away from the moniker it has employed for more than 100 years and that is considered insensitive to indigenous peoples, according to David Waldstein and Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times. CBS Sports HQ's Jim Bowden has since confirmed Cleveland's plans. An announcement from the team could come as soon as this week, per the Times.

It's unclear how Cleveland will refer to itself during the upcoming season. One option is to keep the name for an additional year before then transitioning to a new identity; another is to go the route of the National Football League's Washington franchise, which dropped its own offensive nickname in July. The club has since been known as the Washington Football Team. Cleveland would, presumably, be called the Cleveland Baseball Team until a new nickname could be settled upon.

Cleveland's decision comes more than two years after it started to distance itself from the "Chief Wahoo" logo. Back in July, when the Washington Football Team announced its altered identity, Cleveland announced it would investigate the "best path forward" with regards to the team name. Subsequently, our Dayn Perry offered several replacement options, including the ever-popular "Spiders," as well as the "Rockers," the "Crows," and "Dobys," named after Hall of Famer Larry Doby, who was the American League's first Black player.

Cleveland's franchise has had three other identities during its existence: the Naps (after Nap Lajoie), the Bronchos, and the Blues. Of those, the Naps is the only name that lasted beyond a single season.

Read more: https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/cleveland-indians-to-change-nickname-the-franchise-has-used-for-more-then-a-century/

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Blast from the Past. From January 2018:

Mon Jan 29, 2018: Indians removing Chief Wahoo logo from game uniforms in 2019

Indians removing Chief Wahoo logo from game uniforms in 2019

By TOM WITHERS
26 minutes ago

CLEVELAND (AP) Divisive and hotly debated, the Chief Wahoo logo is being removed from the Cleveland Indians uniform next year.

The polarizing mascot is coming off the teams jersey sleeves and caps starting in the 2019 season, a move that will end Chief Wahoos presence on the field but may not completely silence those who deem it racist.

The Associated Press was informed of the decision before an official announcement was planned for Monday by Major League Baseball.

After lengthy discussions between team owner Paul Dolan and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, the Indians are taking the extraordinary step of shelving the big-toothed, smiling, red-faced caricature, which has been used in used in various expressions by the team since 1947.

{snip}

[Calista241]

2. Goes to show doing it piece-meal isn't the way to go.

Change your team mascot in 2019.
Change your team name in 2020.

[Yavin4]

3. The Cleveland Baseball Team.

All teams should change their names to a generic one.

The six states in the North East quadrant of the United States Football Team.

[Polybius]

8. What if a state has two teams?

Or 5 like Cali?

[Yavin4]

10. Los Angeles, CA Football Team 001 and Los Angeles, CA Football Team 002 n/t

[Polybius]

11. Haha, no thanks

Go Yankees!

[GusBob]

12. I like it

I have gotten used to the name of Washington in football this season

I think it sounds neat

[HubertHeaver]

4. The Cleveland Passenger Pigeons

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Cleveland announced name change to "Montreal Expos"

Cleveland announced name change to “Montreal Expos”

Link to tweet

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. My opinion is that going to the generic Cleveland Baseball Team for a season

is a good idea. It really removes the connection to the previous name.

At the beginning of this football season I thought it was weird that Washington hadn't come up with a new name, but going generic has worked very well. There's now a separation from the old name, and whatever they come up with should be good. I'm voting for The Washington Azaleas, myself, but no one has consulted me, alas.

Heck, moving a sports franchise from one city where its name made sense, to one where it doesn't -- New Orleans Jazz, Utah Jazz come immediately to mind -- would be solved if all sports were just the name of the city. As it is, because I'm not much of a fan, I can often be very confused as to what city a particular team plays in.

[HUAJIAO]

30. Washington Cherry Blossoms.....

Washington Monument

The DC ACs..

The Potomac River

The Pentagon

oh god, I better quit...

[Polybius]

9. Can't say that I support this

I'm sorry, I don't want to be that guy, but I believe all the changing of team names and product names/images killed us locally in 2020. I don't want a flame war, but it's my honest opinion.

[RandiFan1290]

22. Has nothing to do with the Democratic Party

Nice try, though

[Polybius]

23. Of course it didn't

But voters believed otherwise and linked PC 2020 changes with "libruls" and we got the shaft.

[Calista241]

24. Agree on this point.

[RandiFan1290]

33. trump lost

keep trying

[Polybius]

34. No by what he should have lost by, and Democrats everywhere else underpreformed

The above poster agrees, you should too. Instead you keep trying to be cute. Just say you disagree and move on.

[LudwigPastorius]

13. I'll call them The Steamers until they get a new name.

But then again, I've never been a fan.

[NBachers]

16. Any logo ideas for the Cleveland Steamers?

[LudwigPastorius]

27. Yeah, but...

I'm afraid it would really affect concession stand sales.

[HUAJIAO]

31. An ironing board

[Progressive Jones]

14. Just call the team "Cleveland". nt

[generalbetrayus]

17. Reminds me of a Jay Leno joke in one of his monologues.

As best as I can remember it: "The Washington Bullets basketball team has decided to change its name because of its connotations of violence. What are they going to call it instead of Washington?

[Archae]

15. Name them after what Cleveland is famous for!

Umm...(scratches head)...errr...eh...what IS Cleveland famous for?

Oh yeah!

Cleveland Rockers!
(Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame is in Cleveland.)

[Brother Buzz]

18. I'm cool with that, but it will be shortened to Cleveland Rocks before the ink dries

And Drew Carey will totally throw out the first pitch...again!

[rickyhall]

19. I like Rockers. Who knows, that name may attract more fans.

[CaptainTruth]

25. I like that!!! And Ian Hunter already wrote their anthem!

[link:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DtJzcS-mEfOg&ved=2ahUKEwidrsCx3c3tAhUow1kKHRjcBaQQjjgwCXoECBAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2hWtB1N1OiUwRLyRokhwKH|]

[maddogesq]

32. I got to thinking of the movie Major League and have some ideas...

The Wild Things
The Justabitoutsiders
The Jobus

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

20. One solution: drop the name "Cleveland" It was mis-spelled from Cleaveland, anyway.

Erie Indigenous? North Coast Natives?

Gen Cleaveland stole the land from the natives, giving them trinkets and liquor to convince them to leave.

Honor the original people - lose "Cleveland".

Next up: Why should a Detroit baseball team be named after an endangered species?

[Kablooie]

21. Is it true they chose The Maharajas?

[CaptainTruth]

26. If "Indians" was their nickname, what was their actual official name?

[LudwigPastorius]

28. The article has it a bit mixed up.

The team was previously the "Napoleons". Local sportswriters were selected to rename the "Naps" in 1915.

They came up with "Indians", which used to be a nickname for the by-then-defunct Cleveland Spiders team.

[HUAJIAO]

29. Why not follow the lead of MiLB and call themselves the Cleveland River Rats,,,

or Cleveland Lake Monsters, or....

Lakeside Interlopers, or....

[JCMach1]

35. I can see a great Return of the Spiders ad campaign

Bring it!

https://images.app.goo.gl/cQ36JgZLM8hoKwmX8

[CTyankee]

36. In the Ivy League, Dartmouth changed its name from Indians to Big Green.

I remember the old days when some student would dress up like an Indian and do a few war whoops during halftime activities. I think Dartmouth College was founded with a commitment to educating native Americans (with what I don't know but I suspect religion played a role).