Monday, December 14, 2020 at 9:57:00 A.M. EST
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Indians are changing their name after 105 years.
Citing three people familiar with the decision, The New York Times reported Sunday night that the team is moving away from a name considered racist for decades. The Indians have been internally discussing a potential name change for months.
[N.S.: Fake news alert. The AP-DP operative, Tom Withers, was editorializing, and acting as if he were reporting.]
A team spokesman told The Associated Press the franchise has no immediate comment on the report.
The Times said the team could make a formal announcement later this week. It’s not known when the name change will take affect or if the team has settled on a new moniker.
Cleveland’s move away from Indians follows a similar decision earlier this year by the NFL’s Washington Football Team, which was previously known as the Redskins.
For years, Native American groups and others have protested against Cleveland’s use of Indians as its name as well as other imagery used by the American League charter franchise founded in 1901. Last year, the team removed the contentious Chief Wahoo logo from its caps and jerseys, but the smiling, cartoonish mascot has remained popular and merchandise is still sold bearing its image.
The Indians have dealt with a backlash from fans upset over Chief Wahoo’s removal and the club is certain to hear more with the decision to change its name.
In July, just hours after Washington’s plans became known after being pressured by several sponsors, including FedEx which holds naming rights to the football’s team’s stadium, Cleveland owner Paul Dolan released a statement saying the team would review “the best path forward with our team name.”
In the months since, the team has consulted players, front office members, coaching staff, community leaders, share holders and Native American groups.
[N.S.: Everyone but baseball fans.]
A few days after Dolan’s statement, Indians manager Terry Francona said it was time to “move forward” with the name change.
“I’ve been thinking about it and been thinking about it before we put out that statement,” said Francona, who has been with the club since 2013. “I know in the past, when I’ve been asked about, whether it’s our name or the Chief Wahoo, I think I would usually answer and say I know that we’re never trying to be disrespectful.
GRA: Why is “Indians” racist, but not “Cowboys”? Or “Vikings”? It’s an actual group of people—all of them—just names. Is “Patriots” a White supremacist moniker? Unbelievable.
--GRA
N.S.: The lords of baseball want more and more money from Whites to prop us these teams, all the while rubbing White fans’ noses in the crap ever more dramatically.
3 comments:
Not many Whites on teams anymore.I watched 3 innings of the baseball "season" the past year.The Indians have many south of the border types on its team--change the name to the Cleveland Chalupas--would be a very accurate description AND nickname for the Lake Erie nine.
--GRA
1INJUNS WILL KEEP NAME ONE MO YEAR--OWNER DOLAN SAYS
Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan told the Associated Press (AP) on Monday that his team’s name “is no longer acceptable in our world.” Dolan was referring to the team’s decision to change their name from “Indians,” a name they have had for 105 years, to a new name that is yet undecided.
“We’ll be the Indians in 2021 and then after that, it’s a difficult and complex process to identify a new name and do all the things you do around activating that name,” Dolan said. “We are going to work at as quick a pace as we can while doing it right.”
--GRA
jerry pdx
Yes, so why aren't people of Scandinavia origin offended by the Vikings? What about any sports team that uses a European title of nobility like the Kings, Dukes, Royals etc... What about names like Minutemen or Pioneers? Should any team named the Generals, Privateers, Admirals or Colonels be changed? Is it time to change the name of the Celtics and stop using that little (white imp with a bowler hat leaning on a cane? What about any team called the Irish and uses (white) leprechauns? No more teams called the Scots? It's ridiculous, Native Americans aren't being singled out, there's a plethora of white European titles being used as sports names and nobody complains or thinks of it in a negative way. I have Native ancestry and nobody in that branch of the family has ever expressed the slightest concern over the use of Native imagery in sports, and I guarantee most Native Americans aren't upset about it. This issue, as usual, is because of a minority of loud idiots being catered to by white cowards.
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