# Cleveland Indians considering a name change \[Edit: It's "Guardians"\]
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323
**Category:** The Game Room
**Tags:** baseball-mlb
**Created:** [July 4, 2020, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323 "2020-07-04T20:53:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/21 "2020-07-05T16:20:09Z")
The Rockies were there many millions of years before Cleveland was built.
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### Author:  [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/22 "2020-07-06T00:12:16Z")
I’ve been in the Rockers camp, but that logo may change my mind. It kicks ass.
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### Author:  [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2020, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/23 "2020-07-06T00:17:08Z")
[Terry Francona](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29414220/indians-manager-terry-francona-favors-name-change) came out in favor of the name change today.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [July 6, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/24 "2020-07-06T14:05:07Z")
Great Spiders logo. I’m on board.
Though I may have nightmares about a guy in that spider costume banging a drum out in the bleachers during rallies.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2020, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/25 "2020-07-07T12:33:04Z")
I don’t know why people would want the Cleveland Rockers. I mean, other than this guy:
[ ](https://vz.cnwimg.com/thumbc-300x300/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/GettyImages-1369847.jpg)
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### Author:  [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2020, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/26 "2020-07-07T12:45:26Z")
Jesus–how quickly we forget. Yikes.
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### Author:  [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2020, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/27 "2020-07-07T14:35:25Z")
Forgot that goof played for Cleveland.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/28 "2020-07-07T14:40:21Z")
Colleges got rid of Indian names way back in 60s. Indians will go along with Chiefs, Braves and Redskins and maybe Blackhawks.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/29 "2020-07-07T14:58:29Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> Colleges got rid of Indian names way back in 60s
Marquette Warriors: 1954 - 1993
Dartmouth Indians: 1920s - 1972
St. John’s Redmen: 1960s - 1994
Miami University Redskins: 1931 - 1997
Eastern Washington Savages: 1882 - 1973
St. Bonaventure Indians/Squaws: 1927 - 1992
So no, it’s taken a lot longer than the 60s.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2020, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/30 "2020-07-07T15:55:04Z")
> [@Munch](#):
>
> So no, it’s taken a lot longer than the 60s.
Even Stanford didn’t change from their “Indians” team name until 1972.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/31 "2020-07-07T16:09:37Z")
The ones in the 90s were due to NCAAA removing any tournaments from schools using native american mascots and logos. Hence, University of Illinois removing Chief Iliniwek as an official school … well, not sure what you would call the Chief. He was not a caricature of a plains Indian. When a student was chosen to become Chief, they had to study the cultures and dances of the plains Indian tribes and create their own dance as an homage. The image was removed from all uniforms so that they met NCAAA guidelines. Florida State Seminoles is OK because they have an official OK from the Seminole tribe (or at least one faction…); there is no Illini tribe.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2020, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/32 "2020-07-07T16:13:03Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#):
>
> The ones in the 90s were due to NCAAA removing any tournaments from schools using native american mascots and logos. Hence, University of Illinois removing Chief Iliniwek as an official school … well, not sure what you would call the Chief.
Even then, [Illinois didn’t “retire” Illiniwek until 2007](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Illiniwek#Retiring_Chief_Illiniwek).
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### Author:  [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)
#### Post date: [July 7, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/33 "2020-07-07T18:54:35Z")
Thanks for the link. It’s hell growing old and losing your memory.
Per Wikipedia, (not per my memory), the NCAAA actions were in the 2000s, not the 1990s. Any name changes in the 90s were obviously due to liberal snowflakes at each individual college, not by the Nazis at the NCAAA.
Or, heaven forbid, it was people going “Gee, we shouldn’t use caricatures of living peoples as a mascot.”
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### Author:  [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/34 "2020-07-14T15:57:50Z")
I heartily approve of getting rid of the caricatured “Chief Wahoo” Indians logo, and I have no attachment to the Indians name. That said, I don’t understand the “living people can’t be a team name because that makes them a mascot” idea.
Yes, there are no more Vikings, Raiders, Pirates, or Buccaneers. But there are presently in the world lots and lots of twins, still actual brewers in Milwaukee, still some actual steelers (steelworkers) in the U.S. albeit not in Pittsburgh proper, and still plenty of (meat)packers in rural areas and mariners in seaports.
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### Author:  [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/35 "2020-07-14T17:02:16Z")
If they were to rename the team the Cleveland Software Engineers it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. If they renamed them the Cleveland Jews it would infuriate me.
Do you not see the difference between a job and an ethnicity?
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### Author:  [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2020, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/36 "2020-07-14T17:22:42Z")
AFC Ajax are nicknamed The Jews — not officially, though; their logo is Ajax.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/37 "2020-07-14T17:28:54Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#):
>
> If they were to rename the team the **Cleveland Software Engineers** it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. If they renamed them the Cleveland Jews it would infuriate me.
Would offensive tackles be called “pocket protectors”?
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### Author:  [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2020, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/38 "2020-07-14T17:34:54Z")
> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> Would offensive tackles be called “pocket protectors”?
Um,. this is for Cleveland Indians Baseball - no offensive tackles. The offensive tackles for the Cleveland Browns are pretty offensive, and do not protect any pockets, which is why the team is pretty bad.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/39 "2020-07-14T17:37:18Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#):
>
> > [@running\_coach](#):
> >
> > Would offensive tackles be called “pocket protectors”?
>
> Um,. this is for Cleveland Indians Baseball - no offensive tackles. The offensive tackles for the Cleveland Browns are pretty offensive, and do not protect any pockets, which is why the team is pretty bad. -
I got it crossed with the Redskins’ thread. 🤦♂️
It was still funny, though.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2020, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/40 "2020-07-14T17:40:56Z")
Oh, yeah. Were the sport right, the comment would have been right on.
If a Cleveland Software Engineer misshandles a grounder, it’s a “bug” instead of an “error”. Howsat?
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