# Cleveland Indians considering a name change \[Edit: It's "Guardians"\] **URL:** \ **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:** 5
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/81 "2020-10-21T04:02:27Z")
I think “First Nations” is more common in Canada, isn’t it? > **[First Nations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Nations)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > First Nations usually refers to Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. > First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to specific first peoples, including: ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/82 "2020-10-24T22:26:20Z")
The Indians don’t need to change their name; just erase all traces of that god awful logo. Christ that’s an awful depiction. Far worse than the Redskins, as bad as that name was. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/83 "2020-10-24T23:27:45Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I think “First Nations” is more common in Canada, isn’t it? My Canadian friends have said “First Nations” for 15+ years or so. I like the term. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2020, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/84 "2020-10-26T21:15:53Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > The Indians don’t need to change their name; just erase all traces of that god awful logo. Christ that’s an awful depiction. I agree completely. My native friends and relatives generally feel the same way. They don’t hate the name, but that logo… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/85 "2020-11-17T22:29:37Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > The Indians don’t need to change their name; just erase all traces of that god awful logo. Christ that’s an awful depiction. Far worse than the Redskins, as bad as that name was. I once thought it’d be a good idea to commission a Native American artist to come up with an appropriate logo, maybe memorializing Louis Sockalexis, who played for the Indians in the 1890s. That would’ve pissed off both diehard Cleveland fans who remain attached to the old logo, and progressive sorts who think it’s demeaning to have a team named the Indians. Go Spiders! No one will want to tangle with you. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/86 "2020-11-18T07:42:54Z")
“Spiders” is an awesome name with a history that makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/87 "2020-11-18T16:10:12Z")
Yeah, I’ve pretty much come around to that way of thinking, as well. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/88 "2020-11-18T23:18:06Z")
Keep the name. Change the logo to a picture of Gandhi. Or Kamala Harris. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlax/32/2927_2.png) [@Scarlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlax)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/90 "2020-11-19T21:08:59Z")
Perhaps the Colts should be mentioned as well. They’d be better as the Spiderapolis Colts. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/91 "2020-12-14T04:13:28Z")
> **[Cleveland baseball team will drop ‘Indians’ name as early as this week,...](https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2020/12/cleveland-baseball-team-will-drop-indians-name-according-to-report.html)** > > A New York Times report says the franchise could announce the change this week. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/92 "2020-12-14T07:46:07Z")
Fightin’ Maccabees? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/93 "2020-12-14T14:51:01Z")
Spiders, baby! Welcome to the Web!! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/94 "2020-12-14T22:31:50Z")
Cleveland Grovers, with a bushy mustache as their logo. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/95 "2020-12-14T22:35:48Z")
Team owner Paul Dolan said today that the team name will change, but not until after the 2021 season, at the earliest. He also said that they will not be using an interim name, as the Washington Football Team is currently doing, and so, they will be the Indians for at least one more season. > **[What you need to know about the Cleveland Indians' name change](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30516138/what-need-know-cleveland-indians-name-change)** > > When will Cleveland's baseball team have a new nickname? And what might it be? ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/96 "2020-12-15T00:27:28Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Team owner Paul Dolan said today that the team name will change, but not until after the 2021 season, at the earliest. This is such a bullshit move. You knew going into the 2020 season that you were likely going to have to change the name. Some super fan has already given you an amazing logo for the Spiders name if you want that. If you want something else (an article off the one above suggested the Blue Sox which I actually kind of like), pick it. Either way, this isn’t going to the moon or curing cancer, pick a name and move the fuck on. The sooner you do it, the sooner you get double merch sales (selling out all of the old stuff and selling the new stuff). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/97 "2020-12-15T00:32:33Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > This is such a bullshit move. You knew going into the 2020 season that you were likely going to have to change the name. Yeah. At a bare minimum, if team leadership had any sense at all, they would have started seriously exploring a new name this past summer, when the ex-Redskins dropped that name. If they had a little more sense, they would have been exploring this by early 2018, when they announced that they were dropping the Chief Wahoo mascot. It’s _possible_ that the “no change for 2021” was driven, in part, by a deadline from MLB to declare logos and uniforms for next season (and I’m not sure when that date is), but even if that deadline is relevant to the decision, they should have been planning towards that date with this announcement. It all just makes them look slow to react to the obvious. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/98 "2020-12-15T00:56:08Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > It’s _possible_ that the “no change for 2021” was driven, in part, by a deadline from MLB to declare logos and uniforms for next season (and I’m not sure when that date is), but even if that deadline is relevant to the decision, they should have been planning towards that date with this announcement. It all just makes them look slow to react to the obvious. And, really, if there’s a deadline, MLB couldn’t maybe work with them on extending that for THIS purpose? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/99 "2020-12-15T00:59:55Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > And, really, if there’s a deadline, MLB couldn’t maybe work with them on extending that for THIS purpose? One might think so, yeah. Looking back at when the Brewers announced their new uniforms for this past season (including the return to the “dogpaw” logo), [it was in mid-November of last year](https://www.mlb.com/news/brewers-new-uniforms-2020); if MLB has a deadline for uniform changes, I imagine that that’s when it is (more or less). But, I agree with @RickJay – I imagine that MLB management has seen the Indians’ name as problematic for a while now, and might’ve been willing to provide some wiggle room on a deadline if it meant the end of the name earlier rather than later. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/100 "2020-12-15T01:00:24Z")
Paul Dolan: You know after sober reflection we’ve decided the Indians nickname is derogatory and needs to be changed. We can and will do better. Fans: What’s the new name? Paul Dolan: Oh, we’re gonna take a year or two to think about it. Until then we’re keeping the Indians name. After all, what’s the rush? Fans: 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2020, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323/101 "2020-12-15T15:25:44Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Cleveland Grovers, with a bushy mustache as their logo. 🙂 Now _that_ is clever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleveland-indians-considering-a-name-change-edit-its-guardians/914323.md?page=6)