The Cleveland Indians have decided on a new name for their franchise, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. It remains to be seen exactly when the new name will be revealed, as “a source would neither confirm nor deny” if the organization would soon be making any sort of official announcement.
It was just over a year ago that the Tribe announced that “ongoing discussions” were taking place within the organization about potentially changing the team name, and news broke last December that a name change was in the works. While owner Paul Dolan indicated in March that the decision might have to be pushed back to 2023, it now looks like Cleveland’s club will indeed have their new nickname in place for the 2022 season.
There hasn’t been any official indication of what the new team name might be, apart from Dolan stating in December that the Indians wouldn’t simply become “the Tribe” or anything else related to Native Americans or Native American culture. Reports last month stated that the franchise had a final list of name candidates, though none of the potential choices were leaked. Of course, public acknowledgement of any choices on the short list could lead to further complications in trademarking the new nickname — as Dolan said in March, “There aren’t many words in the English language that somebody doesn’t own in some shape or form. Particularly in the sports realm, that’s a real challenge.”
Close to 1100 name choices were on the Indians’ initial list, a sign of just how exhausting the process has been in landing on a new nickname for the organization. Countless more selections have been floated by fans, ranging from past names for the franchise (i.e. the Grays, Naps, Bronchos) prior to the adoption of the “Indians” name in 1915, references to other teams in Cleveland’s baseball history (i.e. the Spiders), references to local Cleveland landmarks (i.e. the Guardians or the Rockers), tributes to past players (i.e. the Dobys or the Fellers), or even references to modern pop culture (i.e. the Avengers).
Spiders is my guess. Going back to their roots.
Spiders was an NL franchise (and very bad toward the end) and not part of the roots of this franchise.
Suspect its Blues (another former franchise name pre-Indians adoption) or Guardians.
Cleveland Blues and Cincinnati Reds.. I kind of like it.
Along with a football team named Browns…
There’s already the St. Louis Blues.
That didn’t stop Baltimore from naming the Orioles after a previous Minor League franchise (with Babe Ruth an an alumni), nor Milwaukee from naming the Brewers after a previous unrelated American League franchise (who became the St. Louis Browns and later the Baltimore Orioles).
Well, since the owner has said many times that it’s about the city, Spiders would have worked, and would not have been ripped to shreds like guardians.
I might have considered supporting the name Spiders, even though I deal with arachnophobia.
That’s what I think it will be. They’d sell a TON of merchandise, and God knows Dolan is all about the $$$$$
Columbus might not like another pro team nearby named the Blues. I prefer the Spiders, but I doubt that will happen. I like the Grays, some history there. But it will probably be something bland like the Captains.
Aside from the Bluejackets, there’s also an NHL team in St. Louis actually names the Blues. I’d prefer to avoid anymore shared names in North American Pro Sports whenever reasonable. (I give a pass to the Texas Rangers due to that name being so perfect.)
MLB jerseys and gear is thrown into a collective MLB pot and distributed equally.
Cleveland Mistaken!! (Mistake by the lake theme). Or Cleveland Rockers
Cleveland Football Team
It’s a good name and lends itself to a cute, Disney-esque mascot little kids will bond with.
The cleveland fellers
Personally, I don’t want to see a name change, but the times have determined it is necessary. I am overwhelmed with curiosity.
This has been happening since the 60s and 70s when I grew up, but the trendy thing is to blame it on the current times. Ironic, isn’t it?
churches in canada are burning and statues in america have been destroyed and removed and cities burned to the ground in the name of social justice its a sign of the times
A good sign.
What sports teams in the ’60’s and ’70’s changed their names for cultural reasons? I know the Cincinnati Reds changed their name to the Redlegs back in the ’50’s, but that only lasted a few years before they changed the name back.
The Baltimore bullets, the Houston colt 45s…
Cleveland Rocks. Drew Carey might sue but I think it fits
I think the Colorado Rockies would have more of an issue than Drew Carey. It’ll never happen.
White Sox and Rex Sox don’t have any issues
The Blue Sox – we need more Sox in baseball!
Those two nicknames were started long before trademarks were considered a major worry for ballclubs.
Ian Hunter may have more issues than Drew Carey.
Whoa – don’t often see Ian Hunter referenced, even back in the day.
I heard Truth Whole Truth on FM radio while working in little league concession stand when I was like 14 I think – been a fan ever since (and Mott)
It should be The Cleveland Rocks
It fits, but it’s too similar to the Rockies.
White Sox and Red Sox
White Sox and Red Sox started their nicknames in the early 1900s. Teams were not concerned with trademarking jerseys and nicknames back then. It’s not happening in today’s marketing environment.
That won’t age well.
The Cleveland Avengers lol.
Cleveland Spiders. Use the block C with the spider on top.
Get the Marvel merchandise using Spider-Man like Mets did with Thor.
The block C stinks. Crooked C all day long. It has something the block C doesn’t — character.
The Cleveland Blew a 3-1 Leads
You should know a lot about blowing things…
better be the spiders, that’s all i gotta say
The Cleveland Progressives. Named for the insurance company for $200 million per year. Half invested back into team making the formers indians a powerhouse …..or not
works for the nippon-ham fighters in the NPB
But they could save 15% or more by switching to being the Cleveland Geicos.
It’ll be the Geicos then. Cleveland ownership loves savings!
Won’t happen. When the Grizzlies left Vancouver for Memphis, they tried to name them the Express (FedEx was the potential owner) and the nba nixed that one.
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.278813
How about “The Cleveland Homies”
Cleveland steamers
Jack Brickhouse would say, “Hey Hey”!
I second the Steamers, with a brown color theme
Mistakes by the Lake?
Cleveland Wild Things
Not a bad idea but an independent league team already has it, the Washington (PA) Wild Things. I’m not sure if they would have to buy the name or not, although I imagine it could be done.
Weren’t they going to stop going by the Indians a couple years ago?
No, they were forced to lose the Chief Wahoo logo in exchange of hosting the All Star Game 2 years ago.
Yeah, I’m talking about something different. That’s why I said something different.
Redskins!!!
To the penalty box with you.
Hoping Spiders for a long time but I see the guardians
Indians
I got an idea, picture this. We call them
The Cleveland Indians
I like it. Catchy!
As long as it not The Cleveland Team…
Cleveland Drew Carey’s or Cleveland the city where lebron used to play for
Hope it’s the Cleveland Mostly Peaceful Protesters
Cleveland Indians,
How about we just call them the Cleveland Indians? I am offended that people are offended by the name, Cleveland Indians! This country is shot!!
Absolutely!
I am not an Cleveland fan but the history of the franchise should stay in place!
Cleveland Sucks
This is so stupid
Cleveland Native Americans
Cleveland Karens.
PERFECT!!!!!!
I understood distancing themselves from the Wahoo logo, but the name change feels unnecessary.
Cleavages
Cleveland PC’s
The band RUSH can thank Cleveland for their rise to fame. The song ‘Working Man’, and the fandom of the blue-collar listeners of the city of Cleveland, is what put RUSH on the map.
The Cleveland Workmen
Weird but unique.
Cleveland Rush?
Nothing wrong with that. I bet that is one of those claimed words though
You know rush is Canadian right?
Pretty sure Canada put them in the map
Nope. Cleveland was heavily responsible for it.
I am Canadian.
You know what’s stupid? Calling Native Americans “Indians” because an ignorant European explorer thought he landed in India. It’s not just that it’s an offensive name, it’s based on on the dumbest of foundations. That’s reason enough to strike it.
Excuse me sir? You accidentally brought facts, logics and a sound argument to a cesspool of bigoted people who hate facts and prefer fantasy.
Bigoted? How about just calling us “people that aren’t foolish enough to buy into liberal hysteria”. Why are you posting on here anyways? Shouldn’t you be out looting a Macy’s with the rest of the Marxists BLM followers.
Turn off Fox News and go out to the real world. Go to a BLM rally and see what it’s really like.
Hey Ted… do you want photos from the BLM rally that ended up with hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages to the buildings surrounding my downtown high rise condo in San Antonio where I used to live with my two young daughters and wife? Do you want photos of the damage they did to our building while attempting to break in with skateboards and metal poles? Or maybe you want to speak with my neighbor (a liberal Air Force major – still can’t figure out that logic) that retrieved his gun as I retrieved my gun and headed to the ground level to shoot any individual that breached our first floor entry? Why desecrate the Alamo or a bar where Teddy Roosevelt frequented with the Roughriders? Why loot the Macy’s? How does that help the BLM cause?
I’ve since moved from one of the best locations in San Antonio due to the mere fact someone was going to swallow a bullet before I would allow my family to be placed in harm’s way. So yes, I now live in a nice cushy gated enclave like most liberals that cry racism everyday. However I’ve seen enough to know better (and as I said previously, I was raised in a crack infested neighborhood).. The BLM movement was built on a lie and is run by people at the top that have a Marxist vision for America. Unfortunately, bottom feeders in America aren’t intelligent enough to realize the harm BLM is doing to America. They’re about as useful as Democrats running major cities across our country.
Ted, you’re gaslighting. The riots didn’t happen? No destruction? No one pulled out of a car and beaten?
My argument—-If they were called The Cleveland Jews, the name would have been abolished years ago.
A bit of a double standard
The Cleveland browns, named after Cleveland brown of family guy, not the football team
I’d rather know what trades they are considering. I don’t give a single damn about the name change, but that’s just me.
A lot of people can’t deal with change on here. This name change is absolutely the governments fault. Call them the Spiders, Doby’s, Blues or the Cleveland Americans. Who cares. Good on their ownership for listening to the people it is offensive towards. I like the Cleveland franchise and I’m looking forward to hearing their new name. I’d be proud of them being a leader in this area.
Sorry I should specify that the government comment is sarcasm.
So let me ask you this: should the Notre Dame football team be forced to change their name? Are we going to change anything and everything that anyone may have a problem with? Slippery slope there.
The name change is secondary, not really the main point, friend. It’s the fact that change can happen at the whim of the truly easily offended. IF the team name promoted some kind of violence or hatred to any one person…why would they wait so long to change a name that was so offensive? Was it even known that a great majority of Native Americans were on record that they were so opposed to the name? If one tribe gets offended while another does not…who picks whose outcome is the best for all? Those things really matter in this case, do they not?
Since a great deal of this seems very subjecive based, where does one end up drawing the line on these types of situations? Literally every single thing can be taken at offense by one or more person when it all comes down to it…does that mean we should change all those names as well?
That is the main point of all this…change is inevitable…that will always ring true. Changing to cater for just some…that will always be a lil bit harder to understand given the current scenario.
Cleveland Mistakes.
Hopefully it’s the steamers
They should be called the Spiders. The team mascot could be called “Boris,” and the team could play The Who’s song “Boris The Spider” at games. “Boris The Spider” was Jimi Hendrix’s favorite song by The Who.
Oh what a tangled web we weave….
I too am all in on the Spiders, lol.
Oh no… do you suggest Cowboys and Indians now has to be Cowboys and Native Americans?
Liberals need a name change their to Communists! Fair is fair!
The Cleveland Guardians!
Being a Cleveland native, I think they are going to be named the . . .
Cleveland Guardians
Pardon my ignorance on the matter, but what is the historical significance of Guardians?
The Cleveland Woke.
I’ll keep referring to them as the Indians.
Cleveland People.
bowdowners
The Cleveland Cheapskates!
No but really, what if they went with Cleveland Independents – could just call them the Indies rather than Indians.
What is the point of sending out a teaser that they picked a name, but won’t tell us yet? Just another way to tick off fans that are already frustrated…
yeah and speedy gonzales is a hate symbol!
que lastima!
The Rust Belters
so so so stupid
what a joke
BORING. Cleveland blew that one. The Greys had a nice ring to it.
I know that no name will please everyone but Guardians is awful. Sounds like a 2 year team in a knock-off football league, or a made up basketball team in a movie.
Sounds like a Globetrotters opponent!
I have the sam reaction that Astro did to his original nam, Tralfaz……Yuck!!
Excellent Jetsons analogy! Well done.
Guardians? That is awful.
Guardians? Really?
The Guardians?
See if the commissioner wasn’t an incompetent sell out boob who doesn’t really understand baseball this doesn’t happen.
When I watched the video narrated by Tom Hanks it reminded me of his commercial in the Simpsons Movie
“The US Government has lost its credibility, so it’s borrowing some of mine.”
They needed to change their name, but it was sure a swing and miss on Guardians… cue Marvel nights in Cleveland!
not good
Another foolish win for liberals. Many of us have been in the military and truly understand real world issues after spending time overseas. We have it pretty easily here in America (and I was raised in a crack infested neighborhood). The Civil War is coming. People are going to wake up soon enough and realize liberals are tearing away at this country inch by inch. When that new “wokeness” occurs, I surely hope those same liberals destroying this country over “naming issues” found some time on the gun range. If not, it’s going to be like watching Shane Bieber pitching against your local high school team. My advice to liberals – get thicker skin.
I really don’t see the issue with Indians. They had that name for almost 75 years. The redskins as well for over 80 years.
According to this site. It’s gonna be the Cleveland Guardians.
https://www.hogshaven.com/platform/amp/2021/7/23/22590258/the-cleveland-indians-announce-new-team-name-before-washington
Horrible
I just don’t understand why they didn’t listen to the fans and name the team the spiders? It had fan support and was historically rooted
I can just hear Manning and Underwood already gushing over this.