As pressure mounts on the NFL Washington Redskins to change their name, fans are renewing calls for the Cleveland Indians of the major leagues to also alter the name of their team.
On Friday, just hours after the Redskins issued a statement on his nickname, Cleveland did the same. It reads in part: “We are committed to engaging our community and appropriate stakeholders to determine the best path to follow regarding our team name.”
Read the full statement below.
https://t.co/NUM5GYvlwe—
Cleveland Indians (Indians) July 4, 2020
The team’s controversial Wahoo boss logo, adopted in 1947, was officially reduced to a minor status in favor of a block letter “C” in 2014. The Wahoo boss was completely removed from signage and uniforms in 2019. .
The Atlanta Braves are another MLB franchise that has often been called by its nickname, most recently after the news that the Aunt Jemima brand would be abandoning its lifelong name and removing its logo, which is based on a stereotype. racial. Opponents of the team’s current identity not only by name, also find the team’s mascot, the “Tomahawk Chop,” offensive.
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In the NFL, the Redskins face increasing pressure from major sponsors, Native American groups, and others.
“In light of recent events in our country and comments from our community, the Washington Redskins are announcing that the team will undergo a thorough review of the team’s name,” the franchise said in a statement posted on Twitter. “This review formalizes the initial discussions the team has had with the league in recent weeks.” You can read the full statement below.
The team’s owner, Dan Snyder, had previously said he would never change the team’s name, but he has come under increasing financial and political pressure given the national conversation about racism and human rights following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
“This process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise, but also the contributions of our alumni, the organization, the sponsors, the National Soccer League and the local community that is proud to represent on and off the field, “Snyder said in the statement.
The team’s statement on Friday came after federal officials informed Snyder on Thursday that he must change the team’s name if he wants to relocate to the RFK Stadium site. Later in the day, FedEx, the main sponsor of the Redskins’ stadium in Landover, Maryland, issued a formal statement that it had asked the “Washington team” for a name change. FedEx has naming rights for the team’s stadium under a $ 205 million deal that runs through 2025.
Adweek also reported that sponsors Nike and PepsiCo are under pressure to cut ties with the team unless it changes its name.
The Redskins name controversy is nothing new. Native Americans have been questioning the use of the team’s name and image since the 1960s, while the topic has received increasing public attention since the 1990s. The franchise has been called Redskins since its second season in 1933, when I was still playing in Boston. Snyder purchased the equipment in 1999 for $ 750 million.
Another NFL franchise, the Kansas City Chiefs, was being seen as next in line by many who took to Twitter on Friday night.
