According to a report by David Waldstein and Michael S. Schmidt from The New York Times, the Cleveland Major League Baseball franchise has decided to drop their “Indians” nickname.
From The New York Times:
Following years of protests from fans and Native American groups, the Cleveland Indians have decided to change their team name, moving away from a moniker that has long been criticized as racist, three people familiar with the decision said Sunday.
Cleveland could announce its plans as soon as this week, according to the three people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
The report noted that the next steps are not clear and that Cleveland could continue to be the Indians for the 2021 season.
It is not immediately clear what Cleveland’s exact steps will be beyond dropping the Indians name. The transition to a new name involves many logistical considerations, including work with uniform manufacturers and companies that produce other team equipment and stadium signage.
One of the people said Cleveland planned to keep the Indians name and uniforms for the 2021 season while working to shift away from it as early as 2022.
EXCLUSIVE: For the past 105 years, the team was called the Indians. That will be no more as Cleveland has decided to change its name. Announcement from team could come as early as this week. w/@DavidWaldstein https://t.co/Nnw2nAoKcJ
— Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) December 14, 2020
Nation, does this surprise you? What should Cleveland’s new nickname be?
How about the Cleveland Whities or Cleveland Caucasians? Those names have not been used before. Would whites be offended? Shouldn’t be, whats good for the goose is good for the gander.