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You know it's a big deal when you bring in Tom Hanks to make an announcement. This morning, the official name change of the Cleveland Indians was announced.
Back in July of 2020, the Indians announced they were considering a name change, due to the social unrest that took place throughout the country. They removed their infamous "Chief Wahoo" logo back in 2018 but committed to a full rebrand. It was time for a change. Clevland has dawned the name "Indians" since 1915 and has received criticism for that for decades. Last month, the team announced they considered over 1,000 names and were working on narrowing it down to a few choices. So how did they land on Guardians?
The goal for the team was to bring Clevland and the citizens of the city together. It is also a nod to the well-known statues located throughout Clevland, the "Guardians of Traffic". They are located on the Hope Memorial Bridge, which spans the Cuyahoga River and connects downtown Cleveland to the city’s trendy Ohio City neighborhood. These Guardians lead right up to Progressive Field, where the team resides. The statues symbolize the "progress in transportation", which is fitting for the change in name. Progress of moving to something else, somewhere else. The marketing opportunities are endless for the team because the name is not utilized by any other major sports franchise
Photo: Guardians of Traffic | Erik Drost
It wasn't fans' top choice, as many polls showed they wanted the Spiders. It would have been pretty sick, but Guardians is a solid choice. It ties in the historic value of the city and brings in an element of unity for the community. I don't hate the logos either. They retooled the Clevland a little but, and the G on the baseball will make a cool hat. The name and rebrand will go into effect at the end of this season.
I am surprised they didn't run with Clevland Baseball Team, but a solid move by the team. Your move, Washington Football Team
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