The Cleveland Indians Have Announced Name Change After Calls That Their Original Team Name Was Offensive

A year after the Cleveland Indians announced that they were considering a name change, one that isn’t offensive to Native Americans, the team has announced a new name. In a video narrated by Tom Hanks and featuring music from the Black Keys, the team revealed the new name, including a new font and new logos.

In a statement, the team’s owner and chairman, Paul Dolan, explained, “Cleveland has and always will be the most important part of our identity. Therefore, we wanted a name that strongly represents the pride, resiliency and loyalty of Clevelanders. ‘Guardians’ reflects those attributes that define us while drawing on the iconic Guardians of Traffic just outside the ballpark on the Hope Memorial Bridge. It brings to life the pride Clevelanders take in our city and the way we fight together for all who choose to be part of the Cleveland baseball family. While ‘Indians’ will always be a part of our history, our new name will help unify our fans and city as we are all Cleveland Guardians.”

The new name will go into effect in 2022. Watch the official name change announcement below.

Before landing on a name, the organization spent 140 hours interviewing fans, personnel and community leaders, yet you can’t please everyone. Fans seem to have mixed reactions to the name change announcement. Some love it. Some hate it.

What do you think of the name Cleveland Guardians? Do you like the new name? Do you think the old name was offensive?