After 105 years, the Cleveland Indians are planning to change their team name.
An announcement of the change could come as early as this week.
Per the NY Times, due to the logistical steps – such as working with uniform manufacturers and companies to produce equipment and team signage – Cleveland may keep the Indians name for the 2021 season as they work on transitioning to a new team name starting in 2022.
Cleveland could also play the 2021 season without a replacement team name, as the Washington Football Team has done, while working on a new name.
105 YEARS:
Cleveland has used the Indians as a mascot since 1915 but has increasingly come under more pressure and protest from fans and Native American groups, which have deemed the team name and use of the mascot as racist.
Following Washington’s decision to change its team name in the NFL earlier this year, the Indians released a statement that they would conduct a “thorough review” of its nickname.
Other professional organizations which use Native Americans as team mascots, such as the Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Chiefs, have said they have no plans to change their names.
