The Cleveland Indians have joined the Washington Redskins in saying they will evaluate whether they should change their team nickname, and manager Terry Francona is among those who would welcome a rebranding.
Not long after the Redskins announced that they will be conducting a “thorough review” of their team name, the Indians released a statement confirming they will do the same. Francona was asked on Sunday about the possibility of the Indians having a new nickname, and he is in favor of the idea.
“I know that we’re never trying to be disrespectful. But I don’t think that’s a good enough answer today. I think it’s time to move forward.”#Indians Manager Terry Francona's full answer on the team's name: pic.twitter.com/6I7XX3oA5d
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) July 5, 2020
“It’s a very difficult subject,” Francona said. “It’s also delicate. … Even at my age, you don’t want to be too old to learn or to realize that maybe I’ve been ignorant of some things and to be ashamed of it and to try to be better. We’ve talked about this for years by ourselves. I’m glad we’re going to be open to listening. I think that’s probably the most important thing right now is being willing to listen, not necessarily just talk.”
Some people want to see the Indians change their name because of possible stereotypes, and it seems likely that they will at some point with reports indicating the Redskins are likely to change their name.
The Indians retired their former Chief Wahoo logo in 2018, and they have since moved to the block “C” as their primary logo. A new nickname could be next.
