Despite the connection, fans must realize it is time to move on from Chief Wahoo

On Monday, Major League Baseball announced the Cleveland Indians will no longer don the Chief Wahoo logo starting in 2019. Immediately the sports world was set ablaze.

Chief Wahoo is among the most popular logos in baseball, rivaling those of the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. In 2016, the Indians sold two times as much merchandise as the average MLB team.

This deal was simply a compromise that still leaves work to be done. The club will still sell Chief Wahoo merchandise at their team shops and regional retailers; however there will be no on-field use of the logo come 2019. With this being said, fans will surely come to Progressive Field in packs sporting the logo.

For the Indians, they must respect and acknowledge the team’s history and the fans affection to the carachteture.

These bonds are real; however the Indians must and already have addressed the larger problem. The Indians have increasingly widened their use of the block C logo each year. This includes diminishing the use of Chief Wahoo during spring training in Goodyear, Arizona, a state which features a large Native American population.

Because of the widened use of the block C, this week’s announcement comes with little surprise. It is also believed that this is a part of a trade-off for which the Indians and the city of Cleveland receive the 2019 MLB All Star festivities.

The simple fact is that in today’s world the logo is no longer acceptable. Despite the original naming of the Indians due to honor former play Sockalexis, it is time for the organization to look at new options. The logo and name simply cause too much controversy and pain to too many people.

While it would be a process, it may be time for the Indians to look for a new identity. Without their signature logo, the team name simply does not match the block C logo. Many backers of the logo, including myself, cite tradition and the honor in which it was created. However, it is more clear than ever that the logo is simply no longer acceptable and what better way to rid of the controversy than by creating a new, fresh identity that does not bring hoards of protestors outside the ballpark on the days of your biggest games.

Owner and chief officer Paul Dolan reports that Major League Baseball does not find a name change necessary. Despite this, progress is still being made and you can only hope that more will be made.

Prominent organizations have done this before such as when Miami switched from the Redskins to the RedHawks and Stanford switching from the Indians to the Cardinals.

On Monday, Major League Baseball announced the Cleveland Indians will no longer don the Chief Wahoo logo starting in 2019. Immediately the sports world was set ablaze.

Chief Wahoo is among the most popular logos in baseball, rivaling those of the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. In 2016, the Indians sold two times as much merchandise as the average MLB team.

This deal was simply a compromise that still leaves work to be done. The club will still sell Chief Wahoo merchandise at their team shops and regional retailers; however there will be no on-field use of the logo come 2019. With this being said, fans will surely come to Progressive Field in packs sporting the logo.

For the Indians, they must respect and acknowledge the team’s history and the fans affection to the carachteture.

These bonds are real; however the Indians must and already have addressed the larger problem. The Indians have increasingly widened their use of the block C logo each year. This includes diminishing the use of Chief Wahoo during spring training in Goodyear, Arizona, a state which features a large Native American population.

Because of the widened use of the block C, this week’s announcement comes with little surprise. It is also believed that this is a part of a trade-off for which the Indians and the city of Cleveland receive the 2019 MLB All Star festivities.

The simple fact is that in today’s world the logo is no longer acceptable. Despite the original naming of the Indians due to honor former play Sockalexis, it is time for the organization to look at new options. The logo and name simply cause too much controversy and pain to too many people.

While it would be a process, it may be time for the Indians to look for a new identity. Without their signature logo, the team name simply does not match the block C logo. Many backers of the logo, including myself, cite tradition and the honor in which it was created. However, it is more clear than ever that the logo is simply no longer acceptable and what better way to rid of the controversy than by creating a new, fresh identity that does not bring hoards of protestors outside the ballpark on the days of your biggest games.

Owner and chief officer Paul Dolan reports that Major League Baseball does not find a name change necessary. Despite this, progress is still being made and you can only hope that more will be made.

Prominent organizations have done this before such as when Miami switched from the Redskins to the RedHawks and Stanford switching from the Indians to the Cardinals.