The Cleveland Indians are officially changing their team name to “Guardians” after facing pressure from the woke mob.
“The choice of Guardians will undoubtedly be criticized by many of the club’s die-hard fans,” the Associated Press noted.
Narrator Tom Hanks officially announced the team’s shift away from the allegedly racist branding in a video posted to the professional baseball team’s @Indians Twitter account.
“We hold tight to our roots and set our sights on tomorrow. And this is our team that has stood with our city for more than a century. … A team that has seen its own progress and prosperity,” Hanks explained. “Its history flows like the river through the heart of the city. … We remember those moments as we move forward, but, you see, it has always been Cleveland that’s the best part of our name.”
Together, we are all… pic.twitter.com/R5FnT4kv1I
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 23, 2021
Team owner Paul Dolan said the change was spurred on by the social unrest associated with George Floyd’s death last summer. As a result of his feelings, the team announced in December that fans who wear “headdresses and face paint styled in a way that references or appropriates American Indian cultures and traditions” could be ejected from Progressive Field. The team implemented the change just two years after officially removing the infamous “Chief Wahoo” character from player uniforms.
“Inappropriate or offensive images, words, dress or face paint must be covered or removed, and failure to do so may constitute grounds for ejection or refusal of admission,” the new policy states.
Introducing the Cleveland Guardians!
The name will go into effect after the 2021 season. pic.twitter.com/ggCFyIRD2y
— MLB (@MLB) July 23, 2021
The option to change the team’s name also quickly entered the scene. Social media polls originally indicated that “Spiders” was a top choice by fans who wanted to pay homage to the team’s original name, but Cleveland eventually landed on the Guardians to communicate how the team is “loyal and proud and resilient.”
“Now it’s time to unite as one family, one community, to build the next era for this team in this city. To keep watch and guard what makes this game the greatest. To come together and welcome all who want to join us,” Hanks said. “We protect what we’ve earned and always defended. Together we stand with all who understand what it means to be born and built from the land because this is the city we love. And a game we believe in. And together, we are all Cleveland Guardians.”
Hardest hit: the Native American after whom the team was supposedly originally named, Louis Sockalexis. https://t.co/Sqi5wMbINS https://t.co/aXouyEhino
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 23, 2021
Last year, Washington’s professional football team renamed itself from the “Washington Redskins” to the “Washington Football Team” after facing pressure from leftist activists in the name of “social justice.” Polling suggested that most of the American Indians surveyed were “proud” that the team chose to shout out their heritage, but their feelings and the fact that less than 30 percent of Americans said the Redskins should change their name was not enough for the organization.
Over the last year, Major League Baseball has gone from a well-revered American staple to a controversial institution that bows to woke pressure. Just a few months ago, the MLB went out of its way to relocate the All-Star Game after leftists demanded a boycott against the state of Georgia for its newest election integrity law.
Source: The Federalist
