26 People Clowning Conservatives Mad At Cleveland Baseball Team Name Change

Photo via @AndrewFeinberg/Twitter, @KatzOnEarth/Twitter

July 23, 2021, 1:16 pm

After many, many years of pressure from Native American groups, the Major League Baseball team formerly known as the Cleveland Indians will henceforth be called the Cleveland Guardians in reference to iconic local statues, the “Guardians of Traffic,” displayed at the Hope Memorial Bridge. The team announced last December that they were working on a name change that would not draw from an incorrect labeling of the indigenous population, and after seven months finally made it official with a video narrated by Tom Hanks.

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“It has always been Cleveland that’s the best part of our name,” says Hanks. “And now it’s time to unite as one family, one community, to build the next era for this team and this city.”

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“Together, we are all Cleveland Guardians.”

The name change also comes with new logos that do away with the old, racist caricatures of a Native American chief in favor of winged baseballs and stylized letter G’s. Credit for the long-awaited alterations goes to the Cleveland Indigenous Coalition and other Native groups who fought for over 60 years for the baseball team to make these relatively minor cosmetic changes out of respect for those who endured genocide that was often promoted with caricatures like that of their old logos.

“For six decades our community has fought tirelessly to be recognized as diverse and vibrant, instead of portrayed in inaccurate and harmful ways,” said the Cleveland Indigenous Coalition. “By agreeing to change the team name away from Indigenous themes, the Cleveland baseball team is helping to create a place where Native American children and their families feel valued and fully seen.”

The bad and predictable news is that a bunch of racists, including Florida man Donald Trump, are mad that something changed about a sports team. The better news is that everyone else is mocking the heck out of them for it. Enjoy!

1.

The former President says “Indians” are angry over the Cleveland ⁦@Indians⁩ name change. Perhaps he means people from India because Native American groups have been asking for this for years. pic.twitter.com/r7KqV2Otyq

— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) July 23, 2021

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2.

Why? Because it reflects upon a part of city history you either don’t know or care about? Because it doesn’t make actual people into mascots, Rich? I’d actually like to know.

(And as for “dumbest” and “most pointless,” the Utah Jazz and Arizona Cardinals would like a word.)

— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) July 23, 2021

3.

I can’t believe they changed Mr. Potato Head I mean Dr. Seuss I mean the Cleveland Indians. Anyway I’ve decided fascism is good.

— Cody Johnston (@drmistercody) July 23, 2021

4.

Sort of like how we as a country destroyed Native American culture.

— b (@brandonricey) July 23, 2021

5.

Cleveland changing their name is a good thing. But confirming you won’t be offended when I name a team after you?

How about: The New York Mediocre White Men https://t.co/1x7uXV2egI

— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) July 23, 2021

6.

I refuse to believe he was ever a baseball fan to begin with. Not since they desegregated the game.

— Dan Ford, or Dantifa if you want to humor me. (@denialtwister31) July 23, 2021

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One of the underrated benefits of the Cleveland team’s name change is how it’s sending the right wing culture warriors into a vortex of petulant manbaby sniveling pic.twitter.com/uT8Iafhvnn

— Kevin Gannon (@TheTattooedProf) July 23, 2021

9.

Feel bad for those children

— Pertles Gone Wild PhD (@JohnnyMcPerts) July 23, 2021

10.

I can imagine not liking “The Cleveland Guardians” but there’s not a lot of reasons I can think of for being *angry* they changed it

— Adam Serwer (@AdamSerwer) July 23, 2021

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*First Published: July 23, 2021, 1:16 pm