Cleveland Indians to abandon Chief Wahoo
January 29, 2018
Musings of a Champion
January 30, 2018
Happy Tuesday, WFNY!
Over the weekend, I was looking for some documents in my house. They weren’t where I expected them to be, of course. So I had to start going through some old storage containers to find them. Naturally, as these things tend to go, I ended up mostly rummaging through old memories and finding things I hadn’t thought about in a very long time.
One of the things I found was a very old keychain. I’ve owned a lot of keychains in my life, but this is one the first ones I ever recall owning. It was a simple metallic Chief Wahoo keychain. The red color has faded and chipped away over the years, part of the top of the keychain has broken off completely. I still own this keychain and refuse to throw it away for one simple reason. It was given to me by my grandfather, who unfortunately is no longer with us. This keychain is a memento of a memory.
And that’s really the tricky thing about Chief Wahoo and our relationship to it as fans. I’m not going to attempt to argue it’s not offensive. In my opinion, it’s clearly offensive, and more importantly, in the opinion of many American Indians, it is not only offensive but a constant reminder of their own marginalization in American culture and history.
Having said all that, though, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a deeper connection to me and this unfortunate logo. Yes, Chief Wahoo means pain and suffering to many of the approximately 5 million American Indians in the United States,1 but to me, it represents a generational and family bond.
Indeed, when I look at Chief Wahoo, I don’t see a racist icon or the marginalization of a people. I see memories. I remember going to Municipal Stadium for my first Indians game. I remember my mom and dad taking my brother, sister, and myself to games at Jacob’s Field. I remember talking about Indians baseball with my dad and uncles and with my grandfather. It’s about holding that keychain in my hand and thinking about how much I miss my grandfather. These are special memories for me.
So sure, I completely understand why many Cleveland fans didn’t want to see Chief Wahoo go. I get why this was a more difficult decision for the franchise than it probably should have been. I don’t think most of these people are racists and/or bigots. I think a lot of it is just a different context.
Here’s the thing, though. The Cleveland Indians organization removing Chief Wahoo doesn’t actually change any of that. My memories of my grandfather aren’t dying with the Chief. My memories of going to all those games with my family are still there. I’ll still talk Cleveland baseball with my dad every chance I get. It won’t cheapen the experience for me, and I really doubt it will for anyone else, either.
Proponents of the logo often like to say “It’s just a logo.” And they’re right, it’s just a logo. And that’s why we’ll all get over it. There’s no real, tangible pain point here for us. And if getting rid of the logo helps ease the pain of whatever percentage of American Indians are offended and hurt by the logo, then this is nothing but a net positive. And we should focus on that positive.
I hear so many people say things like “I wish they’d get rid of the logo just so we can stop having these debates” and I get that perspective. However, I don’t want that to be the reason we got rid of the logo. I want it to be a positive, not a resignation. We should focus on what a great thing it is the Cleveland Indians organization and Major League Baseball are doing. You don’t have to agree that the logo is offensive, but you cannot deny that many American Indians are offended by it. And if you don’t believe me, just do a simple Google search. Their voices are out there and you can read about the ways sports logos like Chief Wahoo have pushed false stereotypes and influences perspective of American Indian culture in American culture at large.
The best part about being human is we get to be messy. We are riddled with contradictions and hypocrisy. It’s ok to admit that there are parts of us that have fond memories of Chief Wahoo while also acknowledging that getting rid of it is the right thing to do. It’s been annoying watching fans yell at each other and call each other names over the years. Wahoo has become an increasingly divisive figure among Cleveland sports fans. And yeah, I’m happy Wahoo is gone for that reason as well. I, too, was sick of the debates.
It’s ok to look at this issue from varying points of view. It’s ok to admit that it’s hard to figure out what to do with a logo that is offensive to some but not all American Indians (and maybe not even a majority). It’s going to be ok to move on, as well. The Cleveland baseball team isn’t going anywhere. We can still root for them and be frustrated by them and argue attendance issues with other fans. None of that is going to change. When 2020 comes around, the Cleveland Indians will still be here, and that’s really the only thing that matters in this debate.
And yeah, I’ll still have my keychain.
- I’m not interested in playing the game of pretending I know what percentage are offended by the use of their likeness in a team logo or that the percentage even really matters. Yes, there are polls suggesting that the overwhelming majority of American Indians are not offended by Indian names and mascots used in sports. No, I don’t think 10 percent is an insignificant number, nor do I think any of this even really matters. I think it’s just good policy to not name our sports teams after races and/or ethnic groups, nor do I think using their likeness is in good taste, offensive to anyone or not. [↩]
79 Comments
title for chaplains. Don’t see anything horrific but I’d be happy to hear from priests or the catholic church on the matter.
I don’t want him to leave, as it is nice watching an all-timer do his thing in my team’s unis. But he seems to go out of his way not to make it easy for the team to build and rebuild around him from season to season, and it’s maddening. And I get it to a point that it might be his way of getting back at Dan Gilbert for the comic sans sayonara, but at what point is that sense of payback satisfied? Is he really willing to lower his chances of winning titles out of spite? Is the plan to leave things worse off in his wake? It just seems like he could be doing more than he is to make this team as strong a contender as possible, and he won’t. I want him here if he wants to be here. If he doesn’t, then I’d rather get something than nothing for his departure.
SLAVERY’S BEEN AROUND FOR 100 YEARS WHY CHANGE IT NOW??
…I know I’m using the most extreme example I can here, but it’s in direct response to your extreme response as well.
This is just as much as what’s “offensive” as it is evolving as a society and the Dolans cashing in. A racist drawing from over 60 years ago has been open to debate from all sides for quite some time now. It’s been decided that the majority no longer identify with that as a symbol of “fandom” and that the organization can benefit from departing it as the main logo.
Seriously…”it’s just a logo, get over it”. I mean it’s not like we’re doing anything meaningful here like repealing 2A.
..
I’M PERSONALLY HORRIFIED AT THAT MAN WEARING A DRESS I MEAN THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NOT THE UNITED STATES OF QUEER.
Here’s a good write up of what is actually going on anyways:
https://sports.theonion.com/cleveland-indians-owner-admits-chief-wahoo-no-longer-co-1822530608
What happened to free speech?
… think “religion”
This team could be so much better if he put just a fraction of the energy into it that he put into orchestrating his Miami super team.
This is a really great point. @Indians see here……
I think it’s the opposite: he’d leave if there’s a rational argument that he’ll increase his chances of winning elsewhere. From what I’m reading lately Dan Gilbert’s now very involved in the personnel calls, which is scary and would explain the inexplicable: letting the clearly competent David Griffin walk without a decent back up plan, chasing after Chauncey Phillips who has no FO experience before hiring young Altman. LeBron might be quite reasonable to think that the Clips, for example, will soon have cap room to sign both him and Paul George (who’s consistently spoken of returning to L.A.), and that another GM and a gazzillionaire owner will get the two of them a supporting cast better than he’d expect here.
Right. The War on Christmas and genocide of the indigenous people from the ground you’re standing on is the same thing.
Does a clearer commitment from LeBron and maybe some willingness on his part to take a bit less money clean up some of that mess? Does Gilbert back off on personnel because he’s not waiting to get left at the alter by LeBron, and instead Griff gets his extension? Does Kyrie then stick around, or at least we have a more experienced hand guiding the trade process? I know…who knows? Maybe this moment was unavoidable. But it seems to me if LeBron James wanted this situation to be better, it would be.
Ok seriously, we’re all pitching in to get you something
https://i3.cpcache.com/product/2022033572/freedom_of_speech_first_amendment_shower_curtain.jpg?width=550&height=550&Filters=%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22background%22%2C%22value%22%3A%22F2F2F2%22%2C%22sequence%22%3A2%7D%5D
You mean a bribe?
It wasn’t the “bottom line,” it was pressure from MLB.
The name will be gone soon, too. So we’ll be losing that. But we should just get with the times and accept it, right? I’m sure, say, Cubs or Yankees or Red Sox fans wouldn’t mind if their team name was changed.
They should have taken more ____ Studies classes in college!
Everyone is racist. Or something.
bye troll
hi SMRTAZZ … it is the same in that certain groups of people are going to find some things offensive … that’s all … relax.
First, LeBron’s long term commitment would certainly aid the team. But that’s not a role he’s accepted in years, and he’s made that clear in advance by insisting on short term contracts. Not sure what uncertainty about LeBron has to do with Dan’s increased involvement with personnel. Whether they plan for a future sans LeBron, go all in this year or hedge their bets, Dan is not the basketball personnel guy to execute that. This smells like the cliche owner who nibby-noses into personnel because, ya know, it’s his team. Which squares with his letting an experienced GM walk and (as reported this week) attending college games with Altman. And ordering the drafting of Kay Felder because he was a fan.
But the bigger issue is whether any player, including LeBron, owes Gilbert a commitment so as to potentially better the org. I’m in the minority here in thinking that LeBron, with his historic greatness on the court and in his single-handedly inflating the owner’s wealth, has earned the cache to demand competence from any team he is on without additional efforts. He has a right to demand that the org not waste his prime, which Gilbert blatantly risked with the Griffin dismissal and no back up plan. LeBron does recruit when he thinks things look good. He does not when he suspects he’s surrounded by coaches, GMs and owners who are messing with his legacy. I don’t blame him at all for keeping options open. For the same reason a part of me respects Alex Mack more than Joe Thomas.
The block C is boring and bad. But at least it’s not the script I, which is worse.
It’s a hot dog measuring contest that will have no winner, but the only loser is Cleveland fans.
I mean, I’m laughing, so for a Wednesday afternoon, this level of relaxation will have to do. That Padres logo has been around since at least the ’60’s, so surely you can site at least one butt hurt, I dunno… Padre, Catholic, overweight balding white dude, that’s been offended by it, as you claim. You have an over half century of history to work with to verify your (fake) equivalency. C’mon bro, this is your #pizzagate, #benghazi, #releasethememo moment…. You can do this.
I’m not even an Indians fan … i just think too many folks are worried about being politically correct these days. have a good one.
ok, bro. meet me at tigerbeat.com where I’ll be poppin’ off on why people need to take the pink elephants, that haunt my daydreams, seriously.
LMFAO !!!
The strawmen you have built up all over this thread definitely prove you’ve got a good grip on the discussion at hand.