Indians to remove Chief Wahoo logo from uniforms in 2019
Tom Schad, USA TODAY
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The Cleveland Indians will stop using their controversial Chief Wahoo logo on uniforms in 2019, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Monday.
Manfred has been pressuring Indians chief executive and chairman Paul Dolan to make the change for the past year.
"Major League Baseball is committed to building a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout the game," said Manfred in a statement. "Over the past year, we encouraged dialogue with the Indians organization about the club’s use of the Chief Wahoo logo.
"During our constructive conversations, Paul Dolan made clear that there are fans who have a longstanding attachment to the logo and its place in the history of the team. Nonetheless, the club ultimately agreed with my position that the logo is no longer appropriate for on-field use in Major League Baseball, and I appreciate Mr. Dolan’s acknowledgement that removing it from the on-field uniform by the start of the 2019 season is the right course.”
“We have consistently maintained that we are cognizant and sensitive to both sides of the discussion,” Dolan said in a statement. “While we recognize many of our fans have a long-standing attachment to Chief Wahoo, I’m ultimately in agreement with Commissioner Manfred’s desire to remove the logo from our uniforms in 2019.”
Chief Wahoo is a caricature of a Native American. The organization has used iteration of it or another since the late 1940s.
The Indians are one of several professional sports franchises that have drawn scrutiny for using what critics believe are an offensive logo or team name in recent years. The NFL's Washington Redskins have also been denounced and faced longstanding pressure to change their team name, which critics cite as offensive to Native Americans.
ESPN star Max Kellerman calls for Notre Dame to drop 'Fighting Irish' nickname, leprechaun mascot
By Samuel Chamberlain | Fox News
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Now that the Cleveland Indians have dropped their controversial "Chief Wahoo" logo, should Notre Dame's athletic teams cease to be called the Fighting Irish and abandon the Leprechaun mascot?
"The answer," ESPN host Max Kellerman said Tuesday, "is yes."
Kellerman made the comments on ESPN's morning debate show "First Take," which he co-hosts with Stephen A. Smith.
Kellerman, who also works as a boxing commentator on HBO, admitted that "many Irish-Americans are not offended" by Notre Dame's nickname and symbolism, "but many are."
"Pernicious, negative stereotypes of marginalized people that offend even some among them should be changed," Kellerman said. "It’s not that hard."
Former ESPN and current MLB Network host Brian Kenny, the son of an Irish immigrant, tweeted support for Kellerman's stance.
"For all saying 'they've never met a single Irishman offended': The Notre Dame mascot is an embarrassment," Kenny said.
According to Notre Dame's official website, "Fighting Irish" was adopted as the school's official nickname in 1927. However, unconfirmed stories suggest the moniker dates as far back as the late 1890s and early 1900s.
"The most generally accepted explanation is that the press coined the nickname as a characterization of Notre Dame athletic teams, their never-say-die fighting spirit and the Irish qualities of grit, determination and tenacity," the website explains, before adding, "The term likely began as an abusive expression tauntingly directed toward the athletes from the small, private, Catholic institution."
Major League Baseball announced Wendesday that Indians players would not wear Chief Wahoo on their uniforms beginning in the 2019 season, when the city will host the All-Star Game. The red-faced cartoon with a big-toothed grin and feather headband won't disappear from merchandise, however, and some Indians fans consider the logo to be an iconic feature of the team.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
