![]() First, they set out to determine whether to ditch the name Indians which, after conversations with Native American groups, civic leaders and fans, they opted to do. This all commenced last summer, as The Athletic first reported in July 2020 that team executives were open to exploring a name change, their response to social unrest and the Washington Football Team’s decision to move on from its name. They focused on Guardians as summer arrived, and it became apparent they couldn’t delay the inevitable. They knew all along that they needed to know by midseason if they would have a new name in place for the 2022 campaign. Team officials consistently declined to shed light on the progress being made toward identifying a new name, logo and branding scheme.Īs team employees started to work on a Tom Hanks-narrated video announcing the change, and the creation of new logos, jersey mockups and accompanying press releases, the inner circle began to expand, as did the opportunity for leaks. So why did this materialize in late July, months before the change will officially go into effect, one week before MLB’s trade deadline, and nearly two-thirds of the way into a season that has already been marked by roster and payroll transition and now will be remembered for the team’s shift in identity? For one, the club wanted to announce the change on its own terms. “It’s either share a name or get consent to use a name,” said Brian Barren, Cleveland’s president of business operations. The team corresponded with the XFL, which has fielded a team called the New York Guardians. ![]() Trademarks also contributed to complexities during the seven-month pursuit of a branding and marketing overhaul. “Buckeyes,” obviously, would have been complicated to execute given the Ohio State University ties. “Spiders” received plenty of attention early in the process, but team decision-makers preferred to avoid a connection to a club that, despite earlier success, limped to a 20-134 record in its final year of existence (1899), a mere 84 games out of first place in the standings. The Guardians of Traffic have stood for nearly 80 years.
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