Amid the controversy regarding sports teams with racial names and logos, the Cleveland Indians reportedly plan to replace Chief Wahoo with a block letter "C" as their primary insignia. With a similar controversy surrounding the Washington Redskins name, should the franchise make a similar change?
"Indians changing primary logo to the block-C," Paul Lukas of Uni-Watch.com tweeted on Wednesday. "No change to uniforms, Wahoo still on home cap, sleeves."
Cleveland's change seems to be a compromise to appease both critics and die-hard fans. Although Wahoo will be featured less prominently, he's not done away with completely and the die-hard fans can still retain a sense of their team's historical origin.
Washington's case is more complex because the team's name is perceived to be a racist slur to some Native Americans. While Redskins owner Dan Snyder has vowed never to change the team moniker, would the owner consider following Cleveland's suit and de-emphasize the Native American logo?
Replacing the Native American chief logo with the letter "R," for example, wouldn't throw away the franchise's storied history; it would be a homage to their past. In the mid-to-late 1960s, the helmet featured an arrow with a feather; in the early 1970s, the helmet featured a block letter "R."
Changing the logo doesn't end the debate over Washington's name, but it could be a compromise to both the fans and the critics.
Visit HERE to view the Redskins' logos through the years.
