Baseball’s Cleveland Indians are following the lead of the Washington NFL franchise previously known as a dictionary-defined racial slur.
Like Washington, the Cleveland Indians will be dropping their name, according to multiple reports.
No replacement has been named. Washington has opted for the “Washington Football Team,” a name that could last for a while, or longer.
The difference between Washington’s abandoned name and the Indians is obvious. The term “Indians” isn’t a slur. But the decision to drop the name is consistent with the preference expressed by Native American groups that they not be used as mascots.
The next question becomes whether this change will place any pressure on the Kansas City Chiefs to follow suit. The Chiefs have made some changes to their game-day rituals, prohibiting headdresses. The team, as of late August, was considering whether to continue the “Arrowhead Chop” or drumming in the stadium.