Discussion Questions:
- Should we expect sports teams to change logos, traditions, or names that have been deemed racist? Why or why not?
- Although the team will stop using the logo in 2019, "Consumers will still be able to purchase items with the [Chief Wahoo] logo on them at the team’s souvenir shops in the stadium and at retail outlets in the northern Ohio market, but those items will not be available for sale on M.L.B.’s website." Is this acceptable, or should the Chief Wahoo logo be discontinued altogether?
- Will this change help or hurt the Cleveland Indians' reputation? Or the MLB's image, for that matter.
I think that changing the logos of a team shouldn’t be done unless needed. In the case of the Indians, I to agree that it was a necessary move. Sports are a representation for our country, showing racism or prejudice within the logo shouldn’t be allowed. With people looking up to these athletes/teams and with how much people commit themselves to the sport itself, it’s not right for a team to send bad messages. I also think that the sport needs to evolve with the country and its people. When the indians were founded im sure nobody complained, however with the way society is becoming today, things like that will only be harassed.
ReplyDeleteI think that we should no expect sports teams to change any sort of logo that they may have. Even though that many may see or deem that logo as being racist they shouldn't force an organization that was built by that logo. The organization also may have spent over billions of dollars on that logo. So changing from a logo that has made them money and have had for a long time seems kind of strange. Also if people wanted to "force" an organization to change their logo they shouldn't force them to do so. Instead they should begin a boycott, because realistically if the logo is making for the company and is popular then why should one man decide whether or not a logo be unfit for sports?
ReplyDeleteI think that we should expect teams to change logos, traditions, or names that have been deemed racist. Although some might argue that you shouldn’t change tradition, in this case I disagree. People who call Native Americans are ignorant. They can easily be taught that this is incorrect and often creates a negative stigma about Native Americans. Most of the other sports teams just have their logos as a single letter, so why should this be any different. Having this face or anything else that is racist apart of our culture shouldn’t be accepted. Times have changed and so should we.
ReplyDeleteI certainly don't think this will hurt the Cleveland Indians' reputation, I think that the public will realize that racism is becoming a more sensitive issue than say when the logo was created. I think the MLB's image will be seen as open to change. If they didn't force the Indian's to change the logo, accusations may be made about the league that they are racist or allow racism to happen in the baseball league. I think this is a situation that is easily fixed but also is difficult for the fans. If my team, Manchester United, changed their badge to something different it wouldn't feel right. Having the logo is special, its a sign of ownership. You own the logo, you play for the team and you play for the fans who worship this logo so much. So yes it would be definitely hardest on the fans but I think if its deemed to be racist now then it has to change as these leagues can't be seen tolerating any sort of racism or defamatory images/texts in their league or it could potentially damage their reputation in the long run if something related to racism was to happen.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that we should “expect” teams to change their logos, although I do believe that it morally right for teams to change logos that are offensive but they are not required to. You can't expect a team to change a logo that they have had for over 100 years it would just throw everything off. If they were to get rid of the logo, I think they would also have to get rid of all the fan gear with the logo on it. You can't just “get rid of the logo” yet still sell items with the logo on it because then its like you never got rid of it. I think by changing the logo will hurt the Indians but help the MLB. I think it will hurt the Indians because everyone is used to seeing their logo and by changing the logo will give the team a different image and make fans angry who will have to buy new team apparel. I think that in the long run, it will end up helping the MLB because it makes it look like they are trying to create racial peace. In conclusion, I think the Indians are not required to change their logo, but it would be the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteI think that the Cleveland Indians made the right choice by deciding to change the name of their team. Since the name was given to the team 70 years ago, society itself has changed tremendously. We have become more welcoming and aware of America's diversity, and now we even celebrate it. Many of the protestors have been in America for hundreds of years, so why is it okay for an MLB team to disregard their feelings. Furthermore, the owners of the team must have been receiving a huge amount of backlash, from those targeted by the logo, if they decided to change it. Therefore, it is a very smart move on the owners behalf to be conscious of everyones feelings. Even though fans of the team may be upset, this could potentially yield some positive results for the team. For example, the team has received a ton of good press in the past few weeks applauding them for being respectful. While this was a huge step in the right direction, it is going to take a long time before society starts remembering the Cleveland baseball team as anything but the Indians.
ReplyDeleteChief Wahoo is an older logo used by the Cleveland Indians and has represented the team for many years now. However, it was made in a different time and what was okay decades ago is not okay today. Teams like the Indians, Redskins, and Blackhawks all have logos that have been or could be called out as racist towards Native Americans. Owners should be expected to change logos and names of their franchises when they are said to be racist or offensive in anyway. The Indians are making the right choice by getting rid of Chief Wahoo and probably should have gone even farther to changing their name to something that won't offend anyone. Unfortunately, some owners still too stubborn to do this and refuse to remove racist and offensive logos and names from their teams.
ReplyDeleteI think the Cleveland Indians did the right thing by changing their logo. They received pressure from others to change it, and they did. Should we expect all sports teams to do this? I'm not sure. Teams logos are often overlooked, and it is easy to not even realize that they are racist. I don't expect that teams will change their logos by themselves. I feel that if they receive pressure they should change them. If your sports team logo is offending somebody then it is wrong, and portrays a bad image. I do not think that the Cleveland Indians should be able to continue to make profit off of this logo. I think it is ok if they want to release their license to the logo, but still allow it to be sold, without taking any profit. If people love the logo, then they should still be able to buy it. I do not think this makes the Cleveland Indians look bad at all. In fact, I think it makes them look really good. When the logo was created, times were different, and people did not view the world they way we view it now. I think the fact they were willing to change shows how they understand and appreciate other cultures. I do however think this makes other teams look bad for not changing. I don't think it is as big of a deal as many people think, and within a few years most people will forget about the old logo and move on. I think all American teams should change their logo if it offending people.
ReplyDeleteI do not think we should expect team to change logo, traditions, or names because some people are offended. On the other hand, I teams should change their logo for moral reasons. You can not simply expect a team to spend thousands or millions of dollars to change a logo that has been a tradition for many years, just because some fans (who aren’t even associated with the franchize) think it is slightly offensive. However, speaking from an economic standpoint, these teams are businesses and businesses should always try to appeal to a broad customer base. If it is not too hard for a team to change their logo, then they should change it because the change has the potential to bring the team more fans and therefore more money. I also think that it is perfectly acceptable for the Indians’ to still sell logowear that contains Chief Wahoo. Changing their logo was a fairly drastic change, and therefore it must be implemented slowly or at the very least, not all at once. I think selling logowear with Chief Wahoo on it gives some fans the chance to still by into the tradition of the team before it vanishes. If anyone has a problem with any of the items for sale, they can just refuse to buy them; i’m sure they themselves have bought or worn something that has offended someone else at some point in time.
ReplyDeleteWe should not expect teams to change logos, traditions, or names that have been deemed racist for every scenario. If the history behind a name or tradition was not intended to be harmful, teams should not be forced to change it if they don’t want to. If not changing it creates anger in society, it will just be the consequence for the team, but as long as it’s not very offensive, it should be fine. If it is very offensive or racist, then it should be changed to protect people from feeling uncomfortable and targeted by very well known teams. That will get rid of problems and controversy that just distracts from the actual sport. In the Indians’ case, it is good that they are changing their logo because it was offensive to a large group of people. Changing the logo will also help the Cleveland Indians' reputation because it will show that the team is there for the game, not just the money or publicity. It will also show that they care about all of the fans, not just themselves, and they are willing to make changes for other people.
ReplyDeleteFrom both a logical and economical standpoint it would be expected to change logos, traditions or names that have been deemed racist. Morally, it is the right thing to do because people are offended when they are just trying to watch a sport they enjoy. Economically, for the team, it would also be expected that they change these facets of their organization because people will protest the team based upon the racist aspects of the team. I think the allowing of purchasing the old logo is acceptable because people will still have the option to buy merchandise with the new logos, as well as the fact that it is not right to force a team to stop production of an old logo that they are not even fully advertising anymore. I think, overall, the adaptiveness of the organization as a whole improves the teams reputation, because it shows that the logo was just created in a time where it was not found offensive, but now is. It will not change the MLB's reputation because on one hand, it looks good that change is happening, but on the other why didn't the commissioner or anybody with a higher power in the league take charge against this logo? Overall, although, people will be content with this change.
ReplyDeleteIf a logo, tradition, or name is deemed racist by the majority of people, then change should definitely be enforced. In the case of the Chiefs, I do not think their team logo is racist. If anything, the logo is increasing awareness for native americans in the aspect of their is a lot of talk about native americans because of the logo. Whether people like to admit it, huge teams like the chiefs are a business. Even thought the franchise are going to stop using the logo on their jersey, other souvenirs should still available for purchase because business's need money. I think their image will be altered depending on how smoothly the team fixes the logo problem. A seamless transition will boost reputation because they would have solved a problem affecting many.
ReplyDeleteI think that teams Who have logos that are deemed racist should absolutely be expected to change or remove their logo. In all cases the right thing to when dealing with something that offends people is to try and remove it. However the problem with this is where the line has to be drawn on what is really deemed offensive. Weather an image can be deemed racist or not should go back to context, for example weather or not its been used in cases of racism and discrimination. Although the image itself might not be racist it is important to look at all factors. In the case of Chief Wahoo and the Cleveland Indians, the main complaint is that the logo promotes stereotypes about native Americans and the fact that the team took incentive to change moving forward shows how much the organization cares about its fanbase.
ReplyDeleteShould we expect sports teams to change logos, traditions, or names that have been deemed racist? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI believe that in the future of professional sports, we should expect to see more of these demeaning logos being relinquished because of the widespread opinion against all of these team names and the connotations that they ensue. Before this case inside the MLB with the Cleveland franchise, several of these racist names such as the North Dakota Sioux and the formerly known Syracuse Orangemen have fallen in the past century. I believe that since there has been a lot of tolerance and acceptance of the various cultures inside the united states, there has been a realization and agreement among people, including those of the certain race, that certain nicknames or logos that convey something demeaning will not be tolerated in society. In the future I expect that several other organizations will take this initiative made by teams like the Indians and get rid of these logos or names, such as the Washington Redskins of the NFL.
Although the team will stop using the logo in 2019, "Consumers will still be able to purchase items with the [Chief Wahoo] logo on them at the team’s souvenir shops in the stadium and at retail outlets in the northern Ohio market, but those items will not be available for sale on M.L.B.’s website." Is this acceptable, or should the Chief Wahoo logo be discontinued altogether?
I believe that the Chief Wahoo logo must be discontinued completely rather than continued to be distributed within the stadium because I think that this strategy is not completely solving the issue at hand. A large part of the Ohio population are fans of the Cleveland Indians and I believe that just banning it outside of the Ohio are will not change much in the eyes of the public and also the people inside Ohio. Although it is not being sold on the MLB website, there is still a distribution of the Chief Wahoo logo inside the Cleveland area, which can still be spread nationwide based off of the consumers.
Will this change help or hurt the Cleveland Indians' reputation? Or the MLB's image, for that matter.
I believe that this change will definitely help the Cleveland Indians' image because it shows that even though in many people's opinions this decision is long overdue, the organization has no toleration for this sort of treatment towards the minority groups of America such as the indigenous Indians. Although I think that the idea of selling the chief wahoo logo inside the stadium and some parts of Ohio is not very smart, the fact that the incriminating image that depicts a stereotypical Indian male is being removed from the league, it most certainly shows a step in the right direction for many to follow.
I believe that the decision made by the Cleveland Indians to abandon their current logo is very important for not only the future of the team itself but for the MLB and all professional sports as a whole. This change represents the acknowledgement of the importance of societal values within the sports industry. Since professional sports are such a large part of modern day American life and culture, it is imperative that the small aspects of the industry as a whole (for example team logos) accurately reflect the advancement of our society over time. By making it socially acceptable for teams such as the Cleveland Indians to utilize demeaning and racist logos for their own advertising and individual purposes, it becomes increasingly difficult for professional sports as a whole to remain favorable amongst the large portion of the population of which they are currently targeted at.
ReplyDeleteWhile I believe that the removal of the Chief Wahoo logo from the teams uniforms is a notable step in the right direction for the team and the industry as a whole, a large issue lies in the terms of this decision. It is hard to say whether or not this decision will have the intended impact since the logo will still be sold on merchandise that is available for purchase. Because of this, while the team itself is not directly supporting the logo and the racist stereotypes many believe it carries, the teams fan base will still be able to, and will likely, continue to support the logo in the future. Additionally, the team does not intend on giving up its trademark on the logo itself and they "will be able to profit off sales of merchandise bearing the logo at the stadium and in the Cleveland area." These examples of the Indians still holding onto their old logo show how difficult it will be for the team, and others making similar efforts, to truly destroy their logos which are no longer accepted in our society.
Will this change help or hurt the Cleveland Indians' reputation? Or the MLB's image, for that matter.
ReplyDeleteI think that the changing of the logo for the Cleveland Indians could both be positive and negative for the reputation of the team. On one hand the logo is deemed racist and offensive to Native American people, so changing the logo is beneficial to the teams public reputation. However, while being considered racist is bad for any business there are many die hard Indians fans who have a sentimental attachment to the logo. Overall I think that there is a very fair argument given by those who considered the logo racist. But while this is true I also doubt the creators of the Chief Wahoo logo didnt have the intention of offending people or hurting their feelings. At the end of the day saying goodbye to an offensive symbol is the right thing to do, but there are those who are attached to Chief Wahoo and the many years he has represented the Indians.
From my perspective, the issue the Cleveland Indians are facing is one that should be dealed with immediately, rather than distressed or analyzed. If the complaints were more slight and in fewer numbers, I would be able to understand. However, especially today in which racism and discrimination is playing a huge role in society, the logo is a definite symbol that represents the ideals that we as a country do not stand for. From culture appropriation to general stereotyping, there is no room for a controversial logo in the MLB. Evidently, we can understand that there are logos representing other races such as the Washington Redskins. Although the NFL team's logo is a Native American man, it is realistic, and fans have no problem with the way in which it is represented. Fans also do not intensify or exaggerate the appropriation aspects of the Native American culture, as the MLB fans do, on the other hand. For example, young adults have been seen wearing head feathers and painting their face red with paint. Uproar and judgement has been the only outcome of these choices. In all, it would be of the best interest for the Cleveland Indians to abandon their logo, however keep their name, for it stands for no discrimination motive.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that teams should be forced to change their name because of what is happening now. Like these teams have been around for 50 years or more and now because of whats happening they should change their tradition? I just don't think that this is how it should work because that has been around with the team for a long period of time and no one has had problems with it and now they are just told to change it. I don't think that is how it should work because I think it has something to do with everyone coming out about their issues this year and all the other press things that are happening and now they have decided to go onto sports teams.
ReplyDeleteI believe that removing the Cleveland Indians "Wahoo" logo was a necessary step for not only the team, but sports and society as a whole. Throughout history, sports have managed to get involved with political debates and topics and have also proven to be very influential in regards to getting something done and progressing societal values, such as integration and now with removing racist logos. This acknowledgment of the racist logo may be condemned by sports fans for the time being, especially fans of the Indians, however the fans should come to realize that the MLB is a league founded upon diversity and something that offends a certain race shouldn't be allowed. Nevertheless, this was one of those instances where sports has shown that it does not condone racist behavior whether it be traditions, or logos, and ended up positively affecting society in the process.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it may not be necessary for the Indians to change their logo but it is the right thing in changing it. The "Wahoo" logo has been around since 1948 and has been very popular so it makes since that there are fans that wish to keep the logo and preserve the team. On the other side there have been groups that have deemed the logo to be racist and wish for it to be changed. It was only recently that the commissioner of baseball Rob Manfred pressured Paul Dolan who is the chairman and chief executive of the Indians to change the logo and because of this the team will no longer have the "Wahoo" logo. I personally think that it was a smart move to change the logo because if they kept the logo not only would the team look bad but the entire MLB will look bad s well and both will be deemed racist. I think that the logo change will help give praise to the Indians and could even help improve its fanbase.
ReplyDeleteWe should not expect teams whose logos traditions, or names have been deemed racist to change to implement any changes. While we shouldn't expect them to implement changes, I believe they should implement these changes if people feel offended by the teams' names, logos, or traditions. The sports world must reflect the societal advances that our made in America overtime, which should include changing whatever is necessary to do so. Using a logo such as Chief Wahoo does the opposite of that, which then reflects poorly upon our country and the sport of baseball. I do not think that it should be acceptable for the team to continue to profit off of the Chief Wahoo logo. While getting rid of the logo has the team moving in the right direction, continuing to sell apparel with the Chief Wahoo logo is like taking two steps forward and one step back. In addition, the Indians should not wait until 2019 to get rid of the logo. Waiting a year is just delaying the inevitable, and the MLB along with the Cleveland Indians should expedite the process of removing the racist logo from the field.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the MLB, or any sports organisation should expect, force, or encourage any team to abandon or modify their logos. It is the right of the team to decide whether it is acceptable to continue the use of a logo, as it is nothing more than an image, and does not pose an imminent threat to those whom it may offend. I find it very acceptable and economically appropriate to continue the sale of the Chief Wahoo logo in Cleveland merchandise shops. This is a traditional symbol of the Indians, and sells very well with its fan base. The MLB has no right to mandate that the Indians discontinue its use in merchandise. I think that this will not have a major impact on the long term reputation of the Indians or the MLB. After a few months, this change will be all but forgotten. In the short term, however, I think that it will negatively impact its image. This issue was relatively unknown in the sports world before the announcement, so there were relatively little accusations of racism towards the Indians; however, since this issue has been brought to the national media, the general public has become more aware of the existing controversy, and the Cleveland Indians are at the centre of it.
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