Chris Antonetti, president of the Cleveland Guardians, has been blunt: his team has no plans to change its logo or return to its old name in the near future. This statement comes after President Donald Trump made a second public call in the past month for the MLB franchise to revert to the name “Indians.”
The Guardians adopted their new name in 2022 in response to growing complaints about the cultural insensitivity of using Native American imagery and names in sports branding. However, Trump has insisted that the team should revert to the name it carried for more than a century. Antonetti’s stance is clear and firm: there will be no immediate change.
Antonetti stands firm
Antonetti defended the team’s decision, emphasising the path taken since the change in an interview with The Athletic. “I understand that there are very different perspectives on the decision we made a few years ago, but it’s a decision we made and we’ve had the opportunity to build the brand as the Guardians over the last four years and we’re excited about the future we have ahead of us.”
The club president’s statements confirm the Guardians’ commitment to their current identity and the direction they have taken. For the team, the focus is on consolidating the new brand and looking forward, leaving behind the controversies of the past and not listening to questions, even if they come directly from the president of the country.
Trump, politics and sport
Donald Trump’s wishes with the sports world are quite clear, and his desire to change things is not only with the Cleveland Guardians, but also with the NFL and the Washington Commanders, asking that like the Guardians, they return to their original name.
Via his official X account, Trump wrote the following: “The Washington ‘Whatever’s’ should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team. There is a great clamour for it. Like the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a historic past. Our fantastic Indian population largely wants that to happen. Their legacy and prestige has systematically declined since the names changed. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a country with passion and common sense. OWNERS, DO IT.”
Trump’s demands are very serious, as he even launched a “threat”. “My statement about the Washington Redskins has impacted, but only in a positive way. I could put a restriction on them if they don’t get back the original name of ‘Washington Redskins’ and get rid of the ridiculous nickname ‘Washington Commanders’, we will not reach an agreement for them to build a stadium in Washington“.
In this way, it remains to be seen whether the teams will be swayed by Trump’s comments or simply stand firm in their ideals and focus purely on sports.
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