Editing Cleveland Guardians (section)

==Former name and logo controversy==
{{main|Cleveland Indians name and logo controversy}}
{{see also|Native American mascot controversy}}

<gallery class="center">
File:Logo of the Cleveland Indians (1946-1950).png|Logo from 1946 to 1950
file:Chief Wahoo (mascot character).svg|[[Chief Wahoo]] logo used from 1949 through 2018
file:Cleveland Indians primary logo.svg|"Block C" logo used secondarily from 2014 until 2019, then as the team's primary logo from 2019 through 2021 – the final three years under the Indians name
<!-- Deleted image removed: file:CLE Guards 2024 logo.jpg|"City Connect" alternate logo introduced in 2024 {{ffdc|1=|log=2024 May 23}} -->
</gallery>

The club name and its cartoon logo have been criticized for perpetuating Native American stereotypes. In 1997 and 1998, protesters were arrested after effigies were burned. Charges were dismissed in the 1997 case, and were not filed in the 1998 case. Protesters arrested in the 1998 incident subsequently fought and lost a lawsuit alleging that their [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]] rights had been violated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://courttv.com/archive/verdicts/bellecourt.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012183735/http://courttv.com/archive/verdicts/bellecourt.html |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |title= Ohio v. Vernon Bellecourt, et al. |website=Court TV Verdicts |access-date=January 23, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.workers.org/ww/1997/cleveland1106.html |title=Workers World Nov. 6, 1997: Native leaders arrested during World Series |publisher=Workers.org |date=November 6, 1997 |access-date=January 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105002825/http://www.workers.org/ww/1997/cleveland1106.html |archive-date=November 5, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="OSSC">{{cite court|litigants=Bellecourt v. Cleveland|vol=104|reporter=Ohio 3d.|opinion=439|year=2004|url=http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/newpdf/0/2004/2004-ohio-6551.pdf}} {{Cite web |url=http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/newpdf/0/2004/2004-Ohio-6551.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-date=December 16, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041216114209/http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/rod/newpdf/0/2004/2004-Ohio-6551.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/PIO/summaries/2004/1215/031202.asp |title=Supreme Court of Ohio Case Summaries |publisher=Supremecourt.ohio.gov |access-date=January 23, 2013 |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407083838/http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/PIO/summaries/2004/1215/031202.asp |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Bud Selig]] (then–[[Commissioner of Baseball]]) said in 2014 that he had never received a complaint about the logo. He has heard that there are some protesting against the mascots, but individual teams such as the Indians and [[Atlanta Braves]], whose name was also criticized for similar reasons, should make their own decisions.<ref>{{cite news|last=Brady|first=Erik|title=Selig claims he's received no complaints over Cleveland Indians' logo|url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/07/bud-selig-chief-wahoo|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=July 15, 2014|access-date=January 29, 2018|archive-date=January 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130091701/http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/07/bud-selig-chief-wahoo|url-status=live}}</ref> An organized group consisting of Native Americans, which had protested for many years, protested [[Chief Wahoo]] on [[Opening Day]] 2015, noting that this was the 100th anniversary since the team became the Indians. Owner [[Paul Dolan (baseball)|Paul Dolan]], while stating his respect for the critics, said he mainly heard from fans who wanted to keep Chief Wahoo, and had no plans to change.<ref>{{cite news|last=Beres|first=Tom|title=Wahoo Protesters: A century of 'Indians' is enough|url=http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/cleveland/2015/04/09/cleveland--protesters-a-century-of-indians-is-enough/25538785/|publisher=[[WKYC]]|date=April 9, 2015|access-date=January 29, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150411031430/http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/cleveland/2015/04/09/cleveland--protesters-a-century-of-indians-is-enough/25538785/|archive-date=April 11, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On January 29, 2018, Major League Baseball announced that Chief Wahoo would be removed from the Indians' uniforms as of the 2019 season, stating that the logo was no longer appropriate for on-field use.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bastian|first=Jordan|title=Indians to stop using Wahoo logo starting in '19|url=https://www.mlb.com/indians/news/indians-to-stop-using-chief-wahoo-logo/c-265489544|publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]|website=CLEGuardians.com|date=January 29, 2018|access-date=January 29, 2018|archive-date=January 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130013745/https://www.mlb.com/indians/news/indians-to-stop-using-chief-wahoo-logo/c-265489544|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Waldstein|first=David|title=Cleveland Indians Will Abandon Chief Wahoo Logo Next Year|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/29/sports/baseball/cleveland-indians-chief-wahoo-logo.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 29, 2018|access-date=January 29, 2018|archive-date=December 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214154425/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/29/sports/baseball/cleveland-indians-chief-wahoo-logo.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The block "C" was promoted to the primary logo; at the time, there were no plans to change the team's name.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/culture/sports/no-wahoo-cleveland-indians-discontinue-chief-wahoo-logo-2019/ |title=NO MORE WAHOO: Cleveland Indians To Discontinue Chief Wahoo Logo in 2019 |last=Schilling |first=Vincent |publisher=Indian Country Media Network |date=January 29, 2018 |website=indiancountrymedianetwork.com |access-date=February 11, 2018 |quote=According to the MLB site, the Cleveland Indians may consider a new logo in the future, but will promote the capital letter C for now. There are no current plans to change the Indians’ team name. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211072919/https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/culture/sports/no-wahoo-cleveland-indians-discontinue-chief-wahoo-logo-2019/ |archive-date=February 11, 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2020, [[George Floyd protests|protests]] over the [[Murder of George Floyd|murder]] of [[George Floyd]], a black man, by a [[Minneapolis]] police officer, led the United States into a period of social changes. This made Dolan to reconsider use of the Indians name.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Shiffer|first=James Eli|date=May 25, 2021|title=The ways that George Floyd changed the world.|work=Star Tribune|url=https://www.startribune.com/ways-that-george-floyd-murder-changed-the-world/600056733/|access-date=May 26, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=July 23, 2021|title=Cleveland announces name change to Guardians|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31868331/cleveland-changing-name-indians-guardians|url-status=live|access-date=July 30, 2021|website=[[ESPN]]|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723144838/https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31868331/cleveland-changing-name-indians-guardians |archive-date=July 23, 2021 }}</ref> On July 3, 2020, on the heels of the [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]] <!-- they were not the Washington Football Team until later that month --> announcing that they would "undergo a thorough review" of that team's name, the Indians announced that they would "determine the best path forward" regarding the team's name and emphasized the need to "keep improving as an organization on issues of [[social justice]]".<ref>{{cite news|last=Bell|first=Mandy|title=Indians weigh 'best path forward' for team name|url=https://www.mlb.com/indians/news/statement-from-the-indians|publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]|website=CLEGuardians.com|date=July 3, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020|archive-date=July 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704181502/https://www.mlb.com/indians/news/statement-from-the-indians|url-status=live}}</ref>

On December 13, 2020, it was reported that the Indians name would be dropped after the 2021 season out of respect for the Native American community.<ref name="NYTimesDropTeamname">{{cite news|last1=Waldstein|first1=David|last2=Schmidt|first2=Michael S.|title=Cleveland's Baseball Team Will Drop Its Indians Team Name|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/13/sports/baseball/cleveland-indians-baseball-name-change.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|language=en-US|date=December 13, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=December 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214012330/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/13/sports/baseball/cleveland-indians-baseball-name-change.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Castrovince|first=Anthony|title=Cleveland Indians to change team name|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/cleveland-indians-team-name-change|publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]|website=[[MLB.com]]|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020|archive-date=January 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110183239/https://www.mlb.com/news/cleveland-indians-team-name-change|url-status=live}}</ref> It had been hinted by the team that they may move forward without a replacement name (in a similar manner to the Washington Football Team, which used its name for 2 years until being named the Washington Commanders).<ref name="NYTimesDropTeamname" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Noga|first=Joe|title=Cleveland baseball team will drop 'Indians' name as early as this week, according to report|url=https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2020/12/cleveland-baseball-team-will-drop-indians-name-according-to-report.html|newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]|access-date=December 14, 2020|archive-date=December 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214154354/https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2020/12/cleveland-baseball-team-will-drop-indians-name-according-to-report.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It was announced via Twitter on July 23, 2021, that the team will be named the Guardians, after the ''Guardians of Traffic'', eight large Art Deco statues on the [[Hope Memorial Bridge]], located close to Progressive Field.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/07/23/indians-change-team-name-cleveland-guardians/|title=Indians announce decision to change team name to Cleveland Guardians|date=July 23, 2021 |publisher=WOIO-TV: 19 News|access-date=July 23, 2021|archive-date=July 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725123834/https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/07/23/indians-change-team-name-cleveland-guardians/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The club, however, found itself amid a trademark dispute with a men's roller derby team called the Cleveland Guardians.<ref name="ClevelandGuardiansCopyright">{{cite news|last=DeRoos|first=Dan|title={{sic|Copyrighting|nolink=y}} 'Cleveland Guardians' a bit tricky and potentially expensive for Indians|url=https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/07/28/copyrighting-cleveland-guardians-bit-tricky-potentially-expensive-indians/|website=Cleveland19.com|date=July 28, 2021|access-date=September 19, 2021|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Orris|first=Evan|title=Cleveland Guardians' name change hits potential roller derby snag|url=https://nypost.com/2021/07/27/cleveland-guardians-name-change-hits-roller-derby-snag/|newspaper=[[New York Post]]|date=July 27, 2021|access-date=September 19, 2021|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Perez|first=A.J.|title=Cleveland Indians' Name Change Unsettled|url=https://frontofficesports.com/cleveland-indians-name-change-unsettled/|website=FrontOfficeSports.com|date=July 28, 2021|access-date=September 19, 2021|url-status=live|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728202241/https://frontofficesports.com/cleveland-indians-name-change-unsettled/ |archive-date=July 28, 2021}}</ref> The Cleveland Guardians roller derby team has competed in the [[Men's Roller Derby Association]] since 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last=Eisenberg|first=Jeff|title=The original Cleveland Guardians? This roller derby team could cash in on Indians' name change|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/the-original-cleveland-guardians-this-roller-derby-team-could-cash-in-on-indians-name-change-030536652.html|publisher=[[Yahoo Sports]]|date=July 26, 2021|access-date=September 19, 2021|language=en-US}}</ref> In addition, two other entities have attempted to preempt the team's use of the trademark by filing their own registrations with the [[U.S. Patent and Trademark Office]].<ref name="ClevelandGuardiansCopyright" /> The roller derby team filed a federal lawsuit in the [[U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio]] on October 27, 2021, seeking to block the baseball team's name change.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32486789/roller-derby-team-sues-cleveland-guardians-stop-name-use|agency=ESPN|title=Roller derby team sues Cleveland Guardians to stop name use|date=October 27, 2021|accessdate=October 27, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wkyc.com/article/sports/mlb/indians/cleveland-guardians-roller-derby-team-sues-baseball-team-name-change/95-eab2d079-7a6f-46cf-aa7d-cc32489f581f|agency=3 WKYC Studios|title=Cleveland Guardians roller derby team sues Cleveland Guardians baseball team to block name change|first1=Mark|first2=Jay|last1=Naymik|last2=Crawford|date=October 27, 2021|accessdate=October 27, 2021}}</ref><ref>''Guardians Roller Derby v. Cleveland Guardians Baseball Company, LLC'', no. [https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60676775/guardians-roller-derby-v-cleveland-guardians-baseball-company-llc/ 21-02035] (N.D. Ohio, filed October 27, 2021).<!-- Including citation to case itself; required info for those readers wishing to follow up to research the case --></ref> On November 16, 2021, the lawsuit was resolved, and both teams were allowed to continue using the Guardians name. The name change from Indians to Guardians became official on November 19, 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/cleveland-settles-with-guardians-roller-derby-team|title=Agreement reached on 'Guardians' name|first=Mandy|last=Bell|website=[[MLB.com]]|date=November 16, 2021|accessdate=November 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=Brendan |last=Gulick |date=November 17, 2021 |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/indians/news/cleveland-guardians-name-change-to-take-place-this-week |title=Cleveland Switching from Indians to Guardians on Friday |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=December 14, 2021}}</ref><ref name="ClevelandGuardians"/><ref name="Bell">{{cite news|last=Bell|first=Mandy|title=Cleveland set for 'Guardians' name transition|url=https://www.mlb.com/indians/news/cleveland-guardians-name-transition|publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]|website=CLEGuardians.com|date=November 17, 2021|access-date=November 20, 2021}}</ref><ref name="MLB Advanced Media">{{cite press release|title=Cleveland Indians announce decision to change current team name|url=https://www.mlb.com/indians/press-release/press-release-cleveland-baseball-team-to-change-name|publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]|website=[[MLB.com|CLEGuardians.com]]|date=December 14, 2020|access-date=July 25, 2021}}</ref><ref name="NYTimesDropTeamname" /><ref name="Cleveland Indians choose Guardians">{{cite news|last=Hoynes|first=Paul|title=Cleveland Indians choose Guardians as new team name|url=https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2021/07/cleveland-indians-choose-guardians-as-new-team-name.html|newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]|language=en|date=July 23, 2021|access-date=July 24, 2021|url-status=live|archive-date=July 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725123833/https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2021/07/cleveland-indians-choose-guardians-as-new-team-name.html}}</ref>