The "remove offensive mascots from sports" movement has been gaining steam in recent years. A few of the teams that have come under the most scrutiny are the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Blackhawks, Florida State Seminoles, and of course, Washington Redskins.
When the Indians won the American League in 2016, the team's usage of "Chief Wahoo" on its uniforms came under increased national media scrutiny. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred even said he thought the team should "transition away from" using the logo.
That's exactly what's happening, as MLB announced Monday the team would move on from the logo for good beginning in the 2019 season, according to the New York Times.
Manfred issued a statement to the Times and said the organization "ultimately agreed with my position that the logo is no longer appropriate for on-field use in Major League Baseball, and I appreciate [team owner Larry] Dolan’s acknowledgment that removing it from the on-field uniform by the start of the 2019 season is the right course."
The announcement was, as expected, met with mostly applause on Twitter.
FINALLY!!! (This is not a culture jam, btw. The real deal.) ✊🏽 “The logo is no longer appropriate for on-field use in Major League Baseball” https://t.co/0z10JEd1SO
Cleveland Indians fans going crazy over the removal of the Chief Wahoo logo in 2019. His name is Chief Wahoo! Just the name in itself is offensive. Get in the right lane Cleveland fans!
The Cleveland Indians will stop using this offensive "Chief Wahoo" logo on their uniforms in 2019. Long overdue. You're up next, Washington Redskins. pic.twitter.com/IFAcITG716
However, the logo is not being removed completely. Consumers will still be able to purchase Indians items with the logo on it.
Chief Wahoo will disappear from the Cleveland Indians' uniforms and their stadium in 2019. But logo won't disappear entirely. https://t.co/SqMd7Wk857
Change it all, @Indians. The name, the logo, all of it. Relinquish your trademarks, and bury one of the most conspicuously racist images in sports. I am glad that I won't have to see a red Sambo on my hometown team's uniforms, but this here is piecemeal. https://t.co/IOUdxtVYAu
This seemed to be in the works for a long time. Washington's football team, however, has not given any ground and seems unlikely to budge anytime soon.
