Social media reacts with praise, derision for Cleveland Guardians name

Fans of the baseball team formerly known as the Cleveland Indians reacted to the team’s name change on Friday with several sharing their praise for the change and others noting that it would take a while for them to get used to it.

The Cleveland team announced its name change to the Cleveland Guardians in a video posted to Twitter.

“This is the city we love and the game we believe in. Together we are all Cleveland Guardians,” Tom Hanks narrated as the video flashed between scenes of the city and baseball fans.

Together, we are all… pic.twitter.com/R5FnT4kv1I

— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 23, 2021

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) responded to the news in a tweet lauding the new name.

“We hold tight to our roots, and set our sights on tomorrow.”

Let’s go Guardians. #OurCLE https://t.co/YIKGOxsODz

— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) July 23, 2021

“‘We hold tight to our roots, and set our sights on tomorrow.’ Let’s go Guardians. #OurCLE,” he wrote.

Ben Shapiro of the Daily Wire also weighed in on the name change, saying that several other professional sports teams named after Native Americans should follow the team’s lead.

Next on the chopping block:
– Atlanta Braves
– Kansas City Chiefs
– Golden State Warriors
– Chicago Blackhawks https://t.co/aXouyEhino

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 23, 2021

“Next on the chopping block: Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Chiefs, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Blackhawks,” he wrote.

Journalist Adam Radwanski also pointed to the Cleveland baseball team’s former name being associated with Native Americans, noting that now he can attend a game “without having to feel queasy about the team’s branding.”

A little odd that a California native is narrating it, but this still made me miss a city for which I have an odd affinity. Looking forward to catching a game there again one day, without having to feel queasy about the team’s branding. https://t.co/w3c9UccV7z

— Adam Radwanski (@aradwanski) July 23, 2021

Author and former NFL player Matthew Cherry celebrated the name change while calling on the team to update its social media handle to reflect it.

Great! Now change that handle. https://t.co/0Mgh41ebzu

— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) July 23, 2021

Excellent! Excited for the team to finally drop the name, and glad they went with one that is rooted in something so distinctly Cleveland. That logo at the end could use some work, but…. Awesome!! #ClevelandGuardians https://t.co/2t9oD37tb3

— Aaron Paul Godfrey (@GodfreyForOH16) July 23, 2021

Others expressed that they weren’t thrilled by the name change.

Jason Whitman slammed the move as “the dumbest thing I’ve seen today.

The dumbest thing I’ve seen today, but it’s still early. https://t.co/LRzwbwBrK8

— Jason B. Whitman (@JasonBWhitman) July 23, 2021

Another Twitter user criticized the team for failing to acknowledge in the video why the name was being changed.

yall cannot be serious with this. zero and I mean ZERO mention of why the name is changing, and throwing in that typeface which harkens back to the actual problems to begin with?

Forget the lame name, mega fail in the larger messaging, overall. amelioration ≠ atonement. https://t.co/6F0GQqsoIe

— clean tone (@clintonyates) July 23, 2021

“[Y’]all cannot be serious with this. zero and I mean ZERO mention of why the name is changing, and throwing in that typeface which harkens back to the actual problems to begin with?,” Clinton Yates wrote.

Reporter Nick Caloway, shared similar sentiments, saying that in his opinion “Guardians is a horrible name.”

Guardians is a horrible name.

But having @tomhanks deliver the bad news really softens the blow https://t.co/JDlplATQFW

— Nick Caloway (@NickJCaloway) July 23, 2021

So needless and so stupid. #Indians, like every example of #NativeAmerican imagery in sports, is respectful and appreciative. Foolishly purging such imagery from team names is the real offense against their culture. #Guardians https://t.co/6u77fjcAFZ

— Mark Davis (@MarkDavis) July 23, 2021

Clevland’s baseball team has gone by the Indians since 1915. Team owner Paul Dolan made the decision to change the name following a summer of protests in 2020 over the murder of George Floyd.