Renaming

The news flew somewhat under the sports world's radar on an NFL Sunday: Cleveland's baseball team has decided to change its name. 

After a 105-year run, the Indians branding will be replaced. In the context of present-day society, that's a positive move.

Supposedly chosen to honor Louis Sockalexis, who played for Cleveland's late 19th century National League team the Spiders, the brand never made sense. While Sockalexis was of native American ancestry, and died at a young age, he was hardly a star -- never playing more than 66 games in any of his three seasons. (And from some reports, he had a bigtime drinking problem.) 

Why would a franchise representing a diverse city choose the ancestry or ethnic group of a player for its banner? The Yankees would never have become the Germans after tragic illness and death of Lou Gehrig, a superstar and from all reports, a mensch. There was never a thought of the Athletics honoring their icon Connie Mack by rebranding as the Irishmen when their manager of a half century retired. No, they put his name, the name of one of baseball's greatest figures, on their stadium.

Of course, Native Americans, people long called Indians are not that at all -- it's an incorrect and negative term allegedly tied to Christopher Columbus, who when he landed on Hispanola thought he'd reached India -- you know that big country in South Asia, half a world away from the Caribbean. Then there are the centuries of marginalizing and frankly, genocide, committed against those who lived on this continent before Europeans decided it was theirs to conquer.

In a time when we need to show more respect for the roots of our neighbors, the name Indians became out of step. Cleveland management recognized it, too -- phasing out the cartoonish and insulting Chief Wahoo as the club's symbol. Now, they get a chance to choose a brand that represents their team and city in a positive light.

Maybe, they just need to look outside Progressive Field. At a street sign honoring the city's biggest non-sports tourist attraction: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

For your consideration, in 2021 and beyond: the Cleveland Rockers.