The Cleveland Indians have made a big decision ahead of the start of the 2021 MLB season. On Wednesday, the team announced the fan dress policy before the home opener against the Detroit Tigers. The policy reveals that fans can be thrown out of a game or denied entrance for disorderly, unruly or disruptive conduct that includes “headdresses and face paint styled in a way that references or appropriates American Indian cultures and traditions. Inappropriate or offensive images, words, dress or face paint must be covered or removed, and failure to do so may constitute grounds for ejection or refusal of admission,” according to ESPN.
Indians fans will be allowed to wear hats and clothing that feature Chief Wahoo, the team’s mascot. The team removed the Wahoo caricature from its jersey and caps two years ago, but fans can still buy the merchandise with the image. Back in December, the Indians reveal it would change the team name but will keep the name through the 2021 season.
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“We’ll be the Indians in 2021 and then after that, it’s a difficult and complex process to identify a new name and do all the things you do around activating that name,” Indians owner Paul Dolan said. “We are going to work at as quick a pace as we can while doing it right. But we’re not going to do something just for the sake of doing it. We’re going to take the time we need to do it right.”
Cleveland has been known the Indians since 1915. The proposed change is all part of a nationwide movement to ban racist symbols and slogans. Last year, NFL’s Washington Football Team changed its name from Washington Redskins. The Kansas City Chiefs are keeping their name for now but banned headdresses at Arrowhead Stadium this past season. And the Atlanta Braves of the MLB sent an email to its season ticket holders indicating the name will not changes but are “working through” the chop celebration.
“It was a learning process for me and I think when fair-minded, open-minded people really look at it, think about it and maybe even spend some time studying it, I like to think they would come to the same conclusion: It’s a name that had its time, but this is not the time now, and certainly going forward, the name is no longer acceptable in our world,” Dolan explained.
