Terry Francona wants Indians to change their nickname

The Cleveland Indians are considering a name change, and their future Hall of Fame manager thinks it’s time.

Terry Francona wants change. The Cleveland Indians are likely going to give it to him.

After seeing the Washington Redskins finally do a “thorough review” of their racist nickname, the Indians are following suit. It would be a large surprise if each doesn’t go another route, considering the backlash if the reviews end up finding nothing wrong.

On Sunday, Francona said he believes it is time to move forward, leaning his support to the idea of a new team name. For the Indians, it shouldn’t be hard finding a few good candidates as replacements.

Terry Francona is on board with changing the Cleveland Indians’ name

For starers, there was a Cleveland team originally called the Spiders from 1887-88. If that’s not a fantastic name with endless marketing opportunities, nothing is. It also honors history and roots.

While the Indians have largely moved away from the incredibly racist Chief Wahoo logo, the name is still bluntly tied to Native Americans. While it is a racist term such as the Redskins are, it still creates ample consternation with many. For that reason, if nothing else, change is needed.

Ultimately, we’re clearly seeing some sweeping change in sports. The idea of changing nicknames is rare but not shocking. Consider the NBA’s Washington Bullets became the Washington Wizards in 1997. There are myriad examples from deep into history, but this is the most-recent switch.

While some fans will loudly voice their opposition, almost every one of them will continue to root for their current team, and can now do so without offending people.