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sports Tuesday 15 december 2020
AP Interview: Indians owner says name won't change in 2021

By TOM WITHERS players, social activists and
AP Sports Writer researchers focused on Na-
CLEVELAND (AP) — The tive American culture and
Cleveland Indians are issues.
changing their name — Dolan called those conver-
they just don't know to sations "both enlightening
what or when. and challenging."
Expressing that "it's time," He added there's a deli-
owner Paul Dolan said that cate balance between
after months of internal moving ahead and looking
discussions and meetings back.
with groups, including Na- "We are going to honor
tive Americans who have our past," he said. "We're
sought to have the team not walking away from our
stop using a moniker many past. We'll be the Cleve-
deem racist, the American land Indians of 1915 to
League franchise is drop- whatever year is that we ul-
ping the name it has been timately change. We will al-
known by since 1915. ways celebrate that. I don't
In an exclusive interview think we have to ignore it.
with The Associated Press "But from the day we make
on Monday, Dolan said: the change, the new histo-
"The name is no longer ac- ry that we build together as
ceptable in our world." a community with our team
Dolan said the team will will be under the banner of
continue to be called In- a different name."
dians until a new name is Cleveland's name change
chosen. That "multi-stage" comes on the heels of the
process is in its early stages team removing the contro-
and the team will play — versial Chief Wahoo logo
and be branded — as the from its caps and jerseys in
Indians at least through 2019.
next season. The team has never
"We'll be the Indians in stopped selling merchan-
2021 and then after that, dise bearing the grinning,
it's a difficult and complex In this Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017, file photo, Cleveland Indians president Paul Dolan speaks before a cartoonish figure, but Dolan
process to identify a new baseball game against the New York Yankees in Cleveland. said any profits from future
name and do all the things Associated Press sales of Wahoo items will
you do around activating go to Native American or-
that name," Dolan said. it, I like to think they would monuments were taken tention to their plight and ganizations or causes sup-
"We are going to work at come to the same conclu- down, and in some cas- do right by them. They are porting Native Americans.
as quick a pace as we can sion: It's a name that had its es names were taken off Americans that do deserve Dolan's family bought the
while doing it right. time, but this is not the time buildings. the respect of us." Indians in 2000, and even
"But we're not going to do now, and certainly going Dolan said his "awakening Dolan anticipates there will then he knew Chief Wa-
something just for the sake forward, the name is no or epiphany" came follow- be an equally strong reac- hoo "was problematic." It
of doing it. We're going to longer acceptable in our ing the death of George tion from Indians fans who was only after this summer's
take the time we need to world," Dolan said. Floyd, a Black man who disagree with the team's unrest and in educating
do it right." As Cleveland considers died while being arrested decision. himself on Native American
Dolan said the team will not new names, Dolan said by white Minneapolis po- "I consider myself a fifth- issues that he recognized
adopt an interim name un- Tribe, the team's popular lice officers this summer. generation Clevelander," Indians in the same light.
til choosing its new one. nickname for decades, has Cleveland's announce- he said. "It's in our blood "There is definitely some
"We don't want to be the been ruled out. ment was praised by Wash- and baseball and the Indi- pain in this. It's the end of
Cleveland Baseball Team "We are not going to take ington NFL coach Ron Rive- ans are synonymous, and an era or the beginning of
or some other interim a half-step away from the ra, who said his perspective that goes to the whole in- an era.
name," he said. "We will Indians," said Dolan, ac- on the issue changed af- tent versus impact thing. But accompanying that is
continue to be the Indians knowledging Tribe was ter reading "The Real All- Nobody intended anything the recognition and may-
until we have identified the an early choice. "The new Americans," a novel about negative by our attach- be even excitement that
next name that will hope- name, and I do not know a Native American football ment to the name Indians, we're going on to do some-
fully take us through mul- what it is, will not be a name team. but the impact has been thing that is better. It will be
tiple centuries." that has Native American Rivera said he received an- tough." better for the community. It
Cleveland's move follows a themes or connotations to gry letters from Washington Washington dropped its will be better for our team.
similar decision earlier this it." fans who were upset with name in July after bowing And it will be something
year by the NFL's Washing- The name change by the the name change. to pressure from corporate hopefully that unites every-
ton Football Team, previ- Indians is the latest by an "But I've also gotten some sponsors. body. It's not anything that
ously known as the Red- organization reacting to a notes from Native Ameri- It was only hours later that we have to feel any kind of
skins. national movement, which cans that have said thank Dolan announced a thor- reluctance about express-
"It was a learning process gained momentum in the you for doing that and for ough review of the team's ing," he said.
for me and I think when wake of widespread civil respecting our wishes," Ri- name. He promised to lis- "It's going to take some
fair-minded, open-minded rights protests last summer, vera said. "The one thing I ten and learn, and that's time for everybody to em-
people really look at it, think to have prejudicial names hope is that we don't for- what transpired in recent brace but I think when they
about it and maybe even and symbols removed. get them. We don't ignore months during discussions do, we'll all be better off for
spend some time studying Across the south, Civil War them. We start paying at- with fans, business leaders, it."q