Monday Moaning 8-10-2020

 

Kate and I are back with another edition of Monday Moaning...I'm going to try to avoid talking about Lying, Asshole Trump and Idiot Republicans, but if you want to read about those topics, you can find them on the sidebar...I'm going to try to stick in the sports lane  for MM this week...

-Over a month the Cleveland Indians announced they were looking into changing the team name...That got lots of people excited about the possible name change and lots pissed off...A couple weeks later we heard ownership say they were going to do this and that but we've still heard nothing as they seem to continue to  DRAG THEIR FEET...

One Cleveland business that has been very vocal about the Indians keeping their name and the Chief Wahoo logo for a number of years now, is CV Art + Apparel...Talented artist and cool local business...We have some of their stuff...Yesterday they released a new Indians themed shirt...

Lots of cool details of Jacobs (Progressive) Field and baseball imagery, Cleveland landmarks, and Native American imagery, forming a skull...I will admit that it looks cool...But it doesn't really help their argument that the name isn't offensive...A fan  who has been supporting the name be changed to the Siders...actually changed his twitter name to #ClevelandSpiders tweeted a couple images back at GV saying "same energy...& not in a good way 💀"  #ChangeTheName

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This one highlighting the "Indian"...Native American imagery 

And this one just creep as fuck with nude women forming a skull...

GV Art + Apparel quickly blocked #ClevelandSpiders....I'm sure the same will happen to me after I tweet this blog out...I'm sorry Cleveland, it's time all of us Indians fans move on...Although as I said in my previous blog on this topic, I truly believe that Indians ownership are dragging their feet and will try to wait this out until the majority of people forget about it, and won't end up rebranding the team...

-Now college football...There has been a big push to get a half assed college football season in...This week the MAC (Mid-American Conference) cancelled their Fall sports season but are holding out hope to have some kind of Spring football season...Healthy and Safety were the biggest reasons, followed closely by the fact that the Power 5 Conferences are only playing shortened season just within their individual conferences...The MAC and other smaller conferences get paid well to take non-conference games with power 5 schools...They get paid to take an ass beating...Losing that revenue stream hurts them, including hurting them in being able to assure their student athletes health...

Last week players in the PAC-12 UNITED, asking for a number of conditions to get them to play...First in foremost were demands about their health and safety...The players want more testing than what is planned...They are asking for NCAA mandated testing and tracing rules similar to what the NFL is planning...The NCAA is leaving that up to each conference and many conferences are leaving it up to individual schools and only putting out recommended guidelines...Schools are making most students stay home and attend online, but they want the money making athletes to show up...The athletes not seeing any of the fortune the NCAA, Conferences, Universities and multiple media outlets like ESPN and Fox Sports see...

Players had a conference call with PAC-12 Commissioner, Larry Scott who told them their what they were doing was a "misguided PR stunt"...Players said after the meeting with Scott, “It was not very productive. We did not come away with many answers. He made it very clear that he does not want to meet again.” 

A few other Conferences followed the PAC-12 players in saying they may opt out unless the there were certain guarantees made for the health and safety...One was the BIG-10 but right away Ohio State players pulled back and wanted nothing to do with it...A number of Penn State players were tweeting out a statement that seemed to be clearly written by some University official, saying how they feel safe and want to play...Which lead to me tweeting this back to each of them....

Yeah, my hatred for Penn State, Child Rapists and those who cover it up will never die!

I think trying to play a college football season is crazy...Cases of COVID are still rising, you have huge rosters plus coaching and training staffs...There are going to be some serious outbreaks, especially since their is no NCAA mandated testing, and tracing policy...

I get that players want to play...I also get that some of them probably were threatened by coaches or School Officials, because we all know College Football is all about MONEY...They don't care about the "student athletes" as students and they don't care about them as human beings...They only see them as a very profitable investment...

That's it for now...I'm sure I need to write a post about Trump's latest lies and misinformation...

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Why Are the Cleveland Indians Dragging Their Feet?

Ok, now that I've gotten the click-bait pic out of the way, since either pictures of hot women or sunsets draw more pageviews than the actual words written or a serious picture....

A couple weeks ago I WROTE about the the Cleveland Indians making the decision to look into changing their name as The Washington Redskins were taking heat about their name...Washington has officially changed their name, for now to the Washington Football Team...That's because a really smart dickhead bought up the Trademarks to the top contenders...Dozens of names he owns now...But that's a different story....It was also the right after SEATTLE put on a huge production for their new Hockey team's name and logo...As the kids would say (by kids I mean 25-30-somethings who think they're being cool) IT'S FIRE!

Since the Indians announced they were looking into a name change, people have wrestled with the idea...Shit, I sit here writing this, drinking out of a Indians coffee mug my son got me...

I may have accepted that a name change is a good thing, but it's a good mug, I'm not throwing it away...

Why are people wrestling with it?  Because they have these great memories from childhood, and young adulthood, and even middle aged...Going to games with dad...taking your kids to their first game...those teams in the 90's...Bob Feller...10 cent beer night...But then there's this....

The majority of us realized, and understand that "Blackface" is/was wrong and racist as fuck...Guess what? "Redface" is racist as fuck too! If you dig deep (I hate the term deep dive so I avoid saying that) into history you'll see that the name and logo aren't a good thing...

Since the organization came out talking about a name change, fans and talented artists have pumped out tons of mock-ups for the new name and logo...With The Cleveland Spiders being the front runner...While I don't love it, and my wife hates it because of her fear of spiders, it has a history tied to Cleveland Baseball...

Last week ownership met with players, discussing the name change...Owner, Paul Dolan also told the media, "we will engage Native American leaders to better understand their perspectives, meet with local civic leaders, and continue to listen to the perceptions of our players, fans, partners and employees.”

Dolan continued, “We feel a real sense of urgency to discuss these perspectives with key stakeholders while also taking the time needed to ensure those conversations are inclusive and meaningful.”

Thing is, the team is playing games, with the word Indians across their chests, and Chief Wahoo on their shoulder and it doesn't feel like there is really a sense of urgency...Just ask the Indigenous groups the team said it was going to meet with...The Cleveland American Indian Movement of Ohio told the Washington Post, "They have made statements now that they are going to reach out to the Native community, but no one in the Native community has heard anything from them.” 

Am I and other expecting too much...Is Dolan dragging his feet...The Cleveland Indians brand is 105 years old...The Chief Wahoo cap one consistently one of the top selling for years and years...Rebranding does seem like a big move...I think some fans wanting the name change think it should be done just like ripping off a band-aid, real quick...Once you say you're considering something like that, the people onboard with the idea get geared up and want that instant gratification...

Personally, I think the organization is taking it slow purposely...I think they are hoping for the racial and social tension in this country calm down and the majority of people will forget about all this...I think saying they will discuss a name change was a PR move but they really don't want to change the brand...I expect a few more vague statements and then just hoping it all fades...

I hope I'm wrong...I grew up an Indians fan and I always loved Chief Wahoo...I have so many great memories from Municipal Stadium and Jacob's Field. (yeah I still call it the Jake)...But hey, I'm from Cleveland, and have many friends and family still there...the actual Cleveland Browns are in Baltimore, but everyone was able to move on with the new franchise that held onto the history and name...Cleveland can keep the history of The Indians and move forward with a new name...And maybe some sweet new merch that is thousand times better than the lame-ass block "C"....

What Should the Cleveland Indians Do?

In 1915 Cleveland's American League Baseball team needed a new name...They had been known as 'The Naps" in honor of their player-manager, Napoleon Lajoie...Look him up, he was a helluva ballplayer...There was a contest and the winning submission "Indians" was sent in by a fan that said it was in honor of former Cleveland Spiders player, Louis Sockalexis...Sockalexis was a Penobscot Indian, born in Maine on a Penobscot Resevation...For the Spiders Sockalexis played 66 games in 1897, batting .338...He became an alcoholic and in 1898 only appeared in 21 games, batting .224...His career ended after only playing in 7 games in 1899...He spent the rest of his days as a drifter and died in Maine...

That's the history lesson of the name...

Last week after more pressure was put on the Washington Redskins to change their logo and name...The Cleveland Indians ownership jumped forward and said they were actively looking at a name change...In recent years, they have pushed out the classic Chief Wahoo logo and have locked onto the very boring and lame "Block C"....

 As an outsider, who doesn't give a fuck about the Washington Redskins and who's a white guy, I would think the name "Redskins" is much more offensive then the logo...I always thought the logo was solid...Unlike the Indians, smiling, red-faced cartoon character...But if the name goes, obviously the logo goes...

I get Redskins being offensive...And for a long time I fought against the idea of Indians as a term and a team name as being offensive...And I wasn't alone...I did a few polls on Twitter, asking if The Indians, The Braves and The Blackhawks team names were offensive....

But I looked up some shit, did a little studying and well, it's not cool...Now back in 1915 it was a common term...People didn't no all the details of treaties broken by the U.S. government and well, it was a pretty racist world...Yes, even more racist then the one we are living in now...So, while I have so many memories wrapped up in the Cleveland Indians, I won't fight the change...I'm in...Now...Don't fuck the change up!

Ideas so far have sucked...Naps...No, did that all ready and it was dumb then too...Fellers...STOP! How lame and unoriginal is Cleveland...Stop naming after people...The Browns are already named after Paul Brown, and it's stupid name...Yes, Bob Feller was a Great Indians pitcher and War hero...But no...

The Rockers...No...The Cleveland WNBA team did that...Cleveland is obsessed with promoting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the city's History with music..But it's corny and lame...

Blues is also suggested...It was the name of the Cleveland National League baseball team from 1879-1884...

Blue Sox...Jesus like MLB needs another franchise named for a color of socks...Holy fucking stupid!

Buckeyes...This was the name of the Cleveland Negro League team from 1942-1950...I don't like the name Buckeyes but the history is a nice touch...But then you have to worry about Trademark and Licensing issues with Ohio State...

Cuyahogas...Ugh...Cuyahoga County is the county Cleveland is in and is named for the Cuyahoga River...It's a Iroquoian word, meaning "crooked river"...The Cuyahoga River world famous for catching fire twice, thanks to pollution! No, no, no, God no!

Spiders...This is a very popular one...Many fans are onboard with this...Reaching way back into Cleveland's Baseball History...The Spiders was Cleveland's professional baseball team name from 1887-1899...There are a shitload of logos and uniforms mocked up already.... 

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Buzzards...One of Cleveland's biggest radio stations was WMMS, "Home of the Buzzard!" Clevelanders love their pride and history and Rock and Roll and this reaching for that again...Seems like there would be serious legal wrangling's for this one... 


Crows...This one surprised me...There are plenty of Crows throughout Northeast Ohio...There is an ominous feel with crows...Then you have the movie "The Crow"...Dead dude taking out his vengeance on people...






Honestly, right now Crows is my frontrunner...Maybe because I'm in a dark mood and want to watch an old movie with a dead guy killing a bunch of evil mother fuckers from Detroit....


Whatever The Cleveland Indians do...Don't fuck up this decision!