CLEVELAND — More than 24 hours later, the world certainly knows of the Cleveland Indians' intention to change their name to Guardians beginning in 2022. You've also seen the reactions that have been pouring in on social media and elsewhere.
Responses to the decision have been somewhat mixed. While most seem to be at least okay with the new identity, a number of people are still quite upset to see "Indians" going away for good. Still others aren't too thrilled about the brand, especially with the new primary logo featuring a pair of winged Gs gripping a baseball (some feel independent logo designed looked much better).
On Saturday, the team decided to share testimony from fans on why they like the Guardians moniker, remarks that likely came from the more than 140 hours of interviews the club conducted before making a final choice. While responses in the video shared on the Tribe's Twitter page are exclusively positive, they do give some insight as to why the Guardians name was selected over some of the other top choices being bandied about.
"People from Cleveland are very big about watching out for each other," one fan said. "Having a name like that kind of shows that we're all looking out for each other."
"It's a name of strength. It's a projection of strength and power," another remarked. "A guardian is somebody that watches over and makes sure that no harm befalls you."
Of course, the main inspiration for Guardians comes from the "Guardians of Traffic" sculptures that adorn the Hope Memorial Bridge just beyond Progressive Field. Several people in the video specifically mentioned the landmarks when talking about their preference for the name.
"I think they're important symbols," one fan noted. "I think there's a deep connection to the city. [It]'s a name that means a lot to Clevelanders."
"I feel like they're kind of representative of our industrial past," another added.
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The brand change process still has a long way to go, and the Indians organization knows it has some work to do convincing all fans this is the right course of action. For now, they hope the words of supporters will help others embrace "Guardians" for the next century.
"Guardians will 'Protect The Land,'" one fan declared. "I just think that is an absolute, no-brainer, No. 1 choice."