Bring Back the Spiders!

We all saw this coming.  It started in earnest a few years ago when the Cleveland Indians began using their Chief Wahoo logo less and less, first taking it off the uniforms and replacing it with a block "C" on the hats, then retiring the logo altogether with the exception of a few pieces of merchandise available only in the team store (which they had to do in order to keep the trademark).  Now, they've announced that the name "Indians" will also be retired after the 2021 season.

Cleveland becomes the third major league North American sports franchise to drop a Native American name in the past six months.  In July, the Washington Football Team dropped its controversial nickname after years of protests, while the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos also decided to change their name and also adopted the temporary "Football Team" moniker.  Unlike Washington, Edmonton kept its logo, which is simply an "EE" and doesn't include any Native American imagery.

At the same time, the Indians announced they would "undergo a thorough review" of the team name and "determine the best path forward."  We all knew what it meant then.  They just waited a little longer to make it official.  Now they have.  Cleveland will play one more season as the Indians, after which the name will be no more (and the focus will shift to the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Blackhawks and Kansas City Chiefs).

Washington and Edmonton's name changes were effective immediately.  And, since they made the change so close to the start of the season, Washington is playing this season without a name.  The CFL season typically starts at the end of June, so it would've been the middle of the season for Edmonton.  However, since the 2020 CFL season was cancelled and they'll conceivably have a new name in time for the 2022 season, they may never officially play a game as the "Edmonton Football Team."  (Fun fact: the Baltimore Stallions played the 1994 CFL season as the "Baltimore Football Club" while their name situation was straightened out.)

Since a full-blown rebrand takes time, it's widely assumed that Washington will continue to be the "Football Team" in 2021.  There's also some speculation that they'll keep the new non-name permanently.  How true that is, I don't know.  I still suspect that they'll come up with a new name and logo.  But it won't be before the 2022 season at the earliest.

Edmonton's rebranding shouldn't take nearly as long.  They don't have to design a new logo or get it trademarked.  The hardest part for them, honestly, is finding another name that starts with "E."  Once upon a time, they were called the "Edmonton Elks," but I kinda like "Edmonton Explorers."

Anyway, the Indians will be taking a different approach.  They've announced the name change, but have also rejected calls to have a placeholder name like the "Cleveland Baseball Club" or something like that.  Instead, they'll play one final season as the "Indians" during the rebranding process, with the new name, logo and (presumably) uniforms to debut all at once in 2022.

While this is disappointing to the critics who wanted it done immediately (they wanted it done five years ago, actually), it actually makes sense from a business perspective.  For starters, "Indians" is far less controversial than "Redskins" was, and the most controversial thing was Chief Wahoo, which was already gone.  However, it's not inexpensive to take down and replace all the signage in the stadium and everywhere else...especially since they'd have to just replace it all again with the new name and logos in 2022.

I know that rings hollow with some people, but the bottom line is that they will be changing their name.  It won't be their first, either.  They've been the "Indians" since 1915, but were known as the "Naps" after star player Nap Lajoie from 1903-14.  And since a new name is coming, there are plenty of options worth considering.

As soon as word of the name change became public on Sunday night, the suggestions started coming in.  There's some support for "Cleveland Blues" after Cleveland's original National League team in the 1880s, but, considering there's already a hockey team called the Blues, there's virtually no chance of that being the name. 

Likewise, some people have suggested "Cleveland Rockers" because of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  That also seems unlikely.  Because it's already been used.  My guess is people don't remember, but one of the charter WNBA franchises was called the "Cleveland Rockers," and they played from 1997-2003.  (Whether the Gund family and/or WNBA still hold the trademark or not, having an MLB team and a WNBA team share a name would just be weird!)

Taking the name from Cleveland's baseball history isn't a bad idea, though.  Especially since there's one that blows any of the other possibilities completely out of the water.  There should be no other choice.  They should be the Cleveland Spiders.

The Cleveland Spiders were the successors of the Cleveland Blues and played in the National League from 1889-99.  Cy Young (yes, THAT Cy Young) pitched for the Spiders from 1890-98, and they had five other Hall of Famers during their 12-year history.  They also had a Native American named Louis Sockalexis, who the Indians have long cited as an inspiration for their current (and soon to be former) name.

Of course, the original Cleveland Spiders are best known (perhaps unfairly) as the team that had the worst season in Major League Baseball history.  In 1899, they went 20-134 and were contracted by the National League at the end of the season.  After the Spiders folded, it left an opening for the upstart American League, which placed one of its charter franchises in Cleveland in 1901.  The Indians have called Cleveland home ever since.

That 20-134 season is, unfortunately, the enduring legacy of the Cleveland Spiders.  But that was 121 years ago!  It's time to give the name new life in the same way the Nationals gave new life to the Washington Senators' curly W.  Beyond that, it's just a cool name.  And it's unique.  The University of Richmond is the Spiders, but there isn't a single Major League professional team with the name.  They'd be the only "Spiders" among the 124 franchises in the four major men's professional sports.

So, I ask you, is there a better way for the Indians to begin their new identity?  Start the new era by going back to Cleveland's baseball past.  After 121 years, it's time for the Cleveland Spiders to be reborn!