Dolan Says Changing The Name of the "Indians" Might Be Delayed Till After the 2022 Season

On a zoom call with the Akron Roundtable on Thursday, Indians owner Paul Dolan admitted that the team might have to push back changing the nickname of the "Indians" franchise, and that it might not be ready to be something different for the 2022 season.

Don't get rid of your Chief Wahoo and Cleveland Indians apparel just yet, it might be in style just a bit longer.

On a zoom call Thursday with the Akron Roundtable, Tribe Owner Paul Dolan said that it is possible that the team might not adopt a new name for the team until the 2023 season, meaning that this isn't the last season the team would be known as the "Indians."

“The timeline remains the same,” Dolan said, “just to be clear we said no sooner than 2022. Our target is still 2022, but it is a difficult process. Trying to find a name that works, that we can clear, and ultimately in a tight time frame. 

"By tight I mean we can’t just show up in spring training (in 2022) and say here’s the new name. We have to have it buttoned up long before that.

“It could be sometime in the middle of this year whether we know we’ve got it down where we can do it for 2022. If not we’d have to push it to 2023. We’re working hard to get it done by then, but there’s no certainty in that.”

The organization has already been taking numerous steps to change the team's name, including getting rid of longtime mascot Chief Wahoo.

“We felt it was the right thing to discontinue the use," Dolan said about not using Chief Wahoo. 

"Frankly, we also felt it was the smart thing to do because the reality is the issues around the name are not going to go away. And I don’t think it’s our role as a sports team representing a community to be in the midst of a culture war. We need to unite people.”

The club has been known as the Indians for the past 106 years dating back to 1915.

Back in mid-December the club announced that it was going to change the name, and that it was going to be implemented for the 2022 season. 

If they can't get things decided upon by mid-way through the 2021 season, it sounds like pushing the changing of the name will be delayed for at least a year.