Cleveland Indians name change delay may be due to labor questions
The Cleveland Indians will be changing their name at some point in the future. That much is certain; what is uncertain is what that name change will be. While there may be some clues due to the challenges to various trademarks that they have made, the Indians future name is still open to speculation.
Likewise, it is unclear as to when that name change will be announced. The team had stated that they needed to spend most of 2021 doing market research to try to find a name that the fanbase would approve of. That just seemed to be a long time for that type of research to be done.
Cleveland Indians may have other reasons for name change delay
There may be other factors at play that are not being acknowledged. The Indians had signaled their expectation that there will be labor strife this offseason by allowing their entire scouting staff to interview elsewhere.
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That potential strike or lockout, and the black eye it could give the sport, may be the reason behind why it is taking so long to announce a new name. The league could be forcing the Indians to wait, feeling that they would benefit from the goodwill and publicity generated from the organization having a more inclusive nickname.
For the Indians, the wait may be beneficial as well. While there would be backlash and anger from the fans should the league have another labor battle after decades of peace, the franchise could be thinking ahead at how to monetize the moment. By announcing the name change once labor peace returns, the team could provide a dose of goodwill for both the franchise and the league.
As the Collective Bargain Agreement gets closer to its expiration date, both sides are amping up their rhetoric. Meanwhile, the fans are nervously watching what happens, hoping that both sides come to the realization that a protracted labor dispute would be suicidal. The Indians, however, may regard this as a financial opportunity to be exploited.
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The Cleveland Indians have stated their reasons for waiting to change their name. The real reason may be the impending labor dispute this offseason.