The time of the Indians is over. The franchise has changed its name to the Cleveland Guardians, albeit with a tepid response to the new moniker and logo. Nonetheless, it was a change that needed to be made, especially as the team had moved away from Chief Wahoo and in the wake of numerous protests.
But the Guardians name may also be short lived. The franchise is being sued by a Cleveland roller derby club that goes by the Guardians name, with the lawsuit saying that the team know about the roller derby club for months before they announced the name change.
Cleveland Guardians name may not last long
The process to change the name to the Guardians lasted for months. There were approximately 1200 options for the franchise to choose from before they selected the Guardians moniker, saying that they were honoring the statues flanking the Hope Memorial Bridge.
However, considering how long that process took, one would imagine that whoever was in charge of going over the different options would have noticed that the Guardians already existed in Cleveland. While a non-profit roller derby team may slide under the radar, they still exist. As this search would have been as thorough as possible, it is difficult to imagine that they would have been overlooked.
It is entirely possible that the two sides come to an agreement. The Guardians may come into being for the 2022 season, and the roller derby team may get an added boost. Maybe having a presence at the ballpark will help them to draw more people to their matches.
But it is also possible that this lawsuit puts the team back at square one. The Indians may survive for another season, or there may be a year where the Cleveland Baseball Team finds themselves competing. This is certainly an unforeseen speedbump in regards to the new name for the franchise.
The Cleveland Guardians are already running into trouble with their new name. Depending on the outcome of the lawsuit, they may need a different option.