click to enlarge Cleveland Guardians
New Guardians Logos
Officially licensed Cleveland Guardians gear will go on sale in the Progressive Field team shop Friday at 9 a.m., as the local MLB club transitions from its "Indians" name and branding.
Wednesday, the Indians signage on the exterior or Progressive Field came down as well, in anticipation of the Friday launch. The team will transition to a website and social media account that reflects the Guardians name and imagery.
Merchandise was meant to go on sale Monday, but was delayed without explanation. It probably had something to do with the lawsuit filed by the Cleveland Guardians roller derby team. The parties reached
an amicable agreement Tuesday, in which both will continue to use the Guardians name, and the floodgates can now open on team merchandise.
The new name and merch can and should be celebrated — a small but mighty contingent of Native American activists and allies fought to remove the Chief Wahoo logo and Indians name for decades — but they should not distract from the horror-show playing out at Cleveland City Council, in which the city's legislative body prepares to authorize its portion of a $285 million public subsidy for maintenance and upgrades at the ballpark, part of a 15-year lease extension that was negotiated behind closed doors.
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