After an extensive, opaque, process involving community engagement with local stakeholders and the purported consideration of more than 1,100 names, the team settled on one of the more popular options among fans. It is a name that references both the Guardians of Traffic statues on the Lorain-Carnegie bridge and pays homage to Cleveland’s blue-collar history.
“We are loyal and proud and resilient,” Hanks intones in the announcement video (above). “We protect what we’ve earned and always defend it. Together we stand with all who understand what it means to be born and built from the Land.”
The video concludes with what is presumably the new wordmark and logos for the team.
And here’s the statement from ownership on the change:
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This article appears in Jul 14-27, 2021.