Guardians president responded to Trump's random tirade about name change
And, well, you'd probably be right.
But that didn't stop the 47th U.S. President from going on an arbitrary (and pretty nonsensical, with all things considered) diatribe about how American sports teams like the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Guardians should revert back to their old, decidedly racist nicknames. Somewhere along the way, Trump invented the concept of an "original six" in baseball out of thin air (which doesn't exist and is actually an NHL concept) to invoke the Guardians, for which an "original six" label wouldn't even apply.
Again, it really seems like Trump may be brazenly trying to drum up some sort of cannon fodder grievance to distract from other, more pressing issues. I mean, I'm just saying that I wouldn't rule it out, is all.
Shortly after Trump's Sunday morning shot in the dark, er, I mean, testimonial, Guardians president Chris Antonetti responded to his reference about the franchise's name. In short, Antonetti politely declined, citing an "opportunity to build the [Guardians'] brand" while being "excited" for the future.
You know what the amusing kicker is here?
It would take years for the Guardians, or anyone in a similar position, to go back and earnestly rebrand. It's not as if it's some overnight, effortless operation that can be done on someone's whim.
How long have the Cleveland Guardians had their current nickname?
After years of backlash, in late 2020, the Guardians revealed they would drop their old "Indians" nickname after the conclusion of the 2021 season. They have been the Guardians ever since. It was the eighth official name change in franchise history for an organization that officially started as the Columbus Buckeyes/Senators in 1896. It was the fifth name change since they started calling Cleveland home in 1900.
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