After countless years of debate concerning the “racist nature” of Chief Wahoo, the Cleveland Indians have officially decided to remove the iconic, grinning caricature from their uniforms at the start of the 2019 MLB season.
So much for keeping The Chief.
While Wahoo and the “Indian” mascot has been controversial for decades, racist allegations seemed to become pertinent when Cleveland competed in the World Series in 2016 – it almost seemed as though Wahoo was an easy target for Chicago Cubs fans.
Seeing as the Wahoo logo has been in use since 1947, its removal was bound to receive mixed reviews from fans and critics. While many view Wahoo’s portrayal as “racist” and “insensitive”, countless Indians fans view him as iconic, and entirely representative of Cleveland baseball.
That being said, if Chief Wahoo is considered racist, then shouldn’t the Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Redskins be under scrutiny as well? If one “racially insensitive” logo doesn’t suffice, then no logo with racial or ethnic undertones should be in use whatsoever.
Regardless, The Chief’s removal will do little to prevent Indians fans from sporting their Wahoo gear, and his presence will likely be just as prevalent at Progressive Field in 2019, if not more.