If you haven’t heard the news, the Cleveland Indians have demoted Chief Wahoo. No, that doesn’t mean they are phasing him out (although it appears that way) but rather Chief Wahoo will no longer be the team’s primary logo. Instead, the block C will be the team’s primary. Chief Wahoo will still be seen on the team caps and uniforms, but the block C is the logo you will see prominently.

Now, I understand that the team name itself isn’t very great now in our politically correct world and I agree with it. And the logo is offensive to some. The decision to phase out the logo is a little disappointing since it’s a great logo in terms of design. And it’s somewhat iconic with the franchise and pop culture. However, adding the boring block C as a primary logo doesn’t excite me.

But here’s the real problem. The rest of the country wants Wahoo gone. However, the fans of the Indians in Cleveland love the Indians. I attended an Indians game in Cleveland a couple years and I could not believe how many of the fans enjoyed wearing Wahoo. In fact, one fan even told me that she is all about Wahoo as part of the team identity.

So what should the Indians do? Cave into the pressure of society or listen to the voice of their fanbase?

As of now, this move doesn’t mean Wahoo is gone. It only means that we see less of Wahoo in press releases, pocket schedules and so forth. And if this is part of the team’s to eventually eliminate Wahoo in the future, it’s actually a smart strategy.

It’s a shame because I like the logo. It’s not because I am racist, but it’s just because the logo is so unique. But I understand why they would want to get rid of it.

Maybe if they do get rid of it, they should start over entirely with their uniform. If they wanted to have a “C” as a logo, they should actually go with a classic logo or maybe this fan concept. Or maybe they bring this cap logo.

I suppose if the Indians are to get rid of Chief Wahoo, they should remove it like you would a band-aid — quickly. This drawn out process might be great for PR, but for logo people like me, it’s just an unwanted slow death.

Ultimately, whatever decision is made we’ll have to deal with it. I would like for the Indians to keep it and if they do, only with the logo being less featured would be a good compromise. I guess I’ll take that over a complete elimination.