Cleveland Indians downgrade Chief Wahoo to secondary logo
The Cleveland Indians will no longer use Chief Wahoo as their primary logo, owner Paul Dolan said Friday.
"We have gone to the Block C as our primary mark," Dolan told Cleveland.com on Friday. "Clearly, we are using it more heavily than we are the Chief Wahoo logo."
The team has been scaling back its use of the iconic symbol for years, removing it from the road cap in 2011 and the team's batting helmets in 2013. While Wahoo's status has been officially downgraded, Dolan said there are currently no plans to retire the logo altogether.
"[We have] no plans to get rid of Chief Wahoo, it is part of our history and legacy."
Protestors voice their opinion about Indians mascot Chief Wahoo outside Progressive Field on Opening Day. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Criticism of the logo has increased in recent years, with many saying the Chief Wahoo caricature is insensitive to Native Americans.
"We do have empathy for those who take issue with it," said Dolan (via Cleveland.com). "We have minimized the use of it and we'll continue to do what we think is appropriate."
Chief Wahoo is still part of the Indians uniform, as it is featured on the sleeve of each rendition of the team's uniforms. The logo will reportedly remain on the uniform for the foreseeable future.
(Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Team apparel featuring the Wahoo logo remains a hot seller among Indians merchandise. The team's top-selling cap is the home cap featuring Chief Wahoo, Cleveland.com reports. While the navy blue road cap with the red Block C is the second-best selling cap, the "washed" Chief Wahoo cap ranks third on the list.
