TORONTO - The effort to use the court system to ban the use of the Cleveland Indians' Chief Wahoo logo and the name "Indians" due to racist implications on Indian clans was dismissed by an Ontario Canada judge on Monday.
In Global News, prior to Judge McEwen's decision, MLB released the following statement on the issue: "Major League Baseball appreciates the concerns of those that find the name and logo of the Cleveland Indians to be offensive." But the community agrees that they would welcome a thoughtful and inclusive dialogue to address these concerns outside the context of litigation in the future.
Completing the League Championship Series in a timely manner is the priority. In Los Angeles Time, Rogers Communications Inc. spokesman Aaron Lazarus said in a statement that it would be "virtually impossible" to broadcast the game without showing the Indians' name or logo on the field, in the stands and the stadium."
Lazarus also stated that the company understands that many indigenous Canadians have concerns over the Cleveland team's name and logo. He emphasized that the playoff series between the Jays and Cleveland is also very important to millions of passionate baseball fans across Canada and around the world.
Blocking the broadcast of the games and banning the logo doesn't seem like the right solution for now as the series is going on. The Indians organization told the Toronto Star that it was "aware of the situation" and had no further comment.
Racism in sports has a significant impact both on the individuals who experience it and the wider community. It is well-recognized that racism presents barriers to social and economic participation which can in turn cause social exclusion sometimes for generations.
