Pardon the Interruption
A few days ago, I came across an article about President Trump calling for the Washington NFL team and Cleveland’s MLB team to revert to their former names. Classic Trump playbook: when the heat rises—this time with the Epstein files—toss a shiny distraction into the public arena.
Lately, I’ve been sorting through my old sports trading cards, which has naturally stirred up some nostalgia and a few internal debates. Is changing a team name just political correctness run amok—or is it long overdue acknowledgment of deeper issues?
History shows teams have rebranded for all kinds of reasons. The Washington Bullets became the Wizards in 1997 to move away from a name tied to D.C.'s crime wave. The Tennessee Oilers became the Titans after moving from Houston. Tampa Bay dropped “Devil” to become simply the Rays in 2008. And more recently, under pressure from activists and sponsors, the Redskins became the Commanders in 2020, and the Indians became the Guardians in 2021.
As a kid raised by die-hard Cowboys fans, I was practically programmed to loathe the Redskins. I remember watching games on TV or hearing them on the radio, cheering (or yelling) alongside my parents. The Cleveland Indians? For me, they’ll always be tied to Major League and Charlie Sheen’s unforgettable Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn.
These teams are stitched into the fabric of my childhood. But I also understand that for others, those same names carry a very different meaning—one tied to a history of stereotypes and exclusion.
While I doubt malice was the original intent, context changes with time. As for Trump, if he really cared, this would’ve been on his radar back in 2020. Right now? It feels more like a headline grab with a faint whiff of sincerity.
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